Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) - Quick Summary of The Other Attention Disorder

[@j.d.aengus]

My gratitude to Dr. Barkley for continuing to spread awareness of CDS. I received an ADHD diagnosis in 2020 (very well into adulthood), but a previous video that he did about SCT (as he said, the previous name for CDS) sounds more like my experience than even Inattentive ADHD does. I am certain that I have both, but CDS still isn't in the diagnostic manual. I'm that previous video, he mentioned that research has found that CDS (SCT) is able to be treated with atomoxetine (aka Strattera), and so I asked my doctor about trying that medication, and it certainly does help me!

[@user-kt5rv9ub2u]

Hi! How does strattera help you? Thx

[@bas2452]

As a communications student, I just wanted to thank you for the work you put into creating these videos. It's hard to overstate the importance and value of your content. It certainly goes beyond the positive impact you have on the lives of people with ADHD (like me). At risk of being dramatic, I believe experts like yourself play one of the most critical parts in counterbalancing the everlasting, society eroding, stream of nonsense produced on social media. Your contribution to true understanding does not go noticed! Wish you all the best.

[@raginald7mars408]

he pays YOU 10 cent for each letter of PRAISE! Praise more and get richhh$$$

[@DrMattBug]

I have CDS. I discovered that today. Among a few other neurological issues (including recently diagnosed ADHD), I am also a doctor of medicine. My life has been very frustrating, especially with work and social interactions. Thank you for your research and continued work, it's emotional for a professional to acknowledge something that has felt so overlooked.

[@Teo-door]

thanks for finally giving me a word to explain my situation, and to know i'm not just crazy. or alone with this. Thanks. it means a lot

[@merfgamgee9485]

It's comforting to know that CDS is a subject of research. I've had the symptoms since childhood. They went into remission for a few months when I was a teenager and I've spent much of my adulthood trying to recapture that state. Work is definitely challenging. I've tried a few medications, including Vyvanse, but none have hit the spot, unfortunately.

[@joan.nao1246]

@merfgamgee have you looked into gut health info, esp the science behind GAPS diet for neuro diversity?

[@snjspring]

Do you exercise? Are you overweight? Sleep study?

[@mhilyard1]

Yes it's awesome that this is actually being researched. Atomoxetine/Strattera (acts on norepinephrine) seemed to help me a lot but caused digestive issues and I switched to Bupropion which also acts on norepinephrine in addition to dopamine and it seems to work just as well with less side effects. Everyone is different but that's what works for me. I wonder if there will be any research on other medications that act on norepinephrine as far as CDS?

[@MR-ym3hg]

@@mhilyard1 I'm just starting atomoxetine after trying low dose Adderall for several months. If you don't mind sharing, do you have ADHD + CDS? If so, what is the benefit you felt from these? How long did your GI issue last before you switched? I'm trying to prepare myself for the GI issues and if I have them, see if I can power through long enough to know if this class might benefit me if I find the one/dosage with tolerable long term side effects.

[@Drnonstop]

Anyway, very interesting video, the ”some parts of the brain sleep” bit hit me hard. Not sure if I have CDS, but after I have those blank stares I feel the same shame as when I wake up, excusing myself

[@bethanykittok3903]

My entire life.

[@MR-ym3hg]

Yes! I think my social anxiety draws from this as a repeated experience. Especially when making first/early impressions.

[@iliyanovslounge]

Thank you for taking the time to put out such informative content.

[@cordellboss]

I need to get tested for this my grandma and even co workers of mine have been making comments about my low motor and how I don't do any work. One of them said to a co worker I don't want to work with him on a cart because I would just be working by myself. Of course this isn't true because all I want to do is get my work done but others have commented that I spend too much time on certain stuff that should be done in quick succession like cutting up boxes. I have always gone at my own pace for fear of messing up and I do appear absent minded, confused, and non verbal at times.

[@megs4193]

It really sounds like a lot of what I do, being born in 1970 we obviously didn't have the help that children do today. For me personally I have been diagnosed with adhd, but also neurodivergent and cptsd. One thing I think affected me personally is, I was never told what to do, ever, I was lucky to have people around me doing good things that I picked up on, but basically...it was like being accidentally invisible, there was no malice or neglect just...I seemed to be fine, I believed I was fine therefore I wasn't really told yes or no except for basic, hygiene, eating, sleeping and getting up...unfortunately I'm 53, and I only have vivid memories from 9 on, and even that is just a guess. This really really got my attention though. Thank you so much. My psychologist here in Tasmania Australia recommended you to me, and I see why 👋😃 💞💞💞.

