By Felicity Weaver @voice_of_an_ally
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurological disorder, which means your brain is wired differently. You can’t get it from watching too much social media but you can get it from your parents. You are born with it, and will have it all your life.
If these five signs seem familiar, it’s a good idea to see a doctor or psychologist for guidance.
1: Talkative
People with ADHD can be chatty, can’t stop talking and likely interrupt others, and will probably overshare.
Why? This is a form of hyperactivity, and people with ADHD often don’t have the insight they are doing this.
2: Forgetful
They can’t remember names, think they have dementia, they did their homework but didn’t bring it to class, and they lose their keys, phones and glasses multiple times a day. They can forget what they are saying in the middle of a sentence.
Why? They have so much internal dialogue going on in their heads, thoughts are moving so quickly that they are probably three steps ahead in their mind and have moved on before taking note of where they left something.
3: Running late
They are late to class, they are late to almost everything, and if they are on time you will be probably find they have missed the train, run for the bus or got the time wrong for the meeting.
Why? They have a thing called Time Blindness, they aren’t just rude and don’t respect your time. They can’t judge time in the way a neurotypical person can, so they will likely think it takes them 15 minutes to get out of the door in the morning when it actually takes them 45 minutes. They will feel bad for running late.
4: Creative
They are creative, thinking from a different perspective. Great at solving problem, especially under pressure.
Why? They have more neural pathways than a neurotypical person, so they can see different things, often patterns or obscure links between subjects.
5: Prone to addiction
If they are undiagnosed and/or untreated they are more likely to have struggled with addiction – alcohol, gaming, social media, food, illicit drugs and sex.
Why? They have fewer receptors for dopamine, which is a chemical in your brain that makes you feel good. People with ADHD are often chasing a dopamine high and you get a high from addictions. This is why the medication for ADHD is a stimulant, it is a safe way to give these people a healthy dose of dopamine which will make them calm and able to focus.
Featured Image: There’s a lot going on in the head of someone with ADHD. Photo: Tara Winstead/CC/Pexels
