Adhd alcohol helps focus
How They're Linked Plus Interactions & Risk Factors
Research shows that there are some links between alcohol use and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). People with ADHD may be more likely to drink heavily or start drinking earlier.
Not everyone with ADHD will misuse alcohol, but their risk of developing an alcohol use disorder is higher.
Keep reading to learn just how alcohol affects people with ADHD, how it interacts with ADHD medications, and other risk factors.
While ADHD doesn’t in any way cause alcohol misuse, it has long been recognized as a risk factor.
The following are some known links between alcohol use and ADHD:
- Earlier alcohol use. A 2018 twin study found that more severe childhood ADHD was associated with earlier alcohol use, as well as frequent or heavy alcohol use.
- Increased risk of binge drinking. According to a 2015 study, people with ADHD are also more likely to engage in binge drinking in early adulthood.
- Increased sensitivity to alcohol’s effects. A 2009 study found that participants with ADHD were more likely to show signs of alcohol impairment, even when asked to complete tasks that typically decrease impairment.
- More severe ADHD symptoms. Alcohol impairment could aggravate symptoms of ADHD such as impulsiveness and difficulty focusing. In addition, long-term alcohol use is associated with difficulties with cognition, decision-making, memory, and speech. These effects could worsen symptoms of ADHD.
- Increased risk of alcohol use disorder. A 2011 review reported that childhood ADHD is a significant risk factor in the development of alcohol use disorder.
Drinking alcohol always comes with risks, whether or not you have ADHD. If you have ADHD, the risks are higher.
Alcohol can interact with your ADHD medication, but it depends on the type of medication you take.
Stimulants
Stimulants, including Ritalin and Adderall, are among the most commonly prescribed treatments for ADHD.
They work by increasing central nervous system (CNS) activity. Alcohol, on the other hand, decreases CNS activity.
Instead of cancelling out the effects of the stimulant, alcohol actually changes the way your body processes it. This can lead to increased side effects, such as:
- racing heart rate
- high blood pressure
- trouble sleeping
Using both substances also puts you at an increased risk of alcohol poisoning and overdose. Over time, both substances can put a strain on your heart, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Nonstimulants
Atomoxetine (Strattera) is a nonstimulant medication for ADHD. While it’s far less common in treating ADHD, it may be safer when combined with alcohol.
A 2015 literature review found that nausea was the only reported side effect among heavy drinkers who also took atomoxetine for ADHD. However, the drug’s manufacturers don’t recommend combining it with alcohol.
Other factors
There are a lot of additional factors involved in how your body reacts to alcohol while taking ADHD medication.
Some of these factors include the dose and whether your medication is short-acting or long-acting.
In general, you should avoid drinking alcohol — and especially heavy drinking — while taking medication for ADHD. With that said, it might be fine to enjoy a drink now and then.
You should talk to your doctor if you’re concerned about how drinking could affect your ADHD medication.
It’s best to avoid drinking alcohol, especially heavily, while taking medications for ADHD.
The relationship between alcohol use, depression, and ADHD is complex. While none of these 3 conditions directly cause each other, they’re related.
People with ADHD are more likely to both use alcohol and experience depression. In addition, alcohol use is associated with depression.
According to a 2019 longitudinal study, people with ADHD might be at an increased risk of simultaneous depression and heavy drinking.
Some people might drink to relieve symptoms of ADHD or depression.
Others might drink too much, and end up experiencing more severe ADHD symptoms. They may end up feeling depressed as a result.
In both cases, alcohol disrupts brain chemistry. It can increase your risk of depression and make your ADHD symptoms worse.
Heavy drinking can quickly become a vicious cycle for people with ADHD or depression. After bingeing, you might wake up feeling anxious, depressed, or guilty. You might feel restless or have difficulty focusing.
It’s tempting to drink more to cope with those feelings. Over time, it may be necessary to drink more and more to find relief. Meanwhile, the negative effects of drinking also become more difficult to cope with.
Alcohol isn’t the only substance that people with ADHD might use. According to a 2017 review, ADHD is also a risk factor for substance use, misuse, and dependence.
This link has to do with common symptoms of ADHD, such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and disrupted emotional functioning. All 3 of these symptoms also play a role in substance use, putting people with ADHD at an increased risk of addiction.
If someone has been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and ADHD, treatment requires addressing both the addiction and ADHD.
