A chronic, reflexive tuning out is one of the hallmarks of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),[*] now being diagnosed worldwide with increasing and alarming frequency. This is not dissociation-level “out of body”–ness, but it does disconnect one from oneself, from one’s activities, and from other people in ways that disrupt functioning and are, as I personally attest, often highly frustrating. ADHD’s features include poor attention span, distractibility and low boredom threshold, poor impulse control, and (mostly in males) difficulty being still.
