7 Ways To Explain ADHD

[@jungefrau]

I think one of the worst things about ADHD, is that I don't know I'm not paying attention and I'm zoned out. I think I'm listening and paying attention but I'm really just lost in my thoughts.

[@AurinneA]

I don't know I've spent 10 minutes thinking about other things instead of getting ready to go out until I emerge from the thinking and realise, somehow, what felt like 1 minute was actually 10 minutes! I don't know it's going to happen, so I can't catch my focus drifting elsewhere and pull it back!

[@leandro5221]

same here

[@Mr.Lunafish]

SAME. I'll be convinced I'm paying attention to my wife then she'll ask me what she had just said and queue the deer in the headlights

[@HelenaMunzarová]

@@AurinneA This not knowing that it has been already 10 minutes (or 3 hours) is called Time Blindness. And yes, it is terrible. And most people can't understand it.

[@RickHasADHD]

@@Mr.Lunafish Lately I find myself saying, "Sorry, I missed that," a lot more than usual. And 'usual' is still a lot!

[@MVance-k9p]

Difficulty prioritizing input. Which voice to focus on or which project to complete. Everything is priority one.

[@RickHasADHD]

Yeah. I should be writing or replying to urgent emails but instead I've decided it's time I finally scrape the drops of paint off the glass of the window frame I painted 3 years ago.

[@SaltAndVinegar42]

Perfectly described 💖 ADHD is very Zen... It's always now

[@RickHasADHD]

Which sounds great... but at some point it helps to reflect on the past and learn from it, to know what's coming to be able to prepare for it, or to look forward to it and enjoy making the most of it.

[@SaltAndVinegar42]

@RickHasADHD Most definately. I even think it becomes topic sooner or later on its own, depending how driven someone is

[@JannekeBruines]

imagine how hard it is when you also have autism so you crave change and danger and routine and safety at the very same time ....

[@nnylasoR]

EXACTLY.

[@RickHasADHD]

You remind me of something Dr. Stan Kutcher said when I interviewed him. He was talking about his wife and eldest, son: "...The thing that was really fortunate in our situation is our oldest had inherited some maternal anxiety. So, he got his adhd from his dad, and the anxiety stuff from his mom. Which was actually a nice combination because it counter balanced the impulsivity. So although he had problems with attention and he was really hyper active the impulsivity was quiet lowered because of the anxious component. For him it was lucky because it stopped him from getting into a lot of trouble..." Having inherited some of my mom's anxiety, I instantly related to what he was saying and remember it still.

[@jerene2]

I appreciate it.

[@binghobson7122]

I think for me having both helps. One sort of offsets the other and keeps it in check to some extent.

[@jyotivyas9286]

😂😂yes So Well Described Brother❤❤

[@newtopiacutclub7000]

It's like having an internet browser with 7 tabs open at the same time. Reading 5 news articles parallel to playing solitaire, the buffer is overloaded and you're wondering where that music comes from.

[@Butterfly-ADHD]

I was listening to you as I was working in my garden. I saw a plant move. Then you yelled squirrel! I jumped as a squirrel came out of the bushes. If I was not wearing ear buds I would think it was answering you. I highly recommend Apple air pods because they eliminate background noise without softening the conversation nearby.

[@YooperInNM]

I am starting to understand why marrying into large and talkative family has been a struggle!

[@RickHasADHD]

Yeah. When my brother's and I get together with our kids some of the family members have to get up and leave the room because the conversation becomes an avalanche of words and ideas.

[@LisaHaddrell]

Gord Downey. Brilliant singer songwriter. Canadian like us. This made me think of him. Thank you.

[@RickHasADHD]

'You are ahead by a century."

[@DusanSimonovic]

Pure gold! 😅🫣

[@RickHasADHD]

Thank you for your support! I'm saving up for a new computer and software. Right now I'm writing on a 10 year old MacBook Air that operates at the speed of a turtle. A 3 legged turtles. How takes frequent naps.

[@YooperInNM]

I lost focus watching this, and it is a short and engaging video! 😟

[@RickHasADHD]

It's okay. It's not going away. Come back and watch it again later. If a video is valuable to me I watch it several times. Especially since so many content creators talk so fast it sounds like they're the auctioneer at a cattle auction.

[@Helmut_Kohl]

Its not short. Its nearly 10 minutes. I watch it at 2x speed, it's only 5 then

[@HelenaMunzarová]

​@@RickHasADHD I don't have time to watch videos multiple times because I just want to watch so many more videos and the time is limited. But I often pause and replay a sentence to take detailed notes (or take the whole transcript) and mark the most important things with different fonts and colors. (I have very, very colorful documents.) This way I can remember it much better, I can eye-scan my notes very quickly whenever I want to refresh my memory, and I can easily find the source of every piece of information. And I process these thoughts later in my free time - they often come back to me when I'm not busy. I play with them and this way I find many interesting explanations and conclusions. This is the really amazing part of having ADHD - how all the things about our brains and minds fit together.

[@RickHasADHD]

That's okay. It's here forever so you can watch it again. Or watch it in one minute bursts.

[@philippbornheimer3006]

I really enjoy your videos, they resonate so much with me. You are funny and entertaining 😊 And I even enjoy listening to you at double speed 😂

[@RickHasADHD]

Ha ha! Whatever works. Although someone suggested listening at normal speed would be a good way to practice mindfulness and patience. But I think for some folks normal speed doesn't demand their attention and intrusive thoughts can keep popping up. Thanks for the kind words. Funny and entertaining makes things more memorable and less scary.