This usually requires first getting sober, also known as detoxification. Later, your doctor might prescribe ADHD medications to reduce your risk of addiction, including long-acting stimulants or nonstimulants.
If you have ADHD, you should talk to your doctor about your alcohol and substance use. Your doctor can help you make decisions that reduce your risk of misusing substances.
In addition, you should see a healthcare professional if you or a loved one experiences the following symptoms of alcohol or substance use:
- strong cravings for the substance
- a desire to use the substance regularly, often daily or several times in a day
- increased tolerance to the substance’s effects
- keeping a supply of the substance on hand at all times
- spending a lot of time and money on the substance
- avoiding responsibilities or social activities because of substance use
- using the substance in spite of the problems it causes
- doing things you wouldn’t otherwise do because of the substance
- trying and failing to stop using the substance
- experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop using the substance
If you think you or a loved one might have an addiction, you can call the National Drug Helpline at 1-844-289-0879.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse features additional online resources for individuals and their families.
There’s a strong link between ADHD and alcohol use. But that doesn’t mean everyone with ADHD will develop a disorder.
However, if you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, you should talk to your doctor about how alcohol and other substances can affect your symptoms and medication.
How Alcohol Abuse Affects ADHD
Alcohol and ADHD are a dangerous combination that all too often lead to dependence and addiction. ADHD is an increasingly commonly diagnosed disorder. Not everyone diagnosed, however, may truly suffer from ADHD, and vice versa. What’s more dangerous, however, are people with ADHD are more likely to develop alcoholism.
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What Is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is a disorder characterized by chronic inattention and/or hyperactivity. This makes it difficult to focus on the tasks at hand and makes the afflicted easily distracted. It’s believed that this disorder is resultant of a less-active frontal-lobe of the brain. Scans have even shown a smaller Prefrontal Cortex in patients with ADHD. This part of the brain is responsible for our executive functions, such as:
- Thinking
- Problem solving
- Attention
- Memory
- Organization
Many diagnosed with ADHD will recognize some, if not all, of these functions being their largest obstacles.
The most notorious effect of ADHD is “hyperactivity,” or little control over impulses. This symptom is what characterizes ADHD and has lead it to become such a concern for children in school.
Alcohol affects the frontal lobe, the same part of the brain as ADHD. When the prefrontal cortex of an ADHD sufferer is further impaired by alcohol, it can lead to uncontrollable behaviors and wild emotions.
The Effects Of Alcohol And ADHD
Alcohol is a depressant. That is why many people use it to relax. In the case of people afflicted with ADHD, many will use alcohol to calm down the hyperactivity. Alcohol, however, can often have the opposite effect.
The effects of alcohol are inherently similar to the effects of ADHD. In both, the frontal lobe of the brain is chiefly effected and dampens an inebriated person’s ability to think clearly. When the effects of alcohol are partnered with the effects of ADHD, this can cause the afflicted to go into a more dangerous state and binge drink.
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(877) 624-1853How People With ADHD Turn To Alcoholism
Despite its notoriety in recent years, understanding of ADHD hasn’t increased. In 2010, there were nearly 1 million children who were misdiagnosed with ADHD. Sensationalized by media, ADHD was the quick answer to any child who had difficulties in the classroom. True ADHD, however, is more complex.
People afflicted with ADHD are in consistent need of stimuli. The part of their disorder that makes them “hyperactive” makes it hard to focus on tasks that aren’t stimulating, leading many to create their own stimuli. In children, this often presents itself as an inability to focus on anything but play. This is especially noticeable in a classroom setting where they are expected to sit silently for hours. In adults, there is inherently less supervision, so they can act upon their need of excitement without the same consequences.
This is one of the reasons to turn to alcohol. However, because of how the effects between alcohol and ADHD stack, a dangerous door of limited control and lapses in memory opens. There is also an increased risk of substance abuse as they age.
25% of adults being treated for alcohol and substance use disorders are diagnosed with ADHD. Children with ADHD are more likely to abuse alcohol in their teenage years and go into adulthood with a dependence. Because of the similar effects of alcohol and ADHD, people with ADHD who begin drinking may find it harder to stop. While alcohol may seem to help with people’s ADHD, especially when they suffer from confidence issues, the dark side of regular consumption will build over time. Whenever anyone attempts to self-medicate with alcohol, they are always more likely to develop a dependence and eventual addiction over someone else.
ADHD As A Co-Occurring Disorder
People afflicted with ADHD are more likely to develop an alcohol use disorder.
