ADHD & You
What is ADHD?
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects 3 primary areas:
-Response inhibition
-Attention
-Executive Functioning
What is the function of working memory?
Working memory includes short term memory, stores and manipulates information temporarily, and then organizes information for long-term storage.
What is the 5 minute rule?
If you’re not doing something more important & if it can be done in 5 minutes or less – do it now!
What are some difficulties that one may encounter regarding communication?
•Talking over others or interrupting
•Oversharing impulsively
•Difficulty focusing & listening (zoning out)
•Brain freezes
•Talking excessively &/or loudly
•“Masking”
•Texting struggles
•Forgetfulness
•Poor organizational skills
What is response inhibition?
The ability to suppress one’s own responses to distractions.
Name some strategies or tools you can use to help you manage.
-Just start -limit distractions
- track it -routines
-reward systems
-study skills
-jot it down
-visual cues
-timers
Name any routines you created that make your life easier.
Team member's choice
What are some strategies one can use to improve listening skills?
ask follow up questions repeat back what they said to check your understanding
-eye contact will help reduce distractions
-ask for clarification or repeating if something was missed.
-Try drawing or occupying your hands to calm your fidget-needs
-Remember to be reciprocal! You talk ,then they listen, they talk, then you listen. Take turns.
Name some examples of response inhibition.
•Emotional impulsivity
•Restlessness or hyperactivity
•Project or hobby jumping
•Feeling Inclined to “stay busy”
•Blurting, talking out of turn, etc.
What are some things to consider when starting tasks?
Sometimes it can be difficult for people with ADHD to initiate or take-action due to executive functioning and inhibition difficulties. This can also make it difficult to transition from one task to another. Added to this, could also be some degree of perfectionism or feeling like things need to be “just right” or “perfect” before getting started.
Name some ways that you can help yourself to cool down.
Asking for a “time-out”
-Walking away from whatever is overwhelming and find solitude
-Taking deep breaths (in through the nose out through the mouth)
-Asking yourself “what do I want?” or “what do I need in this situation?” - also act of self kindness
-Thinking about how to communicate your wants, needs, and emotions effectively
-Writing down your thoughts and feelings
Identify some strategies that can be helpful to maintain communication with others.
1.Communicating face-to-face allows you to attune to nonverbal cues, including body language, tone of voice, behavior, and facial and eye expressions.
2.Take notes or text yourself to remind yourself of important takeaways from the conversation, especially if they include future plans or if the other person has asked you to complete a task.
3.Talking about your symptoms can help the other person understand how your ADHD affects your behavior (e.g., (organizing time, keeping track of things, interrupting) and provides an opportunity to explain how they can best support you or join you in finding solutions that work for you.
4.You may also find it helpful to be intentional about speaking slowly in conversations with others, especially when discussing topics, you find interesting.
5.For longer conversations, you can consider using a fidget tool to keep your mind engaged and cope with any emotions you may be experiencing.
If you have ADHD, how can inattention be reflected?
spontaneous mind wandering or “spotlighting” due to constant mental activity, which lacks topic stability and consistency of content.
Name some study skills which can help with information retention.
-Chunking information allows us to take a large bit of information and “chunk” it into smaller, more manageable pieces.
-summarizing what you’ve just read to yourself, can also help retain the information and make sure you’ve understood it accurately.
-underlining or highlighting key words or phrases to help maintain focus on critical points
Why do you think it would help to plan your semester when it starts?
This helps centralize everything so that you can see it at a glance and spot any weak points or any weeks that might suffer under every assignment due dates.
One great communication tool that decreases defensiveness and increases motivation for those around you to meet you where you're at is the I feel statement. think back to the last time you had trouble communicating with someone a friend, family member, group member on a project, or even a partner put together and I feel statement that could have been a great help in communicating with them. Try using this tool and fill it in with the emotion and example that captures your experience.
I feel ________when __________ because______________.
Any answer counts!
Describe differences between the difficulties associated with inattentive type and the Hyperactive-Impulsive type.
Inattentive Type often has trouble with
•Paying close attention to details & sustaining attention
•Listening
•Following through, completing, & organizing tasks & activities
•Forgetfulness
•Avoiding tasks requiring sustained mental effort when not interested
Hyperactive & Impulsive Type can experience trouble with
•Fidgeting, squirming, & staying seated
•Running/climbing inappropriately
•Playing loudly
•Being “driven by a motor”
•Blurting answers, excessive talking
•Waiting turns, interrupting/ intruding on others
Name some ways to cope ahead and limit distractions.
-Gather all needed materials beforehand
-Wear headphones
-Limit what's on the desk in front of you
-some of my clients have had to Wear a hat with a visor
-Use a fidgeting tool
-Trying reading aloud or talking things through to activate working memory--allowing for the self to better juggle thoughts and ideas.
When you feel anxious or angry what are some strategies you can use to help you anticipate your stressors?
Mindfulness meditation
-Deep breathing techniques
-Journaling
Do you get hangry? Keep a granola bar in your purse.
-Always annoyed your cold in class and can’t concentrate? Keep a sweater or blanket in your backpack.
-Do you have difficulty staying awake in a boring class? Bring mints or gum to keep you awake.
Do we know any challenges related to romantic relationships that may come up when managing ADHD?
•Seeming disinterested in partner’s interests
•Missing the butterfly flutters
•Hyperfocus on new partner
Some people with ADHD get in trouble with partners maybe for not texting or calling often enough because “out of ADHD sight out of ADHD mind”
-Because of organization and planning and memory difficulties people with ADHD may become overly dependent on their partner to help keep everything in line
-They are also more susceptible to abuse and toxicity in relationships due to inhibition (difficulty regulating and managing emotions) and emotion dysregulation
-it's also to accommodate interruptions when you're very focused