[@mrchips.9245]

do you have an issue with memory and procrastination ?

[@wbudd87]

I've watched all your videos in the CDS playlist and I've found it to be very relatable. The thought aspect and sleepiness/'drowsiness. I was diagnosed in the 90's with "ADD" since I had trouble focusing. My experience was just that my thoughts were just all over the place though and I had no impulsivity whatsoever. As an adult now I don't really feel like my experience has changed at all. I often fall into very powerful thoughts/internal monologue/visual imagery and it feels very disconnecting from reality... Like falling into and waking up from a dream. I tend to describe it to others in this way: Imagine you have to listen to a podcast channel every day, all day in your mind. You wake up, you're listening to it. You take a shower, you're listening to it. You're driving, you're listening to it. You're talking with people, you're listening to it. Imaging how impairing that would be.. How difficult it would be to get out of those thoughts to focus on the real world and what you're doing. Imagine how that would effect your social interactions and day-to-day life. That's what I experience almost every second of every day. I've mostly adjusted to it as an adult though I've accepted that it's always going to be there and it's just how my mind works.

[@bitsofgeek]

Watching this video, mind wanders, rewind 30 seconds, immediately go back to mind wandering, rewind 30 seconds... I'll get through it I swear! Also, I would like to say that to me, the 'mind blanking' feels like I'm a TV just displaying static. So yeah, it's like those focal points decided to just go off the air for a bit 😅

[@karlidomingo]

My question - I haven’t heard the term “dissociation” involved at all in regards to this syndrome, and yet, the symptoms seem to define dissociation. How does CDS differ from dissociating? Obviously dissociating can be a response to other factors, such as trauma and PTSD, as well as a symptom of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. Can you do a video on this? Thank you Dr. Barkley!

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

There are no studies comparing CDS to dissociative disorders. My hunch is that the latter also include depersonalization and even out of body experiences that are not part of CDS. But I bet there is overlap between them. Be well.

[@MeloniousThunk]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023 I love this conversation. Thanks for asking the question I was thinking, @carlidomingo and for engaging us on this platform, Dr. Barkley

[@zecchinoroni]

From my experience, dissociation involves derealization or a feeling of being detached from yourself in some way. There is some form of altered perception involved.

[@chaylamcrae8952]

I was diagnosed with dissociative disorder but I never felt it fit. However CDS does a lot. There has been a few times I felt dissociative by definition but they were extremely traumatic events that happened to me. I never felt depersonalization I felt like I was watching a movie. Maybe they mean the same thing. It’s like your mind cannot process what is happening in real time. That happens a lot to me but not to this extreme unless it’s a major unexpected life event.

[@RichardTongeman]

I don’t get depersonalisation, but I get a lot of the other symptoms

[@amphibien8264]

Thank you for all that you do for CDS and ADHD. I've found that I have significantly improved overall with the help of stimulants (even at low doses) but there have been areas where I still struggled. CDS seems to explain where I'm still struggling to see improvement. I'm exploring my treatment options now that I know about CDS.

[@ernestalab6592]

What meds are you on?

[@amphibien8264]

@@ernestalab6592 I tried generic Adderal, Adderall XR, and Vyvanse. CDS still remains too much of an issue, and I can't handle high doses nor do high doses come with any benefits over low dose. Overall, they help a little with the ADHD side of things, but CDS has barely improved.

[@aliciaf4744]

I've had exactly the same experience.

[@llareia]

This is really interesting to me as I've been diagnosed with ADHD [inattentive presentation], but blank staring (either with no thought or with extremely deep and sometimes rapid thought) has been a hallmark of mine since I was quite young. I often wondered if it was a seizure disorder (specifically the blank stares) before I got my ADHD diagnosis. EDIT: Strattera has certainly been helpful for me, and for my daughter who has very severe inattention (diagnosed as inattentive ADHD) that is almost perfectly described by Dr. Barkley's description of CDS.

