![]() ![]() Hyperfocus can be an asset and at times, harmful. This dopamine deficiency makes it hard to transition from interesting tasks or activities to boring-but-necessary tasks. Similar to distractibility, hyperfocus is thought to result from abnormally low levels of dopamine, which is particularly active in the brain’s frontal lobes. People with ADHD often exhibit hyperfocus when working on things that interest them, becoming so absorbed into an activity or task that they tune out everything around them. Hyperfocus is the opposite of distractibility and is very common among both adults and children with ADHD. Hyperfocus is an intense fixation on something interesting for an extended period. Attempts to cope with the emotional impacts of RSD can have significant negative consequences including people-pleasing, the anticipation of rejection, social withdrawal, task avoidance, and emotional shutdown. For people with RSD, this can feel unbearable, restricting, and highly impairing. Individuals with rejection sensitivity may experience intense emotional reactions or anxiety in response to rejection (perceived or actual), even if the rejection/criticism is relatively minor or unintentional. It may also be triggered by a sense of failure or disappointment when unable to meet their own high standards or others’ expectations, which is often internalized as the loss of approval, love, and/or respect. RSD is triggered by the perception that a person has been rejected/criticized by important others. Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) has been used to describe a tendency to experience strong emotional responses to perceived or actual rejection (or criticism) from others and is commonly associated with ADHD brains. Some of the signs of emotional dysregulation include emotional flooding, intense or overwhelming emotions, sudden mood swings, difficulty managing anger, low frustration tolerance, difficulty calming down or self-regulation, and difficulty recovering from negative emotions. 2) Emotional DysregulationĮmotional dysregulation suggests an impaired ability to control emotional responses, which can lead to extreme “all or nothing” reactions, as well as reactions that are disproportionate to the situation. Low levels of dopamine (the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of pleasure and reward) are thought to play a key role in executive functioning deficits among those with ADHD compared to those with neurotypical brains. These functions are responsible for processes like planning, organizing, problem-solving, decision-making, impulse control, task initiation, and emotion regulation. Executive functioning refers to the cognitive and mental abilities that drive behavior. Hidden Symptoms 1) Executive Functioning Deficitsĭeficits in executive functioning are very common in individuals with ADHD and present many challenges. It is important to recognize the whole spectrum of ADHD symptoms-both internal and external-to understand an individual’s experience and how ADHD can impact functioning. There are many unassuming symptoms, and these symptoms are commonly missed or attributed to character flaws, personality defects, bad behavior, or other personal deficits. The visible symptoms and behaviors are barely scratching the surface of what it is like to live with ADHD. In general, some of the most visible external symptoms of ADHD include constant fidgeting, interrupting conversations, blurting things out, excessive talking, losing things, “bouncing off the walls,” not following instructions, always being late, forgetting important appointments, and being disorganized. ADHD symptoms are experienced with different levels of severity ranging from mild to significant impairment. There are 3 subtypes of ADHD listed in the DSM-5: predominantly hyperactive/impulsive presentation, predominantly inattentive presentation, and combined presentation (both hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive symptoms are present). The symptoms that lie beneath the surface tend to be “invisible” and are frequently overlooked, often resulting in misunderstanding, misdiagnosis, and failed treatment for people with ADHD. While the hallmark criteria of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention, are typically observable in individuals with ADHD, these are just the tip of the iceberg. In reality, ADHD is a complex neurodivergent condition that is characterized by many different symptoms. There is a common misconception that Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) merely means that a person cannot concentrate and is hyperactive. ![]()
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