However, the symptoms of ADHD may also manifest after someone has developed alcoholism as well. In order to find the best treatment possible, an individual must work with a professional and determine which disorder came first. It can be hard to distinguish the 2, especially if the afflicted has suffered from both for years, but with proper therapy and an open counselor, the individual should be able to get down to the root of their problem. Only then can they truly pursue long-term recovery.
Treatment For Addiction To Alcohol And ADHD
Getting to the root of the issue is often easier said than done. If you suffer from ADHD and alcoholism but don’t know where to go, contact a treatment provider today. They can help you plot out the next steps on your journey towards recovery.
What is ADHD and why the diagnosis is not a sentence
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder occurs in every tenth child. However, not all doctors can diagnose it. Without treatment, it progresses, worsening the quality of life.
So how can you help ADHD patients?
What is ADHD
Attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological-behavioral developmental disorder that occurs in childhood. Pathology has more than a dozen symptoms. The most common are the inability to concentrate for a long time, absent-mindedness, inattention, restlessness, irascibility, poor memory. From the side it seems that such a person seems to be “flying in the clouds”.
Doctors distinguish three subtypes of mental disorders.
- The first - with a predominance of attention deficit. The person cannot concentrate, is distracted, forgetful.
- The second is hyperactive and impulsive. When it is difficult to stay in one position for a long time and restrain emotional impulses.
- Third - mixed. Combines the features of the first and second. Occurs most often.
The listed symptoms are attributed to character traits, accusing a person or oneself of laziness, procrastination and conflict.
In fact, it is not the individual who is “guilty”, but his brain and nervous system. According to the International Classification of Diseases, ADHD is classified as a hyperkinetic disorder.
In Russia, the syndrome is not well understood. Not all specialists are aware of it and know the evaluation criteria. Many do not understand how to diagnose and treat a disease, Olga Demyanenko, a family and child psychologist of the highest category, told RBC. This leads to the fact that sometimes healthy children are given this diagnosis erroneously. And those who really suffer from ADHD do not get the help they need.
How to recognize ADHD in children
Some specialists can diagnose ADHD even in children under one year old. The main symptoms are severe excitability and hyperactivity. Babies often cry, scream, twitch their arms and legs, says Olga Demyanenko. In older children (4-5 years), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is more pronounced.
“The child is constantly on the move, it is difficult for him to sit still.
And this is not connected with some kind of game - he needs movement in itself. He switches very quickly. He took one toy, played, then another. Also, he cannot keep his attention on something for a long time. He needs a switch, he gets tired quickly. Plus, it’s hard to calm down, he can’t fall asleep for a long time, ”says Demyanenko.
A child with ADHD finds it difficult to follow instructions and often does not even hear what is being said to him. Also, a small person cannot behave quietly and with restraint, even when there is no reason for concern. He talks loudly, laughs loudly, screams.
How common is ADHD
The disorder affects approximately 2-10% of children. Research data on this matter vary. In boys, pathology is diagnosed several times more often than in girls.
Some children outgrow this syndrome. That is, mental functions are restored as they grow older. But this is not always the case. In adulthood, the syndrome is present in 2-4% of people, French researchers report in their work.
More than half of the people who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood have symptoms of the disease that persist into adulthood, Anna Portnova, head of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, a branch of the National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and narcology named after V.P. Serbsky" of the Ministry of Health of Russia.
Adults show the same symptoms, including inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation. If left untreated, in adulthood ADHD is superimposed in 80% of cases by other psychiatric disorders - anxiety disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders associated with the use of psychoactive substances, sleep disorders, restless legs syndrome. It's hard for people like that. All spheres of life "suffer" from this disease.
The degree of influence of ADHD on a person depends on his personal characteristics. One will be able to adapt and live normally, the other will go downhill.
According to a recent study, among youth and adult offenders in police custody, prisons, probation and forensic psychiatric institutions, about 25% suffer from ADHD. They are at a disadvantage in the system because their symptoms are not recognized or misunderstood. Instead of providing psychiatric care, disciplinary sanctions are applied to them, which does not help.
Causes of ADHD
The work of the brain in children with ADHD and in healthy children is different, scientists from the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after. M.V. Lomonosov. With a mental disorder, the energy metabolism in the frontal sections of the brain changes. They are the key links in the regulation of behavior and emotions, and are also responsible for the function of programming and control. There is a decrease in metabolism and a decrease in the functional connections of the frontal regions with other brain structures. With ADHD, the left and right hemispheres do not “get along” well with each other, the connections between them are broken.