[@sokrates5421]

Can you also include research on CDS in your weekly research updates whenever new studies get published?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Yes.

[@jimbelsxx866]

Thank you Dr. Barkley for your work in this area and for bringing it forward to a wider audience. The symptoms sound exactly like me, and now I finally know what has been going on with me all these years. Now I can put all the painful failures I have experienced throughout life into better perspective.

[@meeerdock]

Dr Barkley your channel has made a big difference in my attempt to filter and understand the vast information regarding ADHD on the internet. I wanna ask if you have in mind any credible scientist like yourself doing somethink similar for ASD.Thank you.

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Not that I know of. But check the autism center of excellence at Duke University operated by Geraldine Dawson to see what information they provide. And the MIND Institute at UC Davis is also a fine resource. Be well

[@bobby9810]

I was diagnosed with adult ADHD in early 2023, and then with Major Depressive Disorder this year. But those diagnoses didn’t quite seem to cover the social or daydreaming issues I’ve had consistently for my entire life. I had been looking into maybe an autism diagnosis, but now that I’m learning more about CDS it seems like a such better fit for my specific symptoms. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’d been called spacey, ditzy, or an airhead growing up, both at school and at home. It was horrible for my self-esteem and my depression, but videos like these are making me feel much better about myself and my condition. Thank you for research and for sharing these videos! ❤

[@adila2442]

Your lectures are very informative. Your book Take Charge of Adult ADHD was recommended by my support group.

[@owent1166]

I score highly on both CDS and ADHD (mostly inattentive). Thanks for your work.

[@lovelykrismarie]

This is interesting to see as someone who is diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. Very guilty of daydreaming, overthinking, and, of course, rumination.

[@elaine901]

Same here!

[@Catnapdogday8008]

Everytime I have tried to describe what my mind is doing when I “zone out” to professionals I have been told they sound stroke like. My mind is completely blank. I’m thinking of nothing, or often repeating one word over and over. My mental fatigue is and always has been in control of my life. I can sleep for 12 hours a day and want to sleep the days away. My mind is nowhere in my zone outs. I know where I am and what’s going on and I can hear my name or respond if being spoken to but at the moment it’s happening there is nothing going on inside my head. I just stare and I feel my eyes drying out and tell myself “blink now” and then back to nothing until I’m forced “back into the room”

[@mrchips.9245]

do you get stressed too quickly and have problem with procrastination? and everything seems boring

[@SunshineGrove04]

dr. Barkley, I can stare off but I don't have a blank mind.. is that more maladaptive daydreaming.. I WISH my mind could go blank although I am sure many who do struggle with this, wish that it wasn't like that for them. I am AuDHD and C-PTSD.. my mind has ALWAYS been busy.. although I do find that being on Concerta it does help slow ALL the thoughts coming at once in a rapid-fire way.. yet still soo stuck in Frozen Overwhelm b/c so much is sinking in my life.

[@FocusFrameMD]

Thank you for your work, Doctor. It's so disappointing and scary to see how little is known about CDS. But it's heartwarming to see doctors doing this kind of research out there. You mentioned how ADHD is more disruptive than CDS. I can only speak for myself, but my CDS symptoms feel to be much greater disruptors than my ADHD ones. Adderall can help with focus when ADHD is the problem, but if CDS is the problem, it doesn't help even though it serves its purpose. The issue with CDS, as far as i understand it, is one of shifting gears from "the inside" to "the outside." The clutch isn't focus; it's energy. Stimulants and caffeine can't give me that, and when you're always lethargic and fatigued despite rest, disengagement is difficult to avoid and engagement with any new task is borderline impossible. Too much inertia, so you stay stuck; mentally asleep. The point about there being literal sleep-like brain activity during these disengagements was mindblowing. No wonder it feels so sleep-like Issues like these seem pointless to bring up to psychiatrists and therapists. Do you have suggestions on resources for participating in research and having these conversations there? My descriptions feel far more productive as research aid, than as complaints to my psych lol

[@ericm6415]

CDS sounds like a perfect description for my state of mind as a child (up to 10yo). I've been diagnosed with ASD-1. I'd be interested to see the cross-over on those

[@MrWinMrWin-qr2bn]

The overlap between all these mental health problems really makes me think how much misdiagnosis happens 😢. So many things can result in attention issues besides ADHD.

