The month of Oct. is nationally recognized as Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Awareness Month in the United States. This widely recognized learning disorder affects approximately 15 million Americans have been clinically diagnosed with ADHD.
ADHD is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. This neurodevelopmental condition affects the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is responsible for executive functions. Meaning it is responsible for planning, organization and attention which constitutes to the problems associated with ADHD.
Liesl Merkh (12) says, “ADHD awareness is important because it is a real disorder that affects people more than many think it does.”
ADHD is commonly misconceived as simply being hyper and not being able to focus. While these are symptoms of ADHD they only represent the surface of the disorder. ADHD affects people in their everyday lives ranging from their emotions, sense of motivation, to their self confidence.
Many with ADHD struggle to regulate their emotions. This is called emotional dysregulation, meaning that those with ADHD often experience swift changes in their emotions. This can present itself in the form of being extremely happy one moment to throwing things the next.
While this may be seen as dramatic, people with ADHD feel emotions much more strongly. What may be considered a slight inconvenience to a neurotypical, can feel like a punch to a gut to someone with ADHD.
As someone who has learnt how to have a relationship with someone with ADHD Dylan Pryor (12) says, “A good way to encourage someone with ADHD when they are feeling frustrated or overwhelmed is through reassurance and understanding. Because people with ADHD have trouble regulating their emotions, it is important to make them feel validated and understood to prevent them from feeling judged or discouraged.”
People with ADHD aren’t lazy, their brains just work differently. ADHD affects dopamine, the chemical that helps you feel motivated and rewarded for getting things done. Because of that, it can be harder to start or stick with tasks that don’t feel interesting or exciting.
Many people with ADHD are interest-driven, meaning they focus best when something truly grabs their attention or feels meaningful. Boring or repetitive work can feel almost impossible to start, even when they really want to do well.
This behavior is called executive dysfunction. Meaning that even if someone with ADHD truly wants to start a task they are left in a state of paralysis where they do not know where to start or how to channel enough motivation to start.
It’s also common to struggle with time management, organization, and staying on track not because of a lack of effort, but because ADHD affects how the brain handles planning and focus. These challenges can lead to frustration, self-doubt and misunderstanding from others who don’t realize how much effort even small tasks can take.
This can cause people with ADHD to fall behind in school or at work.
Merkh says, “Accommodations within work or schools should be mandatory. A few things that would be beneficial are to have brain breaks and places to move around when needed. ADHD awareness is so important because most people don’t understand how much it affects people while doing day to day things.”
With the right support, encouragement and strategies, motivation can be channeled in powerful ways.
