On Being Self-Employed and ADHD

If an amusement park made a MythBusters themed attraction, what sort of ride would Adam want it to be? Can Adam talk more about having ADHD and being responsible for your own schedule/business? In this live stream excerpt Adam answers these questions from Tested members Ben Campbell, Andrew and Home with Katrina, whom we thank for their support!
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Thanks for watching!

[@abductedcows4100]

Experiencing ADHD paralysis while fighting major depressive disorder is the very definition of a vicious cycle. It always makes me happy when I see people with ADHD succeed and thrive. It does bring a strange sense of hope to those that have been spinning their wheels for 40+ years that there is still a chance. Thank you for sharing the resource!

[@RoundedWaffle]

I cannot express how much it would mean to hear from Adam how he manages his symptoms

[@Tommi_D]

Absolutely!

[@vaughnd222]

I was not prepared for Adam Savage to call me out so hard with the "You listen to the middle of songs then move on to the next one too" line.

[@Doom1491]

my slight ocd wouldn't let me do this, I find it somewhat unsettling that people do this

[@Peef_Spogdar]

@@Doom1491 I find it somewhat unsettling that you’re somewhat unsettled by what that guy said

[@Doom1491]

@@Peef_Spogdar that somewhat unsettles me that you find it somewhat unsettling that I find it somewhat unsettling what the guy said

[@ZiddersRooFurry]

@@Doom1491 I'd be unsettled but I'm too busy BIRD *Chases*

[@erok268]

I do this all the time I too feel unsettled due to all the unsettling going on.

[@padoco73]

I often describe having ADHD as trying to navigate a dirt path in a dense forest at night with nothing but a dim flashlight. If anything takes your attention away from the path, it can take a very long time to find your way back to it again.

[@Moppemannen_mattias]

Yes exactly 🙏😔🙄☺️

[@waytospergtherebro]

I often recommend being smacked in the face by your parents but that would require them to care about you.

[@tigristhelynx7224]

I've also heard the analogy that your brain is like a TV and someone else has control over the remote and they're constantly channel-flipping. I like yours better.

[@unboundbytiffany]

My personally used quite often way to explain is - a big room of hamsters on hamster wheels, while DT people have their hamsters all going in sync and at the same perfect pace etc, my brains 'hamsters' are flinging off their wheels, some are asleep, others joining other hamsters on theirs, and on and on. Lololol.

[@MyklCarlton]

There's a PATH?!?!?

[@chiphill4856]

I'm a boomer, and a person with ADHD and Tourette Syndrome since grade school. So, one of the biggest aspects of my life that persisted for many years into adulthood, was the way adults reacted to me: Whoa! Stop! What are you doing? Would you please sit down! Would you please be quiet! Hey! Please don't do that! Why are you doing that? I'll pay you $50 to stop doing that! What's going on here? Hold on! As well as many other, much more derogatory comments. No one understood me at all. Kids like me were considered "Hyper" and a problem. It took years to overcome all of this negative stimuli. In today's world it's much more common to use terms such as "neurodivergent" and to show consideration for those afflicted. I worked for about 30 years as a mechanical design engineer in various corporate settings, none of which I was prepared for. I only recently escaped the cubicle life and have struck out on my own building and restoring boats. Working for myself has been an huge game changer. There is much less structure, only as much as I create with those I work with. Which gives me space to work when I am motivated, even at odd hours of the day or night. If necessary, I can binge work for 24 or 36 hours to finish a project, then I can sleep as long as necessary to rebound. It's been absolutely life changing. I'll never be able to work for someone else again. A constant barrage of negative stimuli.

[@jasondashney]

That’s so awesome you found a way to get yourself in a situation that’s right for you. Congrats!

[@breaux2806]

I had a feeling over the years you had ADHD too because of all the little things you do during a build that reminded me of how I am when I’m engaged in a project I’m passionate about. It always gave me another reason to look up to you, but hearing you confirm it really drove that home and I look forward to hearing you talk more about your experience dealing with it. I know what you mean when you hesitate to call it “suffering” from ADHD because there ARE days when you’re truly suffering from it, but other days it is the driving force behind the greatest things I’ve accomplished in my life and I don’t think I could have done those things without it

[@JohnnyWishbone85]

Yeah, no. Take this shit away from me. It's nothing but a nightmare.

[@RobMacKendrick]

And to be entirely honest, it's often more accurate to say that _other_ people suffer from our ADHD. (I just have ADD, no H, but it's all the same sea.)

[@sladewilson6623]

I say suffering because i can look back and say that almost everything bad in my life is because of one of my many ADHD symptoms!!

[@RobMacKendrick]

@@sladewilson6623 To be precise, it's probably because of the way other people reacted to you. I learned this through the developing awareness of autistm. Ironically, that's my family's disability. My mom's entire family, my brother, probably my dad's father, and several of my closest friends, are/were all autistic. (I'm odd man out with my ADD, but then, I always am.) Autism is its own thing, but functionally it's the same as AD(H)D. The way other people react to us is the source of most of the pain. Sure, we have some concrete problems; I completely HATE it when I lose things OVER AND OVER! That's embarrassing and inconvenient. But it's my boss, or my wife, or somebody else calling me stupid, lazy, and uncaring for it that brings the deep suffering. They're starting to get this about autism, but that's probably because autists are very profitable now in the tech economy. (Again, my family and social circle is full of engineers.) But society still hasn't found a way to make money off us, so we're still just worthless.