[@ernestalab6592]

Dr Barkley I m obsessed with your information, it’s so helpful and interesting! Thank you so much ! These symptoms I have them all , but just been diagnosed with ADHD. I also experience learning difficulties, get hyper focused on stuff I m interested in, till I get over it. I been told I have combined type. I m not driven by motor all the time, I get fatigued a lot. but if I m into project I also can’t stop working/moving. Wondering if I really have adhd or this instead . This could be so easily mixed up and now my new diagnosis imposter syndrome kicked in and I think what if I don’t have ADHD.

[@hollybigelow5337]

I am someone who is convinced I have CDS. What I am really looking forward to is more understanding of how CDS relates to Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria. I have heard it's estimated 99% of people with ADHD have RSD. If that is true, and if most of us who have CDS are currently receiving a diagnosis of ADHD because CDS isn't in the DSM right now, that would suggest that there is a huge correlation of RSD in CDS. I watched another video recently that perhaps people with ADHD are rejected by their peers because of impairments in controlling emotions like anger. That makes tons of sense to me. Is it the same with CDS? I can get very angry when I need people who are trying to control me to leave me alone, but personally I thought it took awhile for that to happen, so I thought most people who aren't close to me hadn't seen that side of me, but is that just me not realizing it? Or is there perhaps something else making it so people with CDS are getting rejected by their peers?

[@ernestalab6592]

I m like you only people I feel close to I can be very frustrated and show rage. I have RSD for sure and people pleasing is exhousting for me. I can’t at all take criticismfrom strangers so try to be perfect “outside”. But I also have ALL symptoms of CDS 😮and thinking could my adhd be misdiagnosed, or it just overlaps with CDS. As I have a lot more symptoms like hyperfixation, learning difficulties that either is separate in its own or caused by ADHD.

[@hollybigelow5337]

@@ernestalab6592 Oh, I definitely have hyper fixation and can be easily overwhelmed and show that overwhelm to the handful of people who are close enough to me to be unfortunate enough to experience that with me. I definitely do the people pleasing. Let’s put it this way, even though I am convinced they are two separate disorders, they currently are both officially diagnosed as ADHD, so they must have enough in common to be lumped into the same diagnosis for so many years. And it does sound like there are plenty of people who have both ADHD and CDS. I’m pretty sure once they are separated I will personally only qualify for CDS, but that doesn’t mean I won’t still have a lot of similar symptoms and also understanding for those who have ADHD.

[@bethanykittok3903]

Has anyone looked at CDS with a correlation to dopamine? I feel like this diagnosis may fit me. It may fit my mother. Both my mother and my maternal grandfather were diagnosed with Parkinsons.

[@classuscle1605]

When my CDS symptoms get worse, I feel like I'm taking an antipsychotic or first-generation antihistamine. It reminds me of the sluggish, drowsy sedation caused by diphenhydramine, quetiapine and promethazine. Stimulants (amphetamine, methylphenidate, caffeine) become less effective, to the point where I can sometimes barely feel them at all at the prescribed dosages. I find it a lot easier to fall asleep as well. The tiredness is of a different nature to what it feels like when I don't get enough sleep - it's tightly coupled to apathy and fewer emotions. Could there be some sort of dysregulation of the brain's acetylcholine/histamine pathways involved?

[@well_weathered]

Thank you Dr Barkley.🌹Very interesting! Does the person remember about what they were thinking about as compared to dissociation?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Usually, yes, but not always if it is mind blanking as there is nothing to recall.

[@well_weathered]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023 Thank you. I am so grateful to hear of you.

[@Rigoroushonesty]

Dr Barkley: what if the mind wandering consists of analyzing the environment or the behavior of the people in the vicinity? Or attempting to recognize patterns in people in their environment. I often disengage to this extent, it causes severe impairment in my employment. What's wrong with me. And I often see things that other people don't.

[@Desh681]

9k viewers in 16 hours? Alright, there's more of us than i thought lol.

