Back in the 70s, when it was called "Hyperactive Disorder" and the psychiatrist told my mother that a) my case was mild and b) that it should go away when I got older. I was a girl with an attention deficit and it didn't go away. I got in trouble a lot because it was supposed to have gotten better and I didn't have an excuse. My dad stepfather both believed it was just an excuse--period. It was not a fun time to be me, but it informed how I worked with children and parented and taught me a lot about kindness.
Your experience is exactly why my wife and I made our documentary, r'ADD & Loving It?!' I got the same pushback and dismissiveness when I was first diagnosed and it continued for years. Making a documentary that featured a wide range of experts, was endorsed by CHADD & ADDA, and was picked up by PBS legitimized my diagnosis for a lot of skeptics. By the way, you may notice that some of the most vociferous voices that sneer and disdain the idea that ADHD is real are often people who have it themselves. It's all they know. It's their experience of life and they naturally assume that everyone else is struggling with the same issues but other people are just better at dealing with life, and aren't 'lazy, weak, or looking for an excuse.' It's not an excuse, it's an explanation.
i was told over again, i should know better….my report cards always…too much talking….and by middle school i told my dad something was wrong, i so much daydreaming and heard voices, i need help….he laughed, he said there’s nothing wrong, he said if i didn’t have something to worry about i’d dream it up….and also tgat i had diarrhea of the mouth. my dad ended up with alzheimer, got meannand nasty towards the end….i will miss the dad who was nice at times, but he really didn’t ever ask me anything…so not sorry he’s gone….he was miserable and gave me little to love.
I used to believe my brother got to use ADHD as a label and an excuse when I was a kid. Back then I had absolutely no idea (and neither did anyone else) that my less disruptive, easily distracted, highly masked and compensated traits meant that I too had inattentive ADHD… it can look quite different in girls/females. I didn’t find out the reason for my many creative work-arounds, lack of consistency, time blindness, and “but she has so much potential, if she’d only work harder” was due to ADHD until I was 43, 1.5 years ago. Perimenopause broke the ADHD mask I didn’t know I had.
It's worth mentioning that a significant contributor to "the passing fad" comes about due to increased diagnosis rates. It's not that the rate of ADHD has increased, it's that we have become a lot better at diagnosing it. So more people become aware and talk about it, leading "others" to the wrong group-think conclusions.
ABSOLUTELY! When we were making 'ADD & Loving It?' several of the experts who appear in the film warned us that there are going to be a LOT of people who will recognize themselves and identify with the struggles and symptoms. Which was the reason we made the film. But the experts pointed out that all of these people are going to want to find a specialist and get tested, or want to know what to do about it, and there was already a shortage of experts, resources, and reliable information. It's better today, but you only have to read the comments on this and other videos to see how many adults are unable to find professional help, or have been put on a waiting list for months and months.
I’ve decided to stop trying to convince those who do not accept my diagnosis as real and/or serious. Rather, I try to put my trust into those who DO. I do not have the time or tolerance for willful ignorance in 2025. This is my LIFE. The onus isn’t on me to convince others.
Its red food colouring, caffeine, sugar, too much tv, heard it all growing up, doctor after doctor. My parents decided it was a character flaw, and all I needed was more discipline.
Yeah. That is a HUUUUGGGGGEEE help. Other great advice, "TRY HARDER." "BEHAVE". "JUST DO IT'. "SMARTEN UP". And of course there's the eternal and unanswerable question, "What were you thinking?"
Also, "Focus!" What they didn't know was that the harder I tried, the less I was able to (focus, study, clean, WHATEVER). STILL the only way I can get anything done is to not think about it 1st. Love these videos --- you're HILARIOUS! Thank you!
I'm the parent that struggled, and I raised 2 boys who both have ADHD. I can't remember much about those years though. I lived in overwhelm mode with a dash of burnout and my trusty masks and acting abilities. My regret is finding out it was my brain this late. I apologize to my sons' who have both been very supportive after their dad, my husband passed away recently. That hit me over the head and woke me up to not knowing who the heck I was! Knowledge is power and as I'm learning more, memories of my childhood are coming back. Forward motion!