[@robbertzzzzz]

​@@RobMacKendrick Fun fact: in the newest DSM ADD doesn't exist anymore. It's now called "ADHD inattentive type". There are now three "types" of ADHD defined in it, which is the aforementioned inattentive type, a hyperactive type, and a combined type. Basically you can either have the AD (attention deficit) part, the H (hyperactivity) part, or both!

[@ectoplasm]

One of my biggest hurdles is trying to get over that issue of feeling stressed out or claustrophobic when I need to switch subjects/gears/etc. and not allowing myself to get into the state of anxious, unproductive sort of catatonia where I worry about doing that thing and keep telling myself I'm going to do it and then I don't after hours of telling myself I'm going to do it.

[@NaughtyShepherd]

I can relate to this so much.

[@Tommi_D]

3 days Ive told myself Im going to practice guitar...3 days! 😆

[@MaxRomantschuk]

I think I just had a minor epiphany when Adam described having to do a lot of content switching during a working day, and feeling claustrophobic. I have the same challenge and it was really nice to hear someone put that into words. I think neurotypical people don't really get it since their brains just don't react the same way.

[@thormusique]

Great show, thanks! As yet another human with ADHD, 'gear-switching' is also my great bugaboo. I'm now in my 60s and somehow thought I'd grow out of it by now. Yeah, right. Decades of meditation practice have really helped me to stay better focused, so nowadays I'm less likely to lose my train of- Oh look, a squirrel! ;-)

[@357BlahEn]

Wow, 'Claustrophobia' from "gear switching' too many times in a day is such a relatable way to phrase that ADHD feeling!

[@DrSuperKamiGuru]

With my ADD I tend to hyper-focus on things I am interested in, like reading or video games, but it also lets my mind wander while I'm doing monotonous, repetitive tasks and I can go into auto-pilot mode and not get bored. I have also noticed that my brain sometimes doesn't process speech very well so while I might hear and recognize all the words in a sentence, they don't come together with any meaning until I ask the person to repeat what they said. A big thing that helps me is that when I was a teenager my doctor did a really great job of finding the right medication and dosage for me.

wow... i mean... thanks for that

[@loveanianimeme]

I also notice that my brain doesn’t pick up speech very well like you said, and that sometimes I have to actually concentrate on what their saying, otherwise it just sounds like word soup. I never really knew other people had that as well.

[@czack_rz3532]

I was the same way for a long time. I was in the habbit of saying "what" just as the meaning arranged itself. So it'd be a "what was that OH nevermind"

[@billbucktube]

In my case I told my family, “Get my attention and then talk. Otherwise you will be repeating yourself.” Non-family people call me a space cadet…

[@f4lloutgaymer]

I know I have ADD/ADHD and a bit of OCD. It has not been prescriptionly diagnosed. I've just been told I'm a stupid moron. But I never knew that anyone else had the same issue with words. I have tried explaining to people that I hear there words, but I often physically look up without moving my head, in order to focus on the words they are saying. Because if I don't I have a hard time understanding what they said. Some people have thought I'm trying to ignore them, and that is when I try to explain that I'm honestly trying to understand what they are saying. If I don't do that the words "go in one ear and out the other" and I have no idea what was just said. If I ask them to repeat it, sometimes they do. Often they get frustrated and tell me to "pay attention". What people say just gets jumbled up. I guess like soup, as the OP wrote. But I also have this problem while reading and writing. Especially reading. I will read the same line in a book 4 times, and still not know what was said/written. It takes me a long time to read a book. I can, and I enjoy them. So much that I am a published author of a few fiction short stories. But it is difficult for me to read and comprehend what I just read. It takes me 3x longer, or more, to read what normal people read. I have been told quite often that my writing is like watching television or a movie. That when I'm read they easily see the pictures in their mind. Which is nice to hear, because that is kind of how I try to write. I grew up with a television as my parent. I can understand what the images are trying to say more than the words (I still don't always comprehend the dialog unless I'm strongly focusing on the words), but watching the moving pictures, I find myself able to understand the points more easily. Oh, and I randomly babble and change subjects as I'm talking. Which annoys everyone, I'm sure. I see the exasperation in their eyes. The deep breaths, the shifting of weight. And I try to shut up or stop writing, but I feel what I'm trying to explain is important. Oh GAWD! I just recalled, my incessant repeating of what I just said in a conversation. Not like 'The Quick Brown fox. The quick brown fox. The quick brown fox.' No, I mean I will say something. Spend a few minutes stating it. change the subject slightly, then go back to what I said before and repeat it, but alter it slightly, to make it easier to understand. Then I'll go back a third, fourth, or fifth time, resaying the subject but adjusting it, making it shorter and more easily understood. Something I eventually became conscious I was doing (after my best friend said "I GET IT. You've told me three times already. I got it the first time." 🙄). I find I'm editing my speech in real-time to make it easily understood to others in a way for me to understand it. Apparently, all of that, the needing words and sentences repeated, repeated readings, and repeating what I say is proof that I am an idiot. A literal "room temperature IQ". Because normal people don't do stupid things like that. That is what I'm dealing with. I doubt anyone finished reading this as it is long, boring, and repeated. But I thought I would share my "worthless brain issues" (yes, I've been told that). Be Excellent to each other and Party on. 🤘🎸😎

[@QuestionMan]

When I was a kid, there was no ADHD or ADD, there was only "hyperactive" -for which the only prescription was "no sugar" and "no sparing of the rod". Good times. 😵‍💫

[@padoco73]

I got diagnosed right around the onset of ADD being recognized. Prior to this, I dealt with the same thing. Granted, this was also around the time that Ritalin became the most over-prescribed drugs of its era, in concert with parents who still believed it "cured" the problem...so, out of the frying pan, into another frying pan.