[@hermanmusimbi4337]

Dr. Barkley, there is a drug being investigated for ADHD that's already indicated as a treatment for narcolepsy. Its called solriemfetol or sunosi. Sleepy ADHD kinda sounds like CDS in some respect. Could this be a promising treatment? Also when can we hope to see this on a DSM?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

That drug might be helpful but no one has studied it as yet. And it is our hope that the review paper will lead to it being in the next DSM, whenever that gets constructed.

[@hermanmusimbi4337]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023 I hope this becomes the case. I appreciate your work

[@lyaneris]

I tried sunosi for narcolepsy (type 2), and while I can only speak for my own weird brain (I've read one or two similar experiences), it seems to worsen brainfog and more importantly made it harder to feel emotions apart from a neutral state. I found myself slipping into daydreams or just staring into space more often, because I didn't feel like (doing) anything. Personally, I'd be more interested in the impact of Wakix (Pitolisant), since it was developed to help with 'narcoleptic brainfog'.

[@melitabarisch7797]

Hello i am from Brazil. First i would like to thank you very much for sharing your knowledge. Does CDS and AHDH is more comum for extreme premature (26 weeks)? I have twins that were born with 26 weeks and they are 17 years old. He has Adhd diagnostic since childhold an he is all Adhd’ syntoms. She has diagnosys few years ago for first level of autism. But this year another profession had evalueted again for AHDH sub type SCT. The twins are the opposite from each other, but both have a strong innatention disorder.

[@willwheatley7296]

I was just wondering Dr Barkley, I thought I fit the criteria for this disorder (CDS/SCT) . However, I seem to get brain fog when I am anxious. Like my disassociation gets worse. Do you have any thoughts why this would happen ? I would’ve assumed the brain fog would’ve been underarousal but obviously if it’s worsening when I’m anxious that can’t be the case. Surely ?

[@MoEl2]

This channel by Dr Russell is just describing me for atleast a year or two. I have never been like this, I'm 26...

[@LesVraisFilous]

Thank you for these videos ! Are you planning to make a video explaining a bit more about how ADHD and CDS can coexist ? I'm trying to understand how hyper and hypo activity can be there at the same time, it's a bit confusing for me.

[@foxvoss1420]

@russellbarkleyphd2023 I have the same, because if you leave out hyperactivtiy and impulsivity can you still have ADHD and CDS? Especially when it comes to executive functions that impact planning, attention and what not. Because both would be regarded as inattentive types. And I am not referring to the adhd type that evolves into the inattentive type due to ageing.

[@TeeganLee]

Is the presentation of CDS similar to sleep apnea? Would sleep apnea need to be ruled out for CDS to be considered? Are there studies looking at whether CDS could actually be caused by sleep issues?

[@bethanykittok3903]

Good question! I would love to know the answer to this as well!

[@themobbit9061]

I wonder if this is related in any way to childhood trauma including ongoing negative mirroring, verbal or emotional abuse. I have several clients in that category that space out or have an energy shut down - freeze responses -when the trauma is triggered in the present. What do you think?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

There is a greater relationship to child and family adversities than is seen in ADHD so it’s possible but would not account for most cases.

[@themobbit9061]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023 Thank you for your thoughts. And also for analyzing the current research for us!

[@edinbrodlic4564]

@@russellbarkleyphd2023thing is, how would one reliably quantify and measure positive/negative mirroring in early caregiving, to conclude that it is not a cause? Even severely traumatised people seem to claim their childhoods were “not that bad”, simply due to a lack of memory/awareness. All we have is anecdotal evidence based on hazy memories?

[@zakm0n]

Any information of type 1 juvenile diabetes and CDS?

[@tracyerskine7573]

As a child I regularly got pulled up for staring blankly or for my mind wandering. Now as an adult I listen to books and even watch films and box sets and I find myself watching or listening but I'm not always focusd on what I'm watching. I know there is sound and visual occurrences but I don't get the detail it just flows by... I have always experienced mind wandering and staring, blankly and loosing track of what I'm saying or even missing what I'm seeing and hearing. If I read or watch something that I am familiar with I can fill out the blanks but otherwise I can't and needed to go back and listen or watch from the last but I remember. Is this ADD, SCT or CDS or all three?

[@zecchinoroni]

SCT and CDS are the same thing.