Yes! Keep moving forward. And know in advance that it won't be a straight line. It may even have some U-Turns, switchbacks, and unexpected little side trips!
I was blessed with a father who accepted me as different as I was. I learned to read late and had difficulty starting and finishing things. I had the oddest chores to do. I asked him, as an adult, why I had to do them. My dad just said you had to start and you had to finish them. Thankfully my father must have had ADHD because he understood me and taught me in a very loving and supportive manner.
Thank you for quickly listing all 7 within the first 1.5 minutes so I don't spend the whole video scrolling through the comments to figure it out lol Looking forward to that video about why you love having ADHD! I was diagnosed with the inattentive flavor several months ago and still struggle to see it as anything more than a burden and hindrance to my life.
I'm a combined type, so I understand a bit of your dilemma. The more tools you have, the easier things can become. I do love mine, and I hate it too sometimes.
I love having ADHD... at some points... when I'm doing certain things... for example writing. But when a loved one is pouring out their heart to me, or a lawyer is going through some paperwork, and I'm tuning out or missing half of what's being said... well... then, I am not feeling the love.
Right on, Rick! I don't think "the internet or video games" gave me the ability to look at an empty stage, hallucinate a set that never existed, and construct it from detailed plans that just appear in my head. Once I saw a TED talk on ADHD (I forget who the speaker was) that included a line which really resonated: "ADHD is defined as a problem with regulating attention, but it is SO much stranger than that.". Your videos are great Rick.
In my time, 1980's, doctors thought ADHD would... work itself out... during puberty. As such... I was taken off my medication in 6th grade. And... as such... my grades... and social life... took a beating. 22-years later... one of my friends, and a doctor, encouraged me to get back on medication. What a life changing event. But now... I can't help but wonder... how different my life would've been... if I was kept on my medication.
That's a tough one, for sure. What makes it especially tragic is that the decision to take you off medication was most likely taken out of concern for you, a concern that was based on misinformation about medication. I'm glad you are back on medication and that it's working, to the point where it is, as you say, 'life-changing.' When you consider that about 80% of people who try an ADHD medication stick with it because it works, I find it frustrating that ADHD medications are still encumbered with so much baseless fear and myths.
I add : sometimes people do not remember ADHD symptoms because, if they had a balanced life, for example, can run all the day along, and can hyperfocus on maths, it doesn't look like a problem. it's possible to find some symptoms, but it requires a deep investigation, effort of memories, and rely recurrent things to ADHD. It takes time, but the brain will pop-up day after days some memories. And again, those symptomes alone doesn't mean "for sure", it's just the plus plus plus. At the end, we realize exxactly waht you are saying : I am just like that and I have always been. We have a kind of margin of action, but not in the same range than other people. As a late diagnosed, it's even hard to stop to try to do what I will never be able to do. But little by little, I can find my real way to function. Such a relief.
I'm glad for you! I know what you mean about the 'relief.' It really is a tricky process to diagnose ADHD. It's not like any of the symptoms are unique to this disorder. Everyone has, at some point, misplaced things, zoned out, felt overwhelmed, forgotten things, and had trouble managing focus and distractions. When the 'symptoms' are frequent enough, severe enough, and impacting your life then it's considered a disorder. It's similar to Clinical Depression. Everyone is sad, even deeply sad, at various points in their life. But when it's constant and severe, then it's Clinical Depression. And if you've ever seen brain scans of a severely depressed brain, it's clear that it's not working as it should.
Thank you, Rick! My daughter was recently diagnosed , she is 13. Your channel is so helpful! We have been watching old Red Green episodes lately, free on Amazon Prime. Such a blast!! :D
Wonderful! In fact the first time someone said I had ADHD was when Red did his voice-over for one of the Adventure With Bill videos. He said that years before I was actually diagnosed.