[@a-ms9760]

My sympathies

[@carl4043]

I'm 60. I have a paper from a school psychologist when I was 9 that lists every symptom of ADHD. But it didn't exist yet.

[@MmeHyraelle]

This is sad, i'm sorry for the suffering such ignorance has caused you :(

[@haraldpettersen3649]

@@padoco73 - I have several friends who went on Ritalin, they didn't like it at all. Several actually became drug addicts from all the pills they had to take to get "healthy".

[@briandeschene8424]

Adam’s advice about giving people something to distract them from your actual goal or to give them an easy “win” is how I get through vehicle inspections. If an inspection is coming up, I don’t fix picky things for about two months prior including “stretching” maintenance items like oil change or streaky/chattery wiper blades. The shop then finds those easy wins which lets them feel and show they’ve done their job *and* made enough few hundred dollars and they don’t look so hard to “make up” some issue that must be resolved. Works with bosses at work too.

[@stevenebullock]

Works with FAA inspectors too. They're gonna find something / have to find something, even if there is nothing there. Give them low hanging fruit and move on.

[@JohnyByrne]

It's great to hear Adam's open positive thoughts on living and working with ADHD. This is great to remove stigma. 👍

[@caseycanadian307]

I’d like to hear more about your ADHD coping mechanisms around your shop. As a tradesman with ADHD it might be helpful for me and possibly others

[@jkit3258]

Please follow-up on the ADHD discussion. Having a child who was diagnosed with having ADHD when I was skeptical that ADHD was a legitimate thing, to now questioning if I have ADHD myself, I’m definitely interested in hearing your take. Thanks for all you do Adam!

[@duckqueak]

I will tell you as someone who was diagnosed aith ADHD as a child, after speaking with my dad we basically came to the conclusion he has it too. Thankfully my dad has always taken mental health pretty seriously(our relationship would be basically non existant if he didn't honestly), but a lot of his advice was just do what I did, which turned out to be coping techniques he had learned for adhd good and bad. I remember one example of this when he told me "I had a problem with doing hw too, for some reason I just could not get myself to do it but once I started it wasn't so bad." which is classic ADHD. He was describing how people with ADHD get no dopamine from not starting a unenjoyable task so procrastinating feels great. Unenjoyable tasks like HW are unusually agonizing for a child with ADHD, and entertaining tasks are unusually entertaining. I would strongly reccomend getting a doctor to explain it in detail because as a parent it can be very difficult to raise a kid with ADHD if you don't know what they are thinking. Otherwise you might just see a kid who hates hw like most kids and think hes lazy but adhd makes it more complicated than that. Doing that HW is in a clinical and objectively verifyable sense harder for them than other kids. Not intellectually, just in a motivation sense. They definitely need more patience at least from my experience of what helped me. Look up "ADD/ADHD | What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?" on youtube. Its a video of a licensed doctor talking about it in detail. Honestly taught me more than my doctor did, but maybe that is because i was diagnosed so long ago. Hope that helps!

[@Tommi_D]

You're not alone. My folks dont really believe in it as such and I can tell they dont think I have it or should say it publicly but most of the time they keep schtum as they know it would upset me if they spoke their mind, yet its so obvious as they get older that they both suffer different facets of it. Dads 79 and will literally walk away from a conversation mid sentance if theres a distraction and my mum spends all her working day doom scrolling on facebook or playing simple online "educational" games. Definitely get tested if you think it would help you understand tour child vetter but just dont let it define either of you ❤️

[@23ravensby98]

You have to be very careful with stuff like this because IMO most "professionals" are trying to get you or your child on meds, because that is how they get paid these days. And as should be obvious by the comments on this video, 90% of people offering advice are taking normal human behavior or circumstance like being lazy, bad habits, having a poor diet leading to lethargy, lacking passion or drive, lack of basic dietary things like vitamin D or magnesium... heck even living under powerlines or in an old building with bad water, bad electrical... etc... that just alters their physical and mental state.... then labelling it ADHD, so they don't have to deal with the real issues THEY can fix but lack the knowledge, willpower or whatever... to "just do it". Again they could be doing this subconsciously because they simply don't know any better, and in today's society it is very easy to find a tribe and say "yeah, I'm that." or "ya that is what's wrong with me." On the plus side... assuming no one is trying to put you on meds, the advice they give for "dealing with their ADHD", even though may not have it, might be working for what they actually do have. Then again ADHD might literally be a blanket term to cover the effects cause by the lack of attention or discipline from parents.