[@alyssa0411]

Is it worth the time and energy to inquire about SCT if you have a child who has already been diagnosed with ADHD? My 12-year-old was dx with ADHD- Inattentive and Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder almost 3 years ago by a doctor who works in the Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology at Stanford University. After seeing this video, I'm sort of wondering if he might have been misdiagnosed. SCT was never brought up during our meetings. The doctor assessed him for ASD but he didn’t “check all the boxes” for that. I’m looking at your list of symptoms and he pretty much deals with all of those. We even had him tested for absence seizures after the school psychologist at his elementary school grew concerned with his frequent drifting off during class time. He would be on track, and suddenly just start staring through the wall with eyes wide open. The 24-hour EEG came up with no seizures. I just don't know if I should get him reassessed for SCT or keep treating him as though it’s just ADHD - Inattentive. He has an IEP and accommodations all put in place. Are there different ways of treating ADHD and SCT or do they overlap enough to use the same treatment?

[@dmb357]

Dr. Barkley- why hasn’t CDS been included in the DSM yet? Do you think it will eventually?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

There was not enough evidence on the validity of CDS as a separate disorder back in the years 2008-2012 when the DSM was being revised. That has all changed since then so let’s hope it gets into the next one, DSM6 whenever that gets created.

[@slartybobfoster2273]

I get this thing sometimes, especially if I'm tired, where I just stare straight ahead, my eyes can lose focus and I'm just empty. It's not scary, it's actually quite enjoyable. It's like I'm just taking a break and only lasts about 10 or 15 seconds. I've done it all my life and I've noticed others doing it. If someone talks to me during this experience it's like I'm not there. I might reply with "what" but it's almost a dream like "what" and I'm not alert. Is this what we're talking about here?

[@KairosDBT]

Fabulous.

[@mcleary9615]

I was diagnosed with ADD as a child, I know that's now discribed as an ADHD type, but I'm wondering if I may have this instead

[@user-sm1ol5kj6o]

Can we finally do away with the “inattention” subtype now… please

[@nobodygh]

How would I know whether I have CDS or ADHD inattentive type?

[@astartealbg]

Could these people have trouble falling asleep but being sleepy all day? with all the symptoms that come with that, like the sluggishness, confusion, etc.

[@CesarSandoval024]

Where can I get evaluated?

[@MK-eo2vg]

How many symptoms do you have to have to have CDS?

[@kerryhitzke4490]

Thank you

[@TrevaGilliard]

Sounds like a form of dissociation?

[@coconutandcardamom2897]

Has anyone started their own research? I have my HTMA results, amino acid results and more. It's interesting! Struggled with getting diagnosed all my life. ADHD and Autism and much more was ruled out. "It seems like some type of adult ADHD" was the best I could get. But I have had it all my life. Genetics defo play a role but I also had a traumatic childhood with a head injury. Does this progress or e.g. for women shows up in childhood and then again from mid 30s when female hormones decline with a crash in/after menopause? How does this tie in with primary vigilance disorder? Is it the same?

[@coconutandcardamom2897]

@@ThiCC_Yosh I stuck too long with doctors who could not admit that they are at a loss and they did not ask the right questions (I was so confused in the end with what my supposed problems were that I lost touch what my actual problems are). Find someone who asks questions. It can be caused by metabolic disorders that put you in a "fog" and almost in a crash coma like state, when the build up of unknown metabolic byproduct x is affecting the brain (Intoxication) too much. But there is other causes (many) and I think low dopamine and low noradrenaline play a role (they are discussing stimulants, Strattera, Wellbutrin and even Imipramine as "maybe helpful"). I had an appointment at a clinic for rare diseases and it fell through last minute as my referring doctor closed her practice during Corona times. Mine is hereditary. I think this may have been misdiagnosed as ADHD/Autism combo, atypical Autism and much more. None of these terms are fitting. I would love to know the specific differences between CDS and primary vigilance disorder. I like you see myself more in PVD.

[@legoguru3000]

If you know anyone doing research on this that need someone who might have it I'm here 😆✋

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Check out the list of authors in that review paper cited in the video description for who is studying CDS now. The lead author, Steve Becker, is especially prominent in this field.

[@anandakrishnans2923]

is it similar to maladaptive daydreaming?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Yes but not completely. See the review paper mentioned in the description.

[@yfdvjjjhvdd]

All I know is mine is not voluntary even tho I have a consciousness as I am mind blanking.