@RickHasADHD oh wow! That's a great piece of history! Have loved your show for years! So cool to get a message from you :)! Red Green and Corner Gas, our two favorite Canadian comedies ❤️👍!!
I'll add the "it's all down to trauma" brigade. I'm sure that kids with trauma display ADHD type behaviours, but with therapy, if they improve, then they didn't have it.
I am currently on a crossroad with this one, there is a possibility of either ADHD and/or trauma and therapy helps to a degree, so the quick conclusion would be trauma but I'm still convinced that I am just managing the symptoms better than before because I understand them now.
@barborahrabalova7945 Yes. All the things he mentioned, plus trauma and others, *can* affect symptoms one way or another, so it might look like a cause or cure from the outside. But in the end we know how we have always been on the inside.
They overlap in a lot of areas. Childhood trauma can actually add to the load of kids with ADHD risk factors FWIW. I had a 26 page analysis done recently and was told it was hard to untangle the I-adhd from my complex trauma. My ADHD traits emerged before my trauma so they were sure it’s both. The thing IS, COMPLEX trauma isn’t necessarily flashbacks, nightmares, and the other things you normally associate with Trauma - they are long term, repetitive, “little T” traumas that can effect a child developmentally into adulthood. The overlap with adhd (in terms of brain fog/dorgetfulness/hyper-vigilance/reactivity etc) is really hard to pick apart sometimes. And so many of us who have adhd have childhood trauma ❤
I tried asking my dad what I was like as a kid, he always says I couldn't have ADHD cause they never had to have help me with homework or get me to learn math or things like that, but I clearly remember always waiting until Sunday to do my book report that I had all week long to do, reading the book on that same day and spending all day writing with a sore hand haha. I also enjoyed math because my teacher was great and made it so fun and interactive, and other things like science as well, so I believe that would make me focus. What I mean it is always harder to note these signs in girls. Right? Plus I am an only child so no way to compare me to other siblings...
Having no other children to compare you to is a very good point. I don't think I've ever heard that mentioned before. I had an older brother and a younger one. Both got into enhanced programs in junior highschool. They were scoring A's. I was muddling along with C's and the occasional B-Minus. And there's a good chance your father may have had ADHD, and so he assumed your study habits were the same as his were.
@@RickHasADHD Thank you for responding! Yeah maybe that's true, I have noticed some traits in him but mostly in my mom, I am trying to find a good mental health facility in my country to get officially diagnosed soon.
17 дней назад+7
I am almost 7O years old and I spent over 6 decades just trying to get enough Dopamine so that I could function like everyone else. Art and Music and Dancing and Sex and Alcohol. After getting just about every single diagnosis in the DSM except an accurate one. I finally diagnosed myself. And I now get my Dopamine from Amazon and stay the hell away from the pseudoscience known as psychiatry.💙
@@KariRasmussen-nj7wu... I am using Dopamine Advantage by Life Extension. Due to it's affordability. I also tried Mucuna Pruriens Extract by Double Wood supplements when the other was unavailable.. But it was a too potent. There are many other more expensive options which I have not tried. Good Luck.💙
You're welcome. I'm currently reading 'The Men Who United The States' by Simon Winchester. and 'The Bomber Mafia' by Malcolm Gladwell. My wife and daughter both joined book clubs so they have to read. Great incentive.
Another great video Rick. The information about the types of brain waves was new for me. Is it possible to determine how severe ADHD might be by analyzing the waves? Thanks for putting this information out there. It is a real condition and the more we learn about it, the more we can compensate for it and live happier lives.
Good luck! Do as much reading as you can ahead of time. Write out any questions you have. And bring his report cards. The marks aren't as important as the teacher's comments. Teachers see a lot of kids, they know what to look for, and they probably spend more time with our kids than we do.