“Imbalances in the relations of regulatory subcortical-stem structures” are noted.
Doctors have not yet determined the exact cause of these disorders. It is believed that a significant role is played by hereditary predisposition. Also, ADHD in a child may develop due to the fact that his mother smoked during pregnancy, drank alcohol or drugs. The disorder may occur due to complications in childbirth or chronic illnesses of the mother.
Scientists from the Rostov State Medical University conducted a study and found that the uncontrolled use of digital technologies in childhood increases the symptoms of ADHD. And also leads to increased aggression and irritability, isolation, inability to control emotions, increased feelings of anxiety, anxiety and fear.
How to treat ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder needs to be diagnosed by several specialists. This is a neurologist or neuropathologist, as well as a neuropsychologist or clinical psychologist and psychiatrist.
Only after making sure that the diagnosis is correct, you need to take action.
Not only drugs are important for a child, but also the right psychological and pedagogical approach, warns Anna Portnova. According to her, a good teacher will put such a student on the first desk and will try to keep his attention. And the bad one will send him to the last one and will constantly make comments, thereby aggravating the child’s condition.
Cognitive behavioral therapy performed by a psychologist or psychiatrist is also effective in the diagnosis of ADHD.
There are drugs that improve brain function and activate attention function. But in Russia there are few registered. We simply do not have many drugs that have proven effectiveness, says Portnova. And this is a big problem.
Therapy with a psychologist is a more affordable option for correcting ADHD symptoms for Russians. And it is quite effective in most cases.
Still from the TV series The Good Doctor.
Caption: The character on the show, Salen Morrison, has ADHD. She uses original methods for concentration: meditation, playing the ukulele, as well as many gadgets - fitness bracelets, tablets, etc.
How to live with ADHD as an adult
Attention deficit and/or hyperactivity disorder persists into adulthood. Experts say it is possible to adapt to this condition, even without the use of medication. A person with ADHD can be successful both in his personal life and in his profession. This can be achieved by controlling your habits, learning to recognize and use your strengths, and controlling your behavior.
Psychologists advise a person with ADHD to properly organize their workspace by removing unnecessary items from the table. For example, a stack of unnecessary papers or books. In order not to forget anything, you can make a to-do list every day. A great help for a person with this disorder can be a day planner, a calendar on a smartphone or computer. People with ADHD like to procrastinate. To avoid this, follow the principle: if a task can be completed in two minutes or less, do it now.
People with ADHD find it difficult to properly manage their time. To avoid this, psychologists advise using a watch. When you start doing work, write down the time and say it out loud. For each task, it is necessary to allocate a certain time period. This is easy to do using a timer or an alarm clock. Let it fire at regular intervals. This makes it harder to lose track of time, a common problem for people with ADHD.
Adults with Attention Deficit and/or Hyperactivity Disorder are often overly impulsive. They jump from one task to another. This may interfere with work. Experts recommend always starting with the most important task. The main mistake is to take on too much work. Break large projects or assignments into smaller, manageable steps.
A healthy lifestyle is the main assistant for people with ADHD. Good nutrition, plenty of sleep, and regular exercise can help you stay calm, minimize mood swings, and fight any symptoms of anxiety and depression.
symptoms, real stories of people with ADHD, advice from a psychologist
Caesar is said to be able to dictate to secretaries four letters at a time, as well as speak and listen at the same time. It sounds a lot like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: it used to be thought only to affect naughty kids, but now we know that's not true. We tell you how to understand that you have not "just laziness", but ADHD - and what "superpowers" people with this syndrome have.
Alla Rezyapova
Legion Media
What is ADHD?
Test yourself against this list: if you have noticed most of these signs in yourself, noticed them repeatedly, at home and at work, you most likely have ADHD. But the final diagnosis should be made by the doctor, he also selects the therapy.
Organization problems
You are having trouble paying bills regularly, meeting deadlines, and parenting.
Dangerous driving and accidents
Because it is harder for you to focus, it can be difficult to focus on the road all the time you are driving. Symptoms of ADHD increase the risk of speeding, getting into an accident, and losing your driver's license.
Relationship problems
Not all family problems necessarily mean ADHD. Poor listening skills and an inability to keep commitments often lead to conflict in a relationship. If you are a person with ADHD, you may feel like you are being picked on or unfairly accused of something you are not guilty of.
