People With ADHD Have Different Brains

Good progress. Now the question is, is the prefrontal cortex underdevelopment caused by genetics or something mothers did, ate or used during pregnancy?
 
I'm personally not a naysayer but I believe the issue has been diagnosed with far too wide of metrics to be useful in treatment outside of simply drugging children. The diagnosis has been used as an excuse to drug children far and wide. This, in itself, isn't to suggest that even a large subset of diagnoses aren't valid or without some common causative factors. What I believe is ADD/ADHD, generally, is a blanket diagnosis for different behavioral issues. It's an over-simplification which are rarely very helpful.
 
Nice comment Mark. I just upvoted you. i also strongly believe that ADHD and depression are the same in that the underlying cause is low dopamine production; though I say this without any professional background in psychology. I was diagnosed with it as well as other mental disorders and real ADHD is brutal Hell. Brutal Hell is how I can succinctly describe it. I'm very intelligent and medication allows me to reach (or come closer to) my potential (btw I'm not implying you're against medication, you seem to be against giving it to those who don't need it, which I understand).
 
I was diagnosed ADHD as well... I am since an ABD PhD in psychology. I was given medication as a child but I do not believe I ever needed it, personally. Word of warning though, I don't really believe in diagnoses as an outward label for people, I believe it is most useful for the purposes of therapists and psychologists assigning meaning or connecting symptoms in treating patients. In children, especially, it has a tendency to give developing egos an easy handle, or "excuse" I suppose you could say, for why they choose to give up on themselves. Of course this isn't in all cases and I would not say it's true in yours but I believe it is seen a lot, from "high functioning" ASD to ADHD and manic depression (bipolar disorder). Medication helps many people, no denying that but I'd much rather see the development of medications that treat the underlying issues rather than provide a crutch or validate the cognitive feedback that can be present.
 
ABSOLUTELY! Congrats on getting a PhD! And I too would love to see medication that treats the root cause as opposed to merely relieving symptoms.
 
I'm glad you found something that works for you and makes your life better though! Thanks brother but I'm still about a year out probably... have to complete my research.
 
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I've had great success with Adderall. I spent over half my life on it and without changing dosage, it still works like a charm. Some people react horribly when the drug takes over; I've read of bad reactions to it such as heightened anxiety, but when it cracks the whip on my dopamine system, I experience heightened euphoria and concentration (though it does make me sweat-I guess due to the fact that I exercise very rigorously, my sweat system is sensitive). Some people just aren't genetically inclined to handle amphetamines. What worries me is based on a quora post, adderall is neurotoxic if taken for long periods of time, but there are studies that refute that. I'm hoping that those (refuting) studies are right...

The worst it has ever done for me was make me thin as a rail..lol.
 
The fact that ADD is "comorbid" with depression and anxiety tells me something...the root of these issues comes down to chemical imbalances. Think about it... a symptom of depression is inability to focus!

In my opinion, the best treatment for those who are afflicted with ADD/Depression is medication and intense aerobic exercise. And to me, intense aerobic exercise means prolonged PAINFUL, GRUELING bouts of physical effort lasting 20 minutes or more(running, fast biking, or the stair machine-my personal choice) .Not some stupid 30 minute walk around the park unless you're that out of shape.

I find myself limping down the stairs holding onto the railing soaked with sweat after each workout.
 
The fact that ADD is "comorbid" with depression and anxiety tells me something...the root of these issues comes down to chemical imbalances. Think about it... a symptom of depression is inability to focus!

In my opinion, the best treatment for those who are afflicted with ADD/Depression is medication and intense aerobic exercise. And to me, intense aerobic exercise means prolonged PAINFUL, GRUELING bouts of physical effort lasting 20 minutes or more(running, fast biking, or the stair machine-my personal choice) .Not some stupid 30 minute walk around the park unless you're that out of shape.

I find myself limping down the stairs holding onto the railing soaked with sweat after each workout.
I noticed that exercise elevates my mood too, to the level that I'm waking up rested and happy in the morning, for no apparent reason, as a default mood.
 
Any possibility it is related to blood flow in to the brain, or lack of it, during childhood? The brain would prioritize and delay development at the same time? Could a whiplash type trauma in an infant cause this?
 
I take umbrage with the "disorder" label. Different, yes. But not all who are different are defective. Yet that's exactly what that label implies. What "normal people" view as a disadvantage, I view as an advantage--albeit, a double-edged one. Good diet, good exercise, meditation, and the great outdoors are the best medicine I've found.
 
I take umbrage with the "disorder" label. Different, yes. But not all who are different are defective. Yet that's exactly what that label implies. What "normal people" view as a disadvantage, I view as an advantage--albeit, a double-edged one. Good diet, good exercise, meditation, and the great outdoors are the best medicine I've found.

Yes! Exercise certainly helps me! But I can't see how my ADD gives me any sort of advantage. It could, perhaps, be advantageous in a certain environment....but in the western world, we are expected to commit an adequate level of attention to whatever task is at hand, which leaves those with ADD vulnerable. Note that I'm not crying out against capitalism or the western way. I'm not like that.

And based on what I read, ADD is linked to low arousal which results from lower than average dopamine levels in the brain....I'm almost willing to bet that ADD and depression are close if not the same since depression is also is due to low dopamine.

My ADD is chemical in nature since I respond very well to medication.
 
Can case be made that men with ADD are better hunters? Is there more cases of ADD among native Americans and Aborigines?
 
I don't know, but at times I'm super smart when it comes to programming and puzzle solving. Here's my solution to one of the PI day challenges given every 14th day of March:
"I’m thinking of a ten-digit integer whose digits are all distinct. It happens that the number formed by the first n of them is divisible by n for each n from 1 to 10. What is my number?"
my code:
var usedNumberBits = [0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0];
console.log(optionOne(parseInt(0),parseInt(1),usedNumberBits));
function optionOne(num, place, usedNumberBits){
var success = false;
var offset = parseInt(0);
var x;
var curNum;
if(place%2==1){
offset = 1;
x=0;
}
else{
x=1;
}
x = parseInt(x);
num*=10;
if(place==5){
num+=5;
success=optionOne(num,place+1,usedNumberBits);
return success;
}
for(; x<=4; x++){
curNum = 2*x+offset;
if(usedNumberBits[curNum-1]!=1){
usedNumberBits[curNum-1]=1;
num+=curNum;
if(num%place==0){
if(place<9){
success = optionOne(num,place+1,usedNumberBits);
}
else{
success = true;
console.log(num*10);
}
}
usedNumberBits[curNum-1]=0;
if(success){
return success;
}
num-=curNum;
}
}
return success;
}

 
I find this interesting...my mother had mentioned that the psychologist who diagnosed me with ADHD had ADHD himself...it takes one to know one!

And yes, I've gone through the gamut of tests for autism, IQ and such and such. Based on test results, I'm very intelligent but inattentive. It's a rather frustrating combination, bc its difficult to tap into your brain's potential.
 
From what I've seen nowadays almost anyone could be potentially diagnosed with ADHD, or at least so I thought. It's just so common. But I'm interested to know the differences in general between people with ADHD who have a very hard time getting anything done or sitting through anything vs. those who would seem to have few difficulties with general functioning and may just be bad at maintaining conversations, etc. As someone with the disorder I fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

Also it seems like everyone I know with at least one other mental disorder also has ADHD. Autism, bipolar/schizophrenic/psychotic disorders, personality disorders etc.
 

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