[@spookshow]

Are there transcripts to these videos?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

No, sorry, but an AI program might be able to do it.

[@BBFCCO733]

So this definitely describes me. I’m taking vyvanese, do you think I should ask for a second opinion as treatment?

[@ernestalab6592]

I just been diagnosed with ADHD and starting same meds as you tomorrow. Does it help ? As I have all symptoms of CDS like you 😮

[@niceguy2527]

How does on treat CDS?

[@Spectre2434]

❤❤❤ The ADD 😮😮😮

[@g.m.9180]

"ADHD" is "ADD", they are not different conditions, just the same condition that can present with or without hyperactivity. In fact, ADD is now considered an outdated term. CDS is a different condition with different symptoms. It is not ADD. But it's possible to have adhd and cds together.

[@alexlaw1892]

It would make more sense to go back to calling it ADD. ADHD has never made sense to me.

[@Desh681]

Or EFDD (executive functioning dysfunctional disorder) or something similar. That was the one that clued me in on it’s severity

[@BoswellLeif-d5u]

Williams Steven Hernandez Ronald Lewis Mark

[@mrsblucher]

Living with CDS for 50 years, studying biological basis of learning and memory way back (before the Internet distracted me), son dx’d CDS, and spending what seems like half my life trying to make sense of the underlying ‘me’, it feels like the current binary interpretation (CDS vs ADHD) is not helpful in describing or deepening our understanding of attention. To me the approach feels so blunt that we risk not seeing things for what they are - multi-dimensional. In the same way the visual system pieces together orientation, movement, contrast, depth, my understanding says there’s an attentional system which pieces together sensory inputs, time, prioritisation, prominence, persistence, stability, associations, novelty, acuteness, lucidity and noise (my list, not in textbooks) to determine our experience, which we act on. Our attention is always multi-dimensional. Two distinct attention disorders only simplifies our understanding. It bothers me that ‘symptoms can be removed from a list’ to simplify and fit a condition. If this is my list, this is my list. Forgive me if it seems I’m undermining the mind that switched a light on for me 10 years ago. Personal experience tells me CDS is based on real distinctions, but it’s also a distraction. Of course there’s value in developing criteria for establishing distinct disorders, enabling differential dx and treatment. However it hides what connects them, and stops us understanding the bigger picture or complexities like developmental influence. How we talk about something influences how we understand it. Differentiating disorders might help treatment, but it doesn’t necessarily help understanding. Life will always be far more fuzzy and we are not sufficiently disentangling it by reducing and simplifying. How you’re brought up along with this genetically influenced array of underlying connectivity absolutely does influence how you turn out. You can entirely end up with different disorders (often heaping several on top of one another as comorbid) from the same starting point. So who or what benefits when we use broad buckets to describe people and outcomes? Certainly not our understanding. I think there’s a case for a more holistic approach to understanding an ‘Attentional System', emphasising the interplay of how multiple aspects work together. I think there’s a case for reframing our perception of ‘discrete conditions' as an 'array of outcomes’, derived from unique biology and predisposition and upbringing. I think there’s a case for considering Attention as an extension of our senses, and having specialist support intervention in the same way we use Opthamologists and Audiologists (not the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff). I think there’s a case for identifying patterns of thinking in children early, supported with parental indicators, and offering developmental pathways that are better suited for better outcomes. At its core, how we act internally on our Attentional State may be binary. We can engage or disengage, and we can do either in a productive way, or non-productive. Neither are wrong, and they’re both natural ways of thinking. We’re pushed one way or another by the multi-dimensional Attentional state, and ultimately the way we respond can become more problematic, and very very complex. I think of McGilchrist, with his description of the differences in left and right brain activity, playing up against each other, describing how the binary distinction can have infinitely complex outcomes. I love D. Graham Burnett’s thinking on attention - listen to his recent talk with Ezra Klein, please. I think he’s truly moving our thinking forward productively. My ‘CDS thinking' is not a problem. It’s a way of thinking. It can be influenced but never coerced. It can be medicated but not eradicated. The way we respond to what we’ve got creates and compounds problems. The outcome becomes the problem. Better therefore to first make the most of what we’ve got, before pathologising what we get. There’s so much with the current educational model that holds back children with attentional differences or challenges - the one size fits all approach, bigger open plan classrooms, early analytical approach with reading, more open ended thinking early on, less focus on repetition, devices over handwriting, risk aversion with physical activities, sedentary activities. Children identified with certain characteristics would be better suited with a specific development plan. For those of us who live with ‘CDS’, let’s do a better job of understanding the Attentional System, the multiple aspects, and how we can influence at least some of them. We must each understand our unique self, and our unique way of acting on it. For me, 18mg Concerta has been hugely beneficial to go about my daily life, being productive (enough), supporting family (enough), but the truth is 10+ hours of quality cardiovascular exercise a week is equally or more beneficial, if I can be bothered getting round to it, offering prioritisation and stability with my attention that methylphenidate doesn’t provide. What I find is reduced noise and lucidity with Concerta mean I am more able to control other aspects of attention the drug may not be affecting directly. It also means I cycle less, which isn’t great. Certainly the crippling daily build of anxiety disappeared with the meds. There are many aspects to my attention I must still actively fight to control. Coffee increases associations (and feels great), but along with increased noise and decreased stability and persistence of thought, I get less done that I should be doing, often nothing, for days. I respond by engaging in irrelevant novel activity (like writing this response), or disengage by looking out the window and sinking into soporific bliss. Caffeine is terrible for my productivity, but I drink it daily, because the mental strain of living with a chaotic mind is easily seduced with a positive buzz. I can analyse the influence of alcohol on Attention too, and the outcomes. Thinking about this feels useful in understanding Attention, and learning how I can live better. Without wanting to be disrespectful, the current state of thinking with CDS makes me think of my own analytical work when I become overly focused, becoming circular and obsessional, ultimately losing the richness of perspective. It happens all the time. Dr. Mate’ has fallen into exactly the same trap. Reductionism and entrenchment is taking us backwards. Ripping up and starting again doesn’t render a lifetime’s work irrelevant. It just means we take a step back and find ways to align our thinking that might in fact be a better position from which to move forward. Can’t we just say Attentional Disorder, and move forward from there? Modern environment is pushing a greater percentage of population into this category of the problematic, and more distinct disorders won’t solve things. There’s too much at stake here to not resolve our dilemmas and progress the goal of understanding what we each have with our unique inner states and how we can do best with it. MT