Constantly distracted
Attention problems can make it difficult for people with ADHD to work in noisy busy offices; calls, messages and letters are constantly distracting, and now you no longer remember what you were going to do. This often leads to difficulties in building a career.
Poor listening skills
If you find it difficult to concentrate during long meetings, this may be a symptom of ADHD. Sometimes it looks like "walking in the clouds", and some find it difficult to maintain concentration when they do not see the interlocutor. Sometimes this can manifest as forgetfulness - you forget about appointments or remember them at the last moment.
Anxiety, problems with relaxation
Many children with ADHD are "hyperactive", they cannot sit still - they are referred to as "an ache in the ass". Adults with ADHD usually show hyperactivity in a different way: they simply cannot relax. If you are called "irritable", "tense" - perhaps you just do not know how to relax.
Procrastination
Children with ADHD often put off homework until late at night - adults with ADHD have a similar problem.
The more important the task seems, the more difficult it is to take on. This often leads to problems at work and in relationships with friends.
Being late
There are several reasons for persistent tardiness, none of which is because people with ADHD "just didn't want to show up." Adults with ADHD are often distracted: they find they forgot to fill up the car, they have to go to the car wash, and then they find that two hours have gone somewhere. It is more difficult for people with ADHD to correctly estimate how long it will take to complete a particular task: from makeup to repairs.
Impulsivity
People with ADHD are often impulsive and have trouble controlling their emotions. Here it seems important to us to note that spontaneous outbursts of anger, which are often reported in such questionnaires, are more typical for men with ADHD, because they are socially acceptable for the male sex.
In women, this often manifests itself in "acceptable" ways: through spontaneous shopping or "jamming" of emotions.
“As a teenager, I began to hide a lot in myself. I found how to drown out hyperactivity and impulsivity - I began to eat a lot: it helped relieve anxiety and drowned out emotions, ”says Yulia in an interview with Wonderzine.
Priorities
Friends! We have two problems. Ministry of Defense and a button. Can we find the button? Purely theoretically? Can. And from the Ministry of Defense... nothing. Conclusion: looking for a button. Similarly, adults with ADHD are often distracted by a whole bunch of small problems and fail to cope with really important and significant tasks.
Even if you have found many of these manifestations of ADHD in yourself, it is important to seek a diagnosis from a specialist: a psychiatrist or neurologist. The fact is that manifestations of attention deficit disorder (and hyperactivity) can often be confused with manifestations of bipolar affective disorder or depression.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression can go hand in hand. Doctors sometimes refer to them as comorbid or coexisting conditions, which means you can have both at the same time. Up to 30% of children with ADHD also have a major mood disorder such as depression. And some experts say that more than half of people who have this condition receive treatment for depression at some point in their lives.
ADHD in children is usually diagnosed without difficulty: most often, children and boys receive the diagnosis. Adults learn to hide or compensate for manifestations of their neurodifference; this is called "masking" and it takes a lot of effort. Especially often, girls face the need to hide their features: “When they tell you all the time: “Be quiet, be calm, don’t interfere,” this leaves an imprint,” Yulia recalls. We know of cases where girls have been given a sedative as a treatment for ADHD, but there is no proven efficacy of sedatives for ADHD.
There is only a desire to achieve socially acceptable behavior from girls. It is not surprising that this diagnosis is rarely made for girls and women: studies were conducted among hyperactive boys, and criteria for diagnosis were also built according to their indicators.
“My mother is incredibly impulsive. But her impulsiveness is expressed in the fact that, having received a task or set a goal, she immediately and without delay starts its execution, not stopping until the task is completed, ”says a guy with ADHD about his mother, from which he inherited this feature.
Myths about ADHD
Adriana Lito,
psychotherapist, founder of the Adriatica and Resource Psychology project
“Attention Deficit Disorder (may be with or without hyperactivity) is a disorder that has long been considered childish. Then it turned out that it happens in adults. Then it was believed that this was mainly a male disease.
Then clients with ADHD began to be demonized or over-simplistic: some doctors believed that ADHD was... a sleep disorder! Let's set up a dream - everything will pass. It turned out - no, on the contrary, people with ADHD sleep worse. Let's go through the myths:
Is this a childhood disease?
Yes and no. According to studies, about three-quarters of children who are diagnosed do not show clear signs of ADHD when they grow up. But this may also be due to the fact that some people adapt to their difficulties;
Is this a male disease?
