Listen and Learn: Mental Illness

ADHD

I am starting this book off with something I know. I personally have ADHD and the things I hear and the way I am treated because of society's portrayal of it is infuriating.

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Common symptoms: Inability to focus, short attention span, forgetfulness, hyperactivity, fidgeting, poor impulse control.

Emotional symptoms: Aggression, excitement, anxiety, extreme boredom, strong mood swings.

IT MUST BE DIAGNOSED!!!

Everything above this is what you will find when you google ADHD. Everything below is what is not immediately listed. everything below is what is found through further research and questions answered by professionals.

ADHD can cause depression

ADHD is a mental disorder and learning disability.

The most common misconception about ADHD is that it is "crackhead energy"

ADHD can cause severe depression and anxiety, but depression and anxiety does not cause ADHD.

A characteristic of ADHD is a dopamine deficiency. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for the feeling of pleasure. A lack of dopamine severely impacts a persons unique ability to think and plan. This lack of dopamine is what contributes to the impaired executive function of the brain. 

Something you used to not be able to find unless you look for it were the symptoms that aren't listed. Now thanks to those with ADHD on tiktok, the symptoms are closer to being used in diagnosis. One of which is Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. Someone without a disorder may be told "No not tonight" in response to asking to hang out with someone and think nothing of it. Someone with ADHD with will read into it and feel the person feels annoyed by them. 

Can people with ADHD have episodes, like other mental disorders? Yes they can. An ADHD episode is different for everyone with it. However, the basic stages are usually the same.

1. Overthinking, worry, concern

2. The anxiety kicks in

3. Frustration at the objective or self-frustration

4. Overwhelming of the senses

5. Mood drop or panic/anxiety attack

What should you do when someone with ADHD is having an episode? Never treat them like they are helpless. Be patient, let them no there is no rush. The feeling of pressure makes an anxiety or panic attack more likely. If they are severely struggling, offer your help. Just do not force it onto them. Be comforting. If you get annoyed with how they are acting and you are with others, get the person some water and let one of your other friends stay with them. During an episode, the person becomes involuntarily observant of other peoples emotions. They with most likely notice your annoyance and hate themselves or lash out.

What should you not do when someone with ADHD is having an episode? Avoid saying calm down. They are already very self-conscious about what is happening. If you say calm down, they can take it as annoyance and then feel like a burden. Do not say they are overreacting. The brain of someone with ADHD is wired differently than yours. How they are reacting is normal for them. By saying it is an overreaction, the person will then feel like they down everything dramatically. These two statements ruin the persons self image. Also, do not rush them. Their brain is working overtime to successfully process the task in front of them. They cannot speed it up, don't make them. Never snatch what they are doing away during an episode. While it may be the cause, after a few it will either become their comfort or they with stop the activity on their own.

These are for a full blown ADHD attack. Doing this to someone with ADHD constantly will just annoy them or frustrate them. Then you will most likely be on the receiving end of poor impulse control and strong mood swings.

Speaking of such things. People with ADHD have mood/behavioral issues. We may be extremely happy or excited about something then become emotionless or numb in a matter of minutes. No, we were not faking our enthusiasm about what you told us. We just don't have proper emotional control. If someone without ADHD gets angry, it can only be a minor thing that diminishes easily. For someone with ADHD, it can be an extreme anger. They can yell and become aggressive at times. 

Young children with ADHD, elementary level, struggle quite a bit if they have severe ADHD. They focus less than the average child. They are more full of energy. Parents don't usually teach their kids that some are more energetic than others. ADHD children can also come off a paranoid, this is because they look at everything. The other children will most likely label this child as strange and a freak. Most elementary teachers do not understand how to handle a child with ADHD, which leads to out lashes at home. This is because the child will get in trouble at school for talking too much or for not focusing on their work. The child will lose privileges at school that make them feel normal and important. This causes the child to become upset, which is expressed at home due to lack of communication skills. This is where you see the start of adolescent anxiety, anger, and depression.

Teenagers with ADHD that had a childhood like the one described will almost definitely have more issues now. Since they had no proper care, peer interaction, and structure at school they have become seemingly lacking in social skills. This is not because of a phone or because they stay in their room, this is because so few people their age are kind to them. Over the years from elementary to upper high school, the child will have most likely gained social anxiety, depression, and anger issues that are overlooked by the parent because the teenager is just "hormonal." This leads to out lashes at the parents by the teenager. Not because they want to challenge the parents, but because they know something is chemically wrong in their brain but are being ignored. The teenager knows what they think about is dangerous and that they can act on those thoughts because of the impulsivity from ADHD. The teenager lashes out as a cry for help. The teenager knows they have anxiety that is being untreated, and when the parent puts them into an anxious situation, they get angry.

ADHD in adults can be so bad to the point they cannot live on their own. ADHD affects focus, but also memory. Specifically short term memory. If the person lights a candle or puts food in the stove, they can forget about it and start a fire. A person with ADHD could start a task and continue it while thinking about something else, forgetting that they are doing something. Their subconscious takes over with muscle memory. This can become extremely dangerous. If the person goes to heat up their food in the microwave and this type of mental lapse of reality happens, they are extremely likely to forget to check for metal. Metal in a microwave is very bad.

As I said in the beginning, ADHD is a learning disability. It is a learning disability both socially and educationally. I have already explained the social aspect. Now for the educational aspect.

ADHD affects memory, like I said, which majorly impacts school. People with ADHD are more likely to struggle keeping their grades up that others. This is because when learning something, it must have repetition. The memory issue makes it increasingly harder to retain information taught in the classroom. People with ADHD usually struggle in Sciences and Mathematics more than other subjects due to the formulas. There are many formulas that look the same and often times, students must memorize up to 7-8 newly taught formulas for one test. This causes confusion in the person, leading to a failing grade. The bad grade comes from an inability to retain brand new information that has been taught once or twice. This is why ADHD students may fall short in the classroom but excel in state or standardized tests.

If you have any questions about ADHD, ask away and I will answer them on a Q & A chapter.

List below what disorder you would like for me to do next.