[@RhysHuntoffice]

Without doubt, this year is worse than the last one. This year, I lost a lot of money due to poor investing decisions that I would not have made if I hadn't been so concerned about my portfolio. I kept investing, but I wasn't sure if I should begin saving for a house. Now, I sold everything I owned, and the house needed more care than I thought. I don't know how much longer I can go on like this

[@AlexClarkcompany]

Every one of us has made mistakes at some point. Consider financial planning

[@gorkemvids4839]

never sell for a loss

[@donl5814]

The analogy I use to help others understand: A traffic intersection. For most people, when too many thoughts arrive at once, each waits for it's green light to move on through. All runs decently smooth. The ADHD mind has a broken light. As each thought arrives, they all think it's their turn and traffic ends up gridlocked. Medication is the traffic cop that stands in for the light. But the cop's only on duty for about 8 hrs., then it's back to chaos until the next shift starts. Mine presents mostly as hyperfocus. When one lane of traffic moves through the unregulated intersection, it dominates the flow and all other lanes are stuck until that first lane is cleared.

[@Dezhavu13]

OMG, the only reason I found information on ADHD and this channel is because I have been worried about developing dementia. A therapist suggested that I did quite some time ago, but I figured CPTSD was enough for me to deal with and shrugged off the idea that "something else could be wrong with me." (Apologies for the word "wrong" but that is how I saw it at the time.) While I have not yet sought out a diagnosis...I am getting around to it...I am beginning to see how very much my life has been affected by the symptoms. Thank you, Rick, for this channel.

[@SweetStuffOnMonarchLane]

[@RickHasADHD]

YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS! We did an episode of my TV series History Bites on Leonardo Da Vinci. And it was called "A.D.D. In 1510 A.D." Check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6aqcqqebbSAnsk

[@roset.758]

Thanks Rick!

[@RickHasADHD]

You're welcome! Thanks for the support.

[@TomSL55AMG]

For me it’s like having a 7.5 sided die, roll to find out the current state.

[@RickHasADHD]

Ha ha! And of course the die rolls across the table, off the edge, onto the floor, and then disappears under the couch.

[@TomSL55AMG]

@ and while looking for the dice I noticed that the floor needs cleaning, then half way through sweeping the door bell rings, and ………

[@stevenkeller49]

This is my tenth time to watch half how many steps did he say

[@KatrinaGoff]

I loved marathon running. 5 marathona, 2 ultramarathons (but i had a coach) I loved the running long dostances for two reasons 1) loved the company while i was running 12 kms each day 2) i loved how it had me focusing on the finish line, both for racing but also for long term hard life goals eg saving for a deposit for a house. The more i ran, the more i wanted to achieve and push for success in other areas of life. Diagnosed 20 years later inattentive adhd

[@SuperiorEtchworx]

My Dad has been diagnosed with ASD and I have been diagnosed with ADHD, sometimes I feel like I'm in-between. My brothers exhibit symptoms of both as well. It's tough but interesting that the 2 who have diagnoses are traveling better than those who don't. I guess that it shows that understanding is the key to personal growth

[@mildredthegoat8340]

So these are analogies, and yet two of these are actual real situations at times in my life: When I was at school I was persuaded 2 years in a row to take part in the 800m and 1500m running. No-one else in my class would do it! I liked running, but I was better at sprinting. I wasn't particularly good at sprinting, but doing the long distance running was so much more difficult! I realise now that it was largely a lack of motivation. Just going round a 200m circular track 4 or 8 times was soul destroying, repetative and boring, and the finish line was too far ahead for me to visualise. (It was also a lack of stamina and I just wasn't good enough at it!) I had no idea at the time, as I only realised I probably have ADHD in my late 30s, a few years ago. The other thing is: you mentioned butterfly brain along with creativity, like a jazz band riffing off each other, or singing scat. My family has always been quite musical and inclined to sing at any moment, but we aslo have the tendancy to do little improvisation harmonies along with each other as we're singing, just off the cuff, riffing off each other I suppose you could say! One other analogy: My train of thought has gone off the rails! It's found a switch (or points) and although it was headed in this direction, now it's going down this branch line, at least until it finds something else interesting!

[@RickHasADHD]

I find it fascinating that all of these different analogies and models capture some aspect of ADHD. But of course some people don't struggle with the Hyperactivity & Impulsivity, which is sometimes referred to as A.D.D.

[@lauramoonwoman]

thanks for really explaining what executive function is. i have heard the term bandied about before. i had an idea, i could have looked it up. but i really didn't know what i didn't have. now that i do know. i guess i will need to block out some time for it. crystal clear

[@starshipgraffiti]

Thx

[@RickHasADHD]

You are most welcome! (Great handle. I'd like to see a Starship with graffiti on it.)

[@trishferrer8209]

#5 bigtime for me. 😳

[@marcocartaerainnocente7374]

but how do I make it stop?

[@ollezimmerman]

Thank you for at least mentioning, what used to be known as ADD. Can I/we get more of that please. Nobody seems to mention that!

[@aaronscholl9560]

What your other typewriter?

[@RickHasADHD]

Good eye. It's a Smith Premier. Probably a century old.

[@sarahgc434]

The smells! The sound of chewing! Ooooooo! If I had entrance music it’d be a mix of Under Pressure by Queen, Ludacris Y’all gonna Make me lose my mind up in here up in here, with squirrel sounds and I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts…🎶

[@Arfonfree]

Yeah... number 8. That's me.

[@marcelguldemond2523]

😂 thanks I loved this.

[@RickHasADHD]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@blueskyalldayeveryday]

00:29 that’s why they’re called neurodifficults and not neurotypicals 😉

[@dmitriimorgunenco5465]

1.5