[@jackorlove4055]

@@23ravensby98 ADHD is very real. It's beyond taking the right supplements, having the right mind set, doing all the right things. I will agree that perhaps in earlier years ADHD was overdiagnosed, but nowadays screening is much better, and doctors generally more apprehensive of medication unless necessary. Everything you mentioned can improve the symptoms of ADHD for sure, you can go medication and non-medication routes. It's hard to explain to a neurotypical person what living with something like ADHD is like, but it is much more than simply being distracted or lacking motivation. It's honestly hard to describe what having any disorder/disease is like to someone who isn't afflicted by it, because I can describe it to you all day and you might think "well EVERYONE experiences that!!" Which sure, but to the extent that it affects me is going to be very different. If I were you to describe to you what it's like living with ASD (autism spectrum disorder, which often occurs with ADHD), you would probably feel like there's nothing actually wrong with me, I mean, the way I can get overwhelmed or be bothered by certain things can seem very mundane. Of course socializing with people can be awkward or draining... Of course work or chores can feel overwhelming... Of course humans can have these very weird habits or need some kind of routine... The difference is, you can probably bounce back pretty easily, while I have a much harder time doing so. Your battery is larger, recharges quicker, and is more flexible. My battery is very limited, and becomes even more limited when stretched past its already small capabilities. Its very possible and frequent that I use up all of my battery AND then some, which means that tomorrow when I'm recharged my battery is working at only 75% of its maximum capacity since I basically fried it the day before... I really can't adequately explain to you how exhausting it is. Nor can I really put into words how good it feels to isolate oneself for weeks at a time when you're burnt out. There isn't a medication that can fix this. There isn't really any change in routine, diet, or anything that can fix this. They can make it a little easier, but that's about it. I can only cope with this. It sucks... So if I"m being frank, comments like yours can come across as a little clueless as to what neurodivergent people experience. if I could get inside your brain and wire it like mine, you'd be horrified by how much more exhausted, bogged down, and disoriented you would feel, I promise you that. I can swim like all the other ducks, I just have to peddle a lot harder to stay afloat.

[@KristenK78]

@@23ravensby98 all of this is absolutely untrue. ADHD is a real thing, and the most clinically proven treatment is stimulant medication. ADHD is not nutrient deficiency. It is not “living under power lines” or “bad water”. It is literally the brain being wired differently from the neurotypical brain; that’s why it’s considered a neurodivergence.

[@Xedgehog1]

Some people fall into categories like "workaholic", "neat freak" and "perfectionist" (or sometimes all at once) without realizing that those are publicly accepted symptoms (or results) of having ADHD.

[@theodorekorehonen]

I range between perfectionist and sloppy because my attention is only two modes: hyper focus and barely there

[@projectmertle9625]

"jack of all trades"

[@tigristhelynx7224]

"Lazy," "Messy" and "Forgetful" are the three rude terms that neurotypicals use to describe someone with Inattentive ADHD. "Fidgety" and "Can't sit still" are hallmarks of Hyperactive ADHD. Then there's a 3rd type, called Combination, where the person is a little of both. Sometimes ADHD people can also be mistaken for someone who is hard of hearing, because they need things repeated multiple times to "get it." Other times people will claim that the person "Just doesn't listen."

[@theodorekorehonen]

@@tigristhelynx7224 yeah this is why I always use subtitles on movies and tv lol

[@adhdbigbrother]

Wow! Thank you for that shout out! What the heck?! What an honor! My kids and I are still freaking out about it! And I can’t tell you how happy I am that you recognized the show length! YES!!! When I started the podcast I was passionate about keeping it under 20 min… unless Adam Savage comes on the show to talk about his skull spaghetti and how he manages it??? Then maybe 40-45? Wanna?! Thanks again! ~Russ

[@hughmnyks]

This stream taught me a lot - as did people’s comments. I’ve just translated a 400-page novel, my first in 30 years as a translator. I thought my ADHD wouldn’t allow me to do it, so it was great to hand over the result. But then the author started nitpicking over my punctuation and the claustrophobia is overwhelming. I can’t go thru all those pages and correct something I don’t think is wrong!

[@hestiathena4917]

Once again, I am baffled and amazed at how often those of us with ADHD (known or unknown) tend to gravitate towards and enjoy the work of others with ADHD! 😅❤

[@Mr-Mag00]

Thank you so much for the ADHD part I was diagnosed in the 70's, I will never forget that day I learned so much because the doctor explained my "super power" to me it changed my whole life.

[@TheCombatartist]

Looking forward to your talk regarding ADHD. It’s not an easy topic due to the uniqueness of the “disorder”. As you he saying goes; “if you’ve met one person with ADHD, you’ve met one person…” it person may experience this disorder differently - especially creatives.

[@fishstix4209]

3:57 the "pull my finger" machine...😂🤣

[@BadLuckFPV]

Speaking of hyper-focusing I will now be listening to every episode of ADHD Big Brother.

[@doriWyo]

Finally having a diagnosis of Adult ADD in my 60s, I can finally understand myself better.

[@JWWag]

Thanks for bringing up ADHD. I was sure you were dealing with it, I'm surrounded by it at home so it looked familiar. I am so envious and impressed by how you're able to focus so deeply on a project, *especially* where you don't get deterred by setbacks. It's *super* hard for ADHD people to climb that hill and not simply quit and go do something more interesting at that moment when there's something that interrupts the "flow". Your description of claustrophobia as the sensation when faced with situations that run up against ADHD is very apt. Once that project gets put down it can languish for an unfortunate amount of time. Looking forward to you discussing it more.