Here, alas, as with heart attacks and with many other medical problems: female ADHD manifests itself a little differently, and therefore they are not diagnosed or given some other one. We're still investigating exactly what female ADHD looks like;
Are people with ADHD prone to alcohol and other chemical addictions?
ADHD refers to impulse control difficulties (scientists now suggest that there are genes responsible for ADHD, epilepsy, bipolar and borderline disorders - these features are more common in people with a certain gene set).
Difficulties with impulse control make it difficult to make informed decisions and people are more likely to make decisions to their detriment. For some, it's alcohol or smoking, while others recycle, buy jewelry, or play too much sports. Therefore, yes, there are more addicts among people with ADHD, but not by much, and addictions are different: obsession with healthy eating, selfies, workaholism, and collecting are also addictions.
Do people with ADHD make worse relationships and make bad friends?
If you didn't get enough sleep, couldn't take a shower, or stuck hopelessly in the rosary, it would also be more difficult for you to build relationships. But harder doesn't mean it's impossible. Some people with ADHD are unpleasant people who don't care about relationships. And, of course, there are those for whom relationships are very important. Most of my clients are moms and dads, husbands and wives who care deeply about their loved ones, sometimes even better at multitasking.
As a rule, if they learn ways of self-help and increase self-control in therapy, then they have no further significant differences from other people.”
Living with ADHD
Combination therapy is effective to compensate for the characteristics of people with ADHD: work with a psychotherapist and medication. In other countries, for the treatment of ADHD, psychostimulants are used, which are not produced or prohibited in Russia. Among the drugs used for the treatment of ADHD abroad, there is also a drug that we sell as vitamins in any pharmacy or sports nutrition store. However, psychologists note that the main component of successful therapy is working with a psychotherapist and building routines. The methods that work for everyone are different, but planners, to-do lists, electronic reminder calendars, alarm clocks, and timers often work well. Many ADHD adults report that they find it comfortable to work on the Pomodoro system with a running timer.
Playlists with background music help others to focus (we wrote more about noise for work and leisure here).
Unfortunately, due to the fact that people with ADHD from childhood face increased demands from society, with rejection of the very essence of their being, they often become victims of manipulation and gaslighting. This applies to both family and work relationships; Women with ADHD are especially exposed to gaslighting and abuse because they have been taught from childhood to be ashamed and feel guilty because of their “laziness” and “disobedience”. Gaslighters sense vulnerabilities in a person. They are specifically targeted at people who are grieving a loss or feeling inadequate or isolated. If you have ADHD, you probably grew up with the feeling that you are "worse than others." You may have found it difficult to maintain friendships or relationships. You may have been fired because you were a "difficult person." Gaslighters often ban medication because they "know better what you need than any doctor.
" Children who were abused or neglected in childhood are more likely to experience manifestations of ADHD, and adults with ADHD are more likely to suffer from depression.
Who are "scanners"?
The Internet is full of articles calling people with ADHD “lazy”, “sluts”, “bad employees”, talking about porn and drug addiction among people with ADHD. In fact, the brains of people with ADHD are perfect for creative tasks. Experts say that people with attention deficit find themselves in journalism, marketing, art, sales. Often people with such characteristics change jobs one after another, go to learn new things, but, without finishing their studies, they quit - and this can repel potential employers. HR specialists are not always ready to see a unique "snowflake", but often, having seen it, they later appreciate it for a non-standard approach to solving problems, versatility and the ability to give oneself entirely to the cause.
Barbara Sher's book I Refuse to Choose has created a large Russian-speaking community of "scan people" who are learning to use their idiosyncrasies to their advantage. “Without ADHD, there wouldn’t be any of my other qualities. For example, I am multitasking and I can do several things at the same time,” Yulia explains. “Because our culture values the specialization and determination of divers, we all too often think that scanners are people who just don't want to do their job properly. This is a stupid misunderstanding, an established stereotype. Scanners want to try everything. They study flower structure and music theory with equal enthusiasm. They love the twists and turns of travel. And the intricacies of politics. For scanners, the universe is a treasury where millions of works of art are stored, and it is unlikely that a lifetime will be enough to see them all, ”the Mann, Ivanov and Ferber write in the blog. We easily recognize people with ADHD in this description: thanks to the books of Barbara Sher and the scanner community, people with this neurodifference can understand that they are no longer alone and realize their own value.
