ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies

by Edward M. Hallowell

A person with ADHD has the power of a Ferrari engine but with bicycle-strength brakes.

But risk taking and irrational thinking go hand in hand with ADHD behavior. We like irrational. We’re at home in uncertainty. We’re at ease where others are anxious. We’re relaxed not knowing where we are or what direction we’re headed in.

boredom is our kryptonite.

Those of us who have ADHD experience time differently from other people.

Unique and active sense of humor. Quirky, offbeat, but usually rather sophisticated too.

Distorted negative self-image. Due to the inability to observe oneself accurately, coupled with the heightened sensitivity to perceived criticism and a record of underachievement, people with ADHD usually have a self-image that is far more negative than is warranted. One of our patients calls the condition “attention deficit distorter” because of how it distorts so many perceptions of reality.

In a neurotypical brain, when the TPN is turned on and you’re on task, the DMN is turned off. But in the ADHD brain, the fMRI shows that when the TPN is turned on, the DMN is turned on as well, trying to muscle its way in and pull you into its grasp, thereby distracting you. In ADHD, therefore, the DMN competes with the TPN, which in most people it does not do.

Another extremely common problem when caught in the DMN is what we call “pirouette syndrome,” a circling back to make sure you’ve done something you’ve already done.

Still another curse of the Demon is catastrophic thinking. We refer to this as Chicken Little syndrome, as it’s easy to believe the sky is falling.

Of course, catastrophic thinking is a form of rumination. Your boss throws off a comment that you perceive as a slight. The rear part of the DMN spins into overdrive, looking back at what she said, taking it apart, wondering what you did to deserve that. Was it really a pointed dig? Then you beat yourself up, thinking back, ruminating on what you might have said or done to provoke the comment. You take apart every imperfect thing you said or did at work, reliving the embarrassment. There’s more than enough angst to go around.