[@igorperisic1002]

To be fair, he’s doing what he loves to do. I’m sure there’s days he has to force himself to do things but for the most part he’s doing what he’s passionate about

[@JWWag]

@@igorperisic1002 sure, doing what you love is an ADHD thing that can be a hyperfocus on the thing you love *right now*, but the problem is that you’re gonna love doing lots of different things, and they’re all gonna be GREAT ideas and fun and cool and let’s DO this thing…oh look, a squirrel! I love squirrels! Let’s build a squirrel box! It’s a great and fun and cool and let’s do this thing…. Get halfway through building said box, encounter some difficulty or other cool thing to do, put the box down and it’s off to the next thing. Lol, that’s ADHD.

[@RawHeadRay]

5:53 with regards to sneaking creative ideas past an art director etc and getting it into a work, I edited video for ten years before everyone and their grandad started doing it, I had a producer who maybe read some book on how to retain power as a producer so he’d always have a change, I edited a tight show so I knew he was just ego role playing so if I had a cute cut I liked I’d give him an obvious mistake to get his attention away from my cute moment I was protecting, it worked every single time without any variances in his notes,..it was beautiful, especially because upon his remarks I’d play it like I was silly for not seeing that one mistake.

[@Phiz787]

Holy crap, what an amazing quote. "I'm currently still a learning computer" love it.

[@classifiedveteran9879]

*Mythbusters theme park rides:* - JATO rocket assisted Chevy Impala - Drain pipe barreled man-canon with an AB foam discarding sabot - Giant radio-mast-yoke surgical tubing border slingshot -165-foot waterslide into a kiddie swimming pool - Bungie jump apple bobbing - 7-story seesaw launch catapult - Boom lift catapult - Scary merry-go-round _(a bullet-propelled merry-go-round)_ - Firetruck-powered water-jet hover car - 8'x4' plywood glider - Rocket-powered surfboard - Escape slide parachute - Dynamite surfing - Helium raft - weather balloon lawn chair - Lawnmower from hell - Electric-car-engine-powered washing machine spin cycle - Whirlpool of death - Alcaraz raincoat raft - Duck-tape airplane - James Bond ejection seat - Hydroplaning motorcycle - 55-gallon pulse-jet gocart - Air-cylinder-powered jet-boat - Leaf-blower-powered hovercraft - Square-wheeled pickup truck - Rocket-propelled 360° swing - Airline seating drop crash rig - Underwater car escape

[@indigoNine]

9:45 On Being Self-Employed and ADHD

[@samu3lk5000]

Sometimes getting what you want from your boss is a magic trick. I read an anecdote about how Mel Brooks used to hang around outside conference rooms to catch executives on their way to lunch. He'd pitch them or ask for a bigger budget as they were trying to leave for lunch and they'd agree to it just to get rid of him. That was his Fart Dispenser.

[@seabeepirate]

Can’t wait for the ADHD episode. Thanks for the podcast suggestion!

[@OracleAnne]

I was diagnosed with ADHD very recently as an adult, and I’ve had to develop coping methods throughout my life to deal with the way my brain works (without the benefit of knowing why it works differently). I recently read your book, and it struck me that you and I think very similarly about planning and workflows and even shop layouts, and I laughed. To hear that you too have ADHD makes so much sense!

[@gazpez5307]

Is there anything more satisfying than sanding the edges of a piece of wood with sandpaper to a smooth finish? really enjoyed watching this one Adam.

[@rogue3398]

I'm glad someone asked about the shirt because I was going absolutely nuts trying to identify it. I have ADHD and autism, all of my friends have ADHD or autism, and many of them do freelance jobs or are small business owners because it was EASIER for them to be their own boss than it was to have one because of the communication barriers and other matters of accessibility, particularly those related to workflow and work environment. I'm in a similar boat, but I feel like I don't have any skills people care about or a perspective on anything I care about that is new or interesting, let alone marketable in these trying times. I have ruined all the hobbies I used to enjoy by trying to make them into potential opportunities to make money, and I'm about to take a warehouse job with a company I don't like because it's that or starve. If my anger could be turned into electricity, I could probably power the computer I'm typing this comment with. Watching you do what you do has given me the flicker of hope it takes to keep going so many times. I just hope that someday in the future all these things that seem impossible and impassable to me now will be in my past too.

[@Ylyrra]

So much this. The number of jobs I've ended up leaving because my manager wasn't happy that the job was getting done, but insisted that it needed to be done via a particular neurotypical path that my brain doesn't follow, rather than just trusting the proven results I was delivering.

[@DanielMReck]

4:52 "Jamie really took the lead in the fight for the fart machine." A truly epic battle, may it be remembered in putridity.

[@shutterbug8860]

I was surprised and also not surprised find out you have ADHD from the title of this video 😂 I’m a cis female and only got diagnosed recently, as most of my symptoms were dismissed as me being shy and quiet (I have inattentive type). If I had to describe my experiences, it feels like everyone was given a manual for life but I got given an Ikea manual with vague picture instructions. I’d be very interested to hear about your journey with ADHD if you’re willing to share.

[@gemjamjones2656]

Finally diagnosed ADHD last year at about 30 and its so nice to understand and be able to celebrate where it had gotton me. From small ways of doing things / thinking differently to major life undesicions (lets be honest they are mostly spontaneous). Its nice connecting across the neurodiverse community and spotting postitive traits and comminalities, especially when it comes to creatives who love a good project or 10!

[@emmaporsbjerg3536]

Hearing my childhood hero talk about adhd, something we definitely have in common but I was never diagnosed with (due to chromosones or whatever) is so insanely validating.

[@charlespolenzani2219]

I had a boss like that! We used to intentially put stuff in for him to find and say needed fixing because he would destroy perfect projects out of a need to say something needed changing!