I never ever believed in any of those myths. Many do tho. Some extended family members do. But they know surprisingly little about their own shortcomings in general, so... anyway. Even tho I did not believe in any of these, and I said early on that one of my sons should probably be tested for it, it came as a total shock to me how little I actually knew about it, and it was an even bigger shock to me - mixed with denial plus a paradox feeling of relief when I realized I had lived my entire life with it myself without having that word for it. Instead there was label after label of things like anxiety and stuff that made no sense to me (as to why it was the way it was. Psychiatrists often seem to treat this stuff as if it happens in a vacuum and that there are no possible causes and thus making the anxiety and similar secondary to other things like ADHD). Seems just knowing what it actually is, so you can spot it, is a superpower not even some doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists doesn't have. They should. I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. But I wish I had realized things before I was 40 and the mother of all flame-outs was a fact. I could never read a book. But I bought one now, for the first time in 30 years I have some kinda illusion that I'm actually gonna learn something from a book I bought. Wish me luck hahahaha.
Good luck. (You might consider audiobooks. My son swears by them.). You're right on the money about the overlaps of ADHD and other mental health issues. Having ADHD dramatically increases the risk of having Anxiety and/or Depression. In fact, 70% of people diagnosed with ADHD will have a second diagnosis, and 40% will have a third or fourth, or even more. As you have discovered, having one or more of these secondary issues, what doctors call co-morbidities,' complicates the diagnostic process and developing a treatment plan as well.
Rick, you're great! I became interested in ADHD when I had not only a kid in class 10 years ago with a serious case of it (and not my first time to see it in Japan, but my first time to see it so clearly it could be identified by a total layperson), but an increasing number of other children around 10 or 11 with extreme impulsivity, with it becoming acceptable among the children in general; cases of dyslexia after COVID arose (I'd never even heard of it in Japan prior to then), and a general inability to concentrate in class among other young students. It was in trying to help them that I watched a video of what life is like from the perspective of someone with it, and I realized--that is ME! And as you say, it did manifest in childhood, with one frustrated teacher picking me up in 1st grade, and screeching at me for my daydreaming and inability to keep up in group work. I think all my childhood friends would say there was something fundamentally different about me. I had more vigor and curiosity. I note one thing: when someone brings a hidden smartphone into the room, my ability to concentrate goes out the window (and see former WHO Director Gro Harlem Brundtland). So while not causing ADHD in my case, the radiation from these clearly exacerbates it for me. And another thing (forgive me), there has been some worrying research that maternal use of cell phones can result in a greater likelihood of ADHD, autism and other disorders. Thus my horror at seeing so many young students show up with this. I count myself lucky. I was only a little problem and later learned to conceal it and get along, despite the frustrations of...what was the word? And procrastination!
Thanks! It's nice to know someone else thinks I'm great besides my wife. (As for me, I'd give myself a 7 out of 10. LOL) Yeah, there are some cultures that are more tolerant and supportive of neurodiversity than others. The question about cell phone use and kids is interesting. I'll look into that.
@@RickHasADHD 7 out of 10! You are doing wonderful! My husband is about as ADHD as I (we met hang gliding), so he realizes I can't help it. You can imagine our house. I Googled "ADHD maternal cell phone use" not expectng to find anything, but they directed me to NIH who has the study I had seen: Birks et al. 2017, Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five cohorts. The BioInitiative report of 2012 also has a rundown of various problems that can arise from EMR exposure, including neurological ones.
5-7% of the population...hmmm...ADHD and/ or autism is 100% in my family. Parents, sibling, children, grandchildren. And husband! You're correct about all of this; these things can all affect symptoms (including diet; allergies are higher among neurodivergents, and our food system is increasingly broken) , but yep, it's from birth. Unfortunately I only know that in hindsight...the future is brighter for the grands who found out when young.
Yes. Allergies are on the rise. As for the food system, my wife grew up on a farm, and today we have a large veggie garden. We eat a diet that is 95% vegan, with some cheese or milk chocolate now and then. Eating a plant-based diet takes commitment but we've learned that healthy eating really starts in the grocery store. If there's junk food in the house, we'll eat it. We have to have a shopping list that we stick to, and there are whole sections of the grocery store that we never go down. The first clue that our food system is broken is that there is an aisle labeled: Health Food. Which means there are 11 Unhealthy Food aisles.
