Willpower Has Nothing to Do with ADHD in Adults

“Lost your credit card? Counting crows at a meeting? Can’t sit still? ADHD—yes, it happens to adults too.” New York City subway cars are plastered with public service announcements highlighting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In our country, ADHD is, at best, known only to pediatricians and parents of children with the condition.

What is ADHD?

ADHD is a form of mild brain dysfunction. It manifests itself as a deficit in certain structures, which disrupts the maturation of higher levels of brain function. It’s important to understand that the underlying issue lies specifically in chemical problems in the brain’s control systems.

An adult (as well as a child) with ADHD is “disinhibited,” often swinging their legs and biting their nails. They are physically unable to sustain attention, control their actions and emotional impulses, or follow rules.

As for work or study, there are two possible scenarios:

• he puts things off in every possible way,
• he gives in to the impulsive desire to do something, but either quickly gives in or exhausts himself, wanting to finish what he started.

Due to their characteristics, adults with ADHD quickly lose interest, become bored, become distracted, and are often very sensitive even to ordinary sounds or sensations, which completely throw them off their desired mood.

As a result, they become completely disillusioned with what they’re doing and, ultimately, with themselves. This lack of engagement and incompleteness often gives rise to numerous complexes and fears, develops general anxiety, an inability to maintain relationships, and often ends in depression.

How do ADHD patients feel?

“I’m almost 30, and I feel like I’m 5, tops. Inside, it’s complete chaos. I’ve been trying to organize my life since I was 15, but I can’t stick to anything, can’t get into anything. It would seem simpler: systematically getting things done? But no. I don’t know what to tackle, and yet, once I do, I never finish it. I can only read the easiest books—the rest just doesn’t sink in.

And what about socializing? I have a hard time concentrating on the topic of conversation; I often respond without listening to the whole conversation, and I say things out of turn. I simply can’t think through the consequences: I always act on my mood. I only feel calmer when I’m moving: driving or walking. I don’t work, I live with my parents, and I’ve given up sports and hobbies. I’m ashamed of myself, my childishness, my inadequacy, but I can’t do anything about it,” our heroine shares.

Sound familiar? Self-diagnosis is a rather arbitrary process, but if you notice even a few symptoms, it’s time to consult a specialist. Adults diagnosed with ADHD often benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy, biofeedback, and family therapy.

WHAT TO DO BESIDES THERAPY

1. Change your diet

With ADHD, it’s important to stabilize blood sugar levels and maintain consistent energy and concentration. Try switching to a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet with relatively low fat content.

If possible, it is better to exclude from your diet any sweets and fast carbohydrates that easily turn into sugar (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes).

On the advice of a therapist, you can supplement your diet with food supplements: L-tyrosine, docosahexaenoic acid, lecithin, phosphatidylserine.

2. Move more

Physical exercise increases blood flow to the frontal cortex and boosts dopamine and norepinephrine levels. Choose any exercises that require coordination of complex movements: karate, taekwondo, or archery to train patience and attention. Running, cycling, swimming, walking, and rowing are also suitable.

When you’re nervous, you can do a breathing exercise to develop self-control. Inhale through your nose for a count of 8, hold your breath for a count of 5, exhale through your mouth for a count of 10 (all the way out), and repeat 5-7 times.

Massage helps a lot: it increases the flow of nerve impulses coming into the central nervous system from the sense organs – hands, fingers, ears, head.

3. Change your habits and daily routine

1. Every morning, make a to-do list , prioritize, and schedule your tasks. Throughout the day, check your planner to see what you’re up to.
2. Use electronic reminders (on your phone, alarm clock, computer).
3. Remove anything from the room that’s in the way, distracting, or unused. Use transparent containers to organize the space so you can easily see where everything is.
4. At work, use headphones to block out ambient noise.
5. Try to go for a walk during the day , even if only for a few minutes.
6. Simplify tasks , break them down into smaller ones.
7. Use the 15/15 or 45/15 schedule to focus: work on one task for 15 or 45 minutes, take a 15-minute break, and do this throughout the workday.