[@AbdulMunimKazia]

hey Adam, I just wanted to know that I saw this video of yours a year ago. For a long time, I have been feeling a bit frustrated and confused about things like my career and my life in general. I didn't have anyone in my life who had experience with ADHD and I hadn't even considered that I could have any mental issues, and there wasn't any sort of awareness about this where I was growing up and living previously, even among educators and the schooling system. Hearing you talk about it really resonated with me and I started doing more research about it. I finally decided to go for a diagnosis and assessment this year, and it was assessed that I have ADHD. It has been a massive relief to finally understand and comprehend whats going on. I have started therapy and taking medication, and there's been a huge improvement in my life. I really thank you from the bottom of my heart for talking about these topics in an otherwise normal discussion forum, and exposing it to others.

[@gunnaryoung]

Yeah... I had a suspicion that you've got what I've got by watching your One-Day Builds. Getting an idea and then running around your shop saying "I need... I need... I neeeed... THAT!" when you find the right tool is something I've seen my dad do frequently and something I do myself. I mean there were other hints but that one always makes me laugh!

[@repeatdefender6032]

I'm 44 and I was diagnosed with autism 4 years ago. Just after that, I started dating a guy with autism too and it was incredibly eye opening seeing him do all the things I've done all my life that made me "different" from other people. Now it's shocking to me that I was never diagnosed sooner. It's a lot easier to deal with now that I know, though.

[@hououinkyouma5539]

Thanks for bringing in more perspective. It's becoming more obvious I'm on the neurodivergent scale since I moved out of my parents. At first I thought my memory issues were some kind of dementia. Then I thought my troubles were related to bipolar or autism, but seeing others mention their issues have really put mine into perspective

[@greasemonkey060]

The double edge sword of adhd is the hyperfocus to stay dedicated to a project yet fighting the urge to start or continue a different project. Everyday. Juggling 9000 tasks including daily life.

[@captaindunsell8568]

Interesting about ADHD … My career as a mainframe systems programmer is just the opposite… I thrive in organizing chaos… systems break and I have to fix them…

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

The high of extreme tension situations is where some ADHD run at their best. Functional hyperfocus. Everything becomes aligned. Purpose is clear. Brain works with a clarity seldom found elsewhere. Solutions appear where others only see problems. Not that much of an opposite but, yeah. People think because you have ADHD, you can't face complex task. Utter bull. Keep up the good work, mate. Cheers.

[@OMGWTFBBQSHEEP]

Thanks for sharing this part of you, Adam! It helps alot of us

[@Mr.2E]

Hi Adam. Another great post as always. I’m always glad to hear a working professional talk about their experience with ADHD. It’s something that I find to be a constant process for myself.

[@daleneliton9252]

Keep it coming. I love it. I’m from Portland area so it’s nice to see that you have some thing from here. Makes the bond so much stronger. I have watched you for years and years. I love you keep it up.

[@cogginsnuff]

everything you said about ADHD is so affirming and wholesome and I'd love to hear more about your story there.

[@gideonschoepp7295]

Thank you so much for the comment on Russ Jones’ ADHD Big Brother. I had heard about it before but this was enough of a push for me to start listening and it’s been such a great resource!

[@GrantSR]

I used to be an exhibits technician at the California Museum of Science and Industry, in Los Angeles. An interactive museum. I know EXACTLY how fast children can tear things up. Industrial crank handles that last a century in an industrial setting, would last six months in the museum.

[@arturo5472]

Thank you Adam you have no idea how much your videos help me and inspire me in my everyday life and I keep coming back and you never disappoint God bless you brother

[@czack_rz3532]

ADHD is so complicated because there are times where the hyperfocus/"mania - lite" episodes can be the most productive times. But, even that hyperfocus can shine a light on neglect in other areas. I can't really think of any useful application of mode 2; the scattered disinterest. And unfortunately mode 2 is the default for a lot of folks with ADHD.

[@vincentmcneeley9738]

Thank you Adam for opening up about ADHD and sharing this podcast. I’m still learning about it and how it affects how I show up myself.

[@elijabutterfly6154]

Thank you for talking so openly about the adhd experience.

[@BirthQuakeRecords]

I’m looking forward to checking out the ADHD Big Brother podcast - thanks for the recommendation. I’ve got BIG TIME adhd, and I could definitely use some more advice/education/whatever regarding it because my life is in SHAMBLES from 3 decades of poor self-accommodation.

[@jpdraven]

Adam Savage now I totally get why there's things you do that are so similar to me like the drumming while thinking a problem through! ADHD. I have it as well, and man...... thank you for sharing that with us!

[@PatrickPease]

That art director advice is the advice I've been needing for dealing with my boss... 5:30 The claustrophobia thing is such a perfect explanation for a sensation that I've never been able to describe.

[@CrzyMan_Personal]

Haven't watched this yet, but I smiled and started almost-crying at seeing this. I've loved watching Adam for so long, felt such a kinship with him, always thought I was crazy, got cPTSD from a job that was a really bad fit, quit with no prospects, started my own business that I love, struggled... so... hard..., got diagnosed with ADHD, and now I see that Adam's in the boat too... now I'm crying. edit: loved it, watched it at double speed because of course I did XD

[@Peter-oh3hc]

So much stuff to process. Negotiating kills, dealing with others, fashion tips, ADHD... thank you

[@tigristhelynx7224]

They say that people who are neurodivergent are attracted to others who are ND as well. By looking at the commenters here, so many of us have ADHD and have gravitated towards you, not aware that you are a part of our quirky little tribe, too. I would love to hear your stories and wisdom on the subject, how you get by, Meds/no meds, anything you are willing to share. Tips and tricks are greatly appreciated. I'd love a dedicated video of this.

