ADHD

ADHD is a mental disorder that mental health professionals are still learning a great deal about. ADHD is characterized by the extended, rampant flow of thoughts and the inability to properly organize and be effective. ADHD falls under the category of executive function problems. Executive functions are responsible for organizational skills and the development of social skills. They are very important to a person’s ability to function in the world. When a person’s executive function skills are impaired, like in the case of a person with ADHD, they are unable to develop the ability to navigate the world properly.

ADHD is most commonly known for its high energy and rampant flow of thoughts. This may not mean that a person with ADHD expends an above average level of physical energy, although often times they do. It simply means that their brain can lock into a mode of rampant thought flow that they cannot shut down. This rampant flow of thoughts disrupts their ability to focus on anything else or to be fully present in their situation. This hinders their effectiveness and makes them less able to accomplish tasks, organize information and correctly assess situations.

ADHD also has many components that come with it. Because situations cannot always be correctly assessed, a person with ADHD may be prone to inappropriate emotional responses and unwarranted emotional reactions. This simply comes from misinterpretations of a situation. People with ADHD are frequently rejected by people who do not understand them, which is hurtful and confusing for a person with ADHD because they are merely functioning the way they know how to. This rejection often sets them into a pattern of reading social situations as rejection when they are not. For this reason, people often confuse ADHD with other conditions, such as bipolar disorder.

Depression and anger issues are common attributes of ADHD because living with ADHD often puts people at a disadvantage among society. They cannot execute tasks or assess situations like a person with average executive function can so they are frequently devalued and stigmatized.