[@Spectre2434]

Is this in the DSM

[@annetteka]

Dare and look back up… as tedious or tiring as it might feel when having a pressing question, here the previous Q’s & A’s do tell sooner than any internet-ether echo.

[@umayoub5]

No not yet

[@Drnonstop]

Could there be a ”third” too? Since ”treatment resistant” is a thing(? Is it?) and ADHD/ADD seemed to have the same treatment. But if ADHD is EF/SR-D and ADD is CDS, could there be something else like dark matter, hidden in plain sight? Or might trauma involved since the youth have a permanent spot in the working memory and therefore causing an underdevelopment alongside? Crazy theory: could the power of suggestion (helped some children w ADHD with fake MRI-scan) actually cause you to have an imagined disorder? (In adhd with or without cds, or with misdiagnosed or no adhd)?

[@russellbarkleyphd2023]

Maybe. We just don’t know a lot about this but we know enough to know it exists as a legitimate condition. Be well.

[@Drnonstop]

Thank you! Interesting, some people say they were too late to explore the world, too early to explore space - but they are now in the present where the mind needs exploration!

[@bethanykittok3903]

Love the dark matter reference. Sounds like a Star Trek Episode where dark matter gets trapped in Spok's brain!

[@shinpad]

I’m not sure if you have the money but paying for an editor for your videos might be more effective in reaching a large amount of GenZ and get this the proper attention it deserves

[@jowke7289]

They can only handle 6 second videos 😩

[@PhoenixsWorldVideos]

Can't believe they named a real disorder 'SEE DEEZ'

[@Nina-dx7sm]

Could CDS explain the "Preterm Behavioral Phenotype" (or vice versa)? Fitzallen GC, Taylor HG, Bora S. What Do We Know About the Preterm Behavioral Phenotype? A Narrative Review. Front Psychiatry. 2020 Mar 25;11:154. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00154. PMID: 32269532; PMCID: PMC7109291.