[@joependergrass1519]

Love that you touched on this. All three of my kids have been diagnosed with ADHD and learning how they cope and find what works for them (including meds) has made me recently realized I have been dealing with it my entire life as well. As a young guy in marketing and design it was great, it was my “SUPERPOWER”, I could juggle 15 different projects and still carry on a conversation about squirrels. Now that I am going to be hitting 50 this year my body is slowing down but my brain is not letting up so less gets finished. My “SUPERPOWER” is fading, so I think meds may be in my future to help me focus on less task in order to get them across the finish line. I don’t want to be what society says is normal, I enjoy the last minute deadline rush but I’m sure my wife would love for me to finish getting the medicine cabinet installed after it has been sitting in the hallway for two months.

[@kentonsmith2399]

I was in the process of typing "what kind of shirt is that", when you answered that question. it looks magnificent.

[@NinaThoren]

You have ADHD? I have always been a fan of Mythbusters since I was little and as I got older I got more interested in making and I loved how your brain worked as I was always fascinated with the stuff you created. Now I am at a point in life where I think I might have ADHD and will go through the process of getting a diagnosis.

[@SW0000A]

With him it is extremely obvious he has it.

[@NinaThoren]

@@SW0000A I'm not the greatest at noticing signs of ADHD (especially in makers) which might be the reason why it has taken me a while to see that I might also have it

[@leonlemgruber2119]

I got diagnosed when I was a teenager, 18 years ago, ish. Check your hand written, compare it to some example on internet of people who already got diagnosed with adhd. Myself, thats one of the biggest “red signs” of adhd. We all have the same pattern.

[@xiSreficuL]

I'm connecting.

[@NinaThoren]

@@leonlemgruber2119 My hand writing? Huh, I did not know that was something I could compare. I have adjusted my hand writing through the years because it's hard to read when I write quickly

[@OldSchoolDudeGaming]

The way Adam moves his hands on the desk, along with with hair sytyle: its giving me Sesame Street vibes.

[@lcirocco]

Thank you. We're all different. It gives me something to talk about. Ideally, it should also only give us something to talk about.

[@rumplefourskin6775]

I've actually been wondering about that jacket I've seen on Adam and I'm super glad somebody asked lol It's beautiful

[@mattlewis3472]

Oh man, that task switching thing is a huge component of my ADHD, too.

[@ponyote]

Thank you so much for that very inclusive closing.

[@mattscott8961]

I don't have it - but I have a kid with it. I focus on her 'creating'. If she's making something - I let her go and keep on going...9 yrs old and making puppet hand dragons. She made a 'mushroom' dragon tonight...it has a pet snake operated by another finger...I showed her your vid with Barnaby's puppets - she's gone!!! Down the rabbit hole... Adam, rest assured,your efforts, the team supporting you...(seriously, you guys are just as much a part of this)...ever thankful - from a parent who 'tries'... Australia appreciates YOU!

[@KayOSweaver]

I'd love to know how you stay on task AND whether you've had to deal with negative self talk around ADHD. I love getting hyper focused on a task or project, but if I hit a roadblock or a decision point I can sometimes just spiral. I also find it really really hard to pick just one idea to run with, there's always a dozen other ideas vying for my attention!

[@jasondashney]

This is the part where I put a restraining order on you because somehow you’ve read the diary that I never wrote. I mean verbatim.

[@MasterofPuberty]

I love that this is the kind of advice compentent people can give.

[@philnorv1]

Something Adam said made me think of something else about ADHD that I really wanted to read about. I went straight to Google and by the time I was ready to type into the search bar I'd forgotten what I was going to look up. Good one, brain.

[@Mrjoe_i_think]

Thank you Adam. I have autism, and probably ADHD but I never would have know to look into it if not for this video. Thank you, for saving my life!

[@jeremyhershberger3012]

ADHD would be a great topic of a talk. I am an academic with ADHD and family members of mine who have ADHD are business owners, professionals and craftsmen yet we all have similar challenges in life.

[@theosilva2911]

I'm autistic and my partner has ADHD. We've been rewatching Mythbusters and we kind of realized there were strong signs of Adam and Jamie being a similar pair - I saw a lot (and I mean a LOT hahah) of my traits in Jamie, he saw a lot of his traits in Adam. I'm curious to know if Jamie has ever been assessed, or if it's something that was known or discussed in any way?

[@padoco73]

My partner & I are exactly the same, just with the roles (or rather disorders) reversed.

[@addisonkennedy7111]

Adam mentions in another tested video that Jamie is on the spectrum

[@user-rd7gf6jg5r]

Adam, your explanation of gear switching and claustrophobia is perfect. I worked on submarines for years, and never once felt claustrophobic about being on the sub in a physical sense. Being out of the Navy and attending college, I can often feel more claustrophobic than I ever did when I was trapped in a metal tube underwater. And it's because of all the code-switching I have to do between subjects and classes. But the professors all love me because Im great at in-class participation and Im constantly questioning ahah

[@adamgh0]

I would love to see a video of you and Jamie just having a conversation about "back in the day."

