What’s in a Name? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Welcome to the first part in my new series ~ ADHD 101. Each part will address different aspects of working, loving and living with ADHD. As a psychotherapist and someone diagnosed with this disorder, I hope this series goes beyond the basics of showing what ADHD is, but rather shows you how different life is when wired divergently.
Shakespeare wrote “What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet”. I disagree- at least in the context of health diagnoses. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was named to describe the observable behaviour that results from having the disorder. It’s generally characterized by symptoms such as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
Typically, people think of someone who’s easily distractible and fidgets non-stop. These are only surface level observations of behaviours that result from a number of factors, but a deficiency in attention is not one of them. ADHDers do not lack attention, like a flashlight with dying batteries. ADHDers do have an inability and/or a difficulty in regulating our attention, meaning we can’t control where we point the flashlight (even when it is fully charged).
Moreover, ADHDers have a superpower called ‘hyperfocus’. Just like our challenge with pointing our attention flashlight where we need to, at other times, we have difficulty moving the attention flashlight away from one task and onto another. For example, we can get so lost in a task that we lose track of time, and the other items on our to-do list end up rescheduled for another day. This can be very inconvenient if you’ve got a deadline looming over you, but you’ve spent the whole day staining your new deck instead of working on the project for your deadline. However, when in hyperfocus, ADHDers accomplish a task faster and more efficiently than a neurotypical person.
Regarding Hyperactivity
The ‘hyperactivity’ in the name is as unique as each person who has it. What many people are surprised to know is that hyperactivity isn’t always external (read: visible). Rather it is internalized, experienced more as racing thoughts, inability to relax/decompress and anxiety. This internal chaos tries to steal the spotlight from our wandering attention flashlights, thus contributing to our inattentiveness. This is more commonly found in females than in males.
But it’s not just about ‘attention’
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Our neurological systems (or wiring, as I like to think of it) developed in a way that deviates from the norm. This alternate wiring affects our prefrontal cortex (PFC), where all the important ‘adulting’ happens: planning, organizing, prioritizing and refraining from calling your boss a jerk to their face, to name a few. With the PFC not functioning properly, it affects more than just attention, it also affects working memory, emotional regulation, object permanence, time blindness. However, these challenges are less visible, yet they have a huge impact on the quality of life and relationships in the life of an ADHDer.
So, ADHD has been reduced to its most visible signs and symptoms. It’s my hope that I can educate everyone about the complexities of this condition, as well as the misnomer that is its name. Many medical terms have been upgraded and/or changed over the years. If you’re wondering why I didn’t mention ADD, it’s because the term was replaced with ADHD in 1987. I hope its next re-branding will better represent its complicated features. Until then, I will continue this series in the hope that you (or someone you love) will be better understood.
Alicia
PS - If you want to continue reading about ADHD, check out part two in this series: The ADHD Brain and Emotions: Why We Overreact and How to Cope