[@mikepunch8470]

I've been a tool&die maker for 30 years. I'm not always happy with my job durring the day. I come home and get lost in my own garage shop and find myself.creativity is divine.

[@bearhardcorepicker]

I've always dealt with ADHD, and been self employed for 99% of my life. "Dealing" with ADHD is what I do. Had a late diagnosis, only 10 years ago, and am now taking the right medication that gets my mind in order. Life has changed dramatically for the better. My KZbin channel shows the progress I have made, and make daily. Hearing more from a "public figure" about their ADHD journey would be great, Adam. It is really a misunderstood condition by the public. So, what is it in your 50s that you gravitate to heavier work type shirts? I've gotten to like wearing those, too...I fondly remember my grandfather wearing them. I have to wonder if the heavier fabric isn't somehow comforting to the ADHD mind....

[@kristiankeller4335]

The destructive capabilities of kids is definitely mind-blowing. I used to work at a Natural History Museum, doing maintenance on the interactive exhibitions. Sometimes when one of them broke, I did a "bomb proof" fix and thought to myself that this time it would last for months. Three days later.... had to fix it again.

[@carinen8119]

Yes! We always say things need to be "gorilla proof" to make it through a full exhibit

[@steeviewoo]

I'm a recovering art director who always has to give notes. I've also worked with "make the whole thing funnier" directors/producers, so I Know the pain and try to avoid doing that, so that whole bit was hilarious. Thank you.

[@davidkask510]

I love all your videos! I’ll be in the SF area for the first time in a week… do you have any MUST SEE destinations? Do you ever tolerate guests/assistants who also dabble in machining and making?

[@Ratbigblock396]

"Learning computer" was hilarious and awesome

[@Charlie_Echo]

I'd be really interested to hear more about the ADHD side. I'm trying to learn about my own working patterns and how to manage myself on projects - it's not easy! I'll check out the podcast, though; thanks for the recommendation.

[@Speculativedude]

I'll admit that when the episode having to do with farts aired, It was actually funnier to hear you and Jamie constantly say "Flatace." as opposed to fart, simply because sometimes a word being censored is so obvious that it's almost comical.

[@FurtiveSkeptical]

*Flattus I know, it's weird.

[@flippinsteel2352]

Please do a full episode on ADHD it seems that you have intrigued the masses of us ADHDers, and intrigue is obviously the enemy of the "deficit"

[@TheAngryCaptain]

Same exact psychology when putting a commercial vessel through a US Coast Guard inspection. Always leave a flaw somewhere for them to find. I've gone as far as pulling brand new fuel hoses off a commercial diesel and replacing them with worn-out lines that I found in a boatyard just so the OCMI would "flag" the fuel hoses. If you don't do that, they're going to find something else to make you change and it could even be the fuel tanks (major pain!). Once they found something (that you hopefully left for them) and they feel really important, you're usually good to go!

[@AnnaAnna-uc2ff]

Thank you.

[@ryanfields4990]

Walls closing in that's the best way to describe that feeling

[@nopenotme6369]

Having lost two jobs in one year, at age 50, I was professionally diagnosed, “off the scale” ADHD. I’m learning how my executive functioning works and how use it as an asset instead of seeing ADHD as a weakness. I would love to see how you ADHD successfully.

[@codyosborne9307]

You're just such a cool human being. I wish I had you as a mentor in my youth.

[@bradraughley6206]

Yeah, after I was diagnosed with ADHD at 43, I was able to accommodate myself more. One of those accommodations was building a custom EDC Two with pockets for all my stuff (AirPods, phone, weatherman, two glasses pockets) so that stuff exists for me. My kids know "don't touch papa's desk or the thing won't exist anymore." I'm now working on a different bag design for going out and air travel because the bag hits me at the intersection of my ADHD and autism.

[@belikeron]

People don't realize the bone crushing exhaustion that comes along with functioning "normally" with ADHD.

[@9crutnacker985]

I watched many of you're ytube video's recently - not a shadow of a doubt that you're ADHD even before I saw this one. I even commented just that on one. I can spot a fellow ADHDer at 100 yrds. Love your work.

[@jackfrost2276]

YES, more ADHD videos. I’m a self employed carpenter and woodworker with ADHD, Thank you first order of re-chievability 🙏🏼

[@Lethgar_Smith]

My ADHD: If I get good at it, then I quickly become bored. As soon as I get good at a job I start looking for something else to do. The longest job I ever had lasted 5 years. The average is one to two.

[@catherinecote9423]

People like us who have ADHD, we're fighters! Tell us "That can't happen" and we often hear "Convince me that can happen". Many entrepreneurs have ADHD and we can be pig headed... OR INNOVATIVE! IT'St's a perception shift! It's nice knowing Adam Savage has ADHD. We need more adults open with their ADHD to end stigma :)

[@balzacq]

On ADHD and career success: I had no idea I had it until I was diagnosed at age 47. But I'm successful in my career *because* I've maneuvered myself into a career where my job (web development) is intrinsically interesting to me and I have no problem hyperfocusing on it. And I've advised all my managers over the last many years that I do *much* better on writing new code, because if I have to do maintenance tweaky little bug fixes my brain wanders off and it takes me forever, and so far they've all been pretty accommodating. I switched out of a prior career (digital prepress) because I had learned all I was going to learn and I was just repeating myself and I was getting bored.