Gluten/wheat allergies can have similar behavioral symptoms, which is why I got my kid allergy tested before attempting ADHD meds. Spoiler: kiddo has ADHD and probably gets it from me.
I believed it was an allergy maybe cause my brother was told he can't have certain food coloring lol...or big pharma everyone has it now a days then I realized uhh I've had it 32 years. Whoopsies! 😂
actually Drs have to take multiple yearly education so they keep up on the lastest, it’s called CME…continuing medical education….i facilitate 5-6 lectures monthly. drs are human, they rely on help from their colleagues, medical books and experiences with past cases…why one of my monthly lectures is CASE presentations, they study cases. don’t expect your dr to immediately know, and medical practices change over time….that’s why it’s called medical practice. and this hate towards big pharma…many of us are alive because of big pharma. i have a disease, no cure, big pharma is working to find a cure….i am waiting patiently…stop pestering them, show some gratitude for how they’ve helped you or someone you know. quit picking the low hanging fruit, do better, i know you can…FOCUS😂
Yes, my son struggled with reading. I think both he and I have some mild learning disorder of some kind going on. Do you like audio books? My son has them playing all the time when he's doing housework or driving.
That stuff about pre-12 year olds is a bad thing in the ADHD world because people are being assessed against US 12 year old, whitem straight kids who were hyperactives. If you are just inattentive type, or your a woman, or gay, or not white- you will be judged against that. You may also have lived in an environment that masked things. Last minute but not late to school? What if you lived 2 minutes from your school. What if you had parents that helicoptered you and thus lateness didn't occur. Try and get your score as an adult as you get your final diagnostic score. You can deal with that even if they deny you treatment because you didn't exhibit pre-twelve.
Exactly - I honestly think that the standardised testing has some meaning but cannot be the definitive tool for the reasons you have mentioned, there are just far too many variables that shape the situation. I think the US situation might be tricky because healthcare is so expensive and the insurance covers are specific to diagnoses, therefore you are forced into standardised and approved tools, rather than being treated as an individual in your particular sets of circumstances.
Great points! Thank you for sharing. This resonates for me. I don’t have a diagnosis yet. I think if anyone asked my parents what I was like before age 12, they’d lie and say I was an angel because appearances and perception are more important to them than reality and individuality. Any hyperactivity or disorganization was either beaten or shamed out of me. I learned what to mask very early. Sports were the only acceptable place for my hyperactivity. Plus, school was one of my special interests (I also have ASD), so I did well in school. It was other life skills I struggled with. I just got made fun of for them and hovered over where I wasn’t permitted to fail, lest it reflect badly on the family.
Well put. And you may not have exhibited the symptoms because you had incredible support, or you were smart enough to find workarounds, or, well, any number of reasons. Including the fact that no one was looking out for the symptoms.
Another meth is that it's due to older birth ages for parents. Simply not true My parents had just turned 30 when they had me and I have autism and ADHD! Fun!
I believed it was just for hyperactive little boys... till I was diagnosed. I've been told it's a crutch 🩼, that I'm just not focusing and following through. And definitely the lazy one. Inattentive ADHD seems harder to convince people of, BECAUSE I'm not running around the room.. and I'm a female.
That stereotype, the fidgety, squirmy, disruptive boy is still around, but there's a much more nuanced understanding of the many ways ADHD manifests itself. In fact, there's been talk of breaking it down into a number of difference diagnosis. Already, I'm seeing references to auDHD, a clever way of describing someone with symptoms. of ADHD and autism. (I suspect I'm one of them.)
I’ve decided to stop trying to convince those who do not accept my diagnosis as real and/or serious. Rather, I try to put my trust into those who DO. I do not have the time or tolerance for willful ignorance in 2025. This is my LIFE. The onus isn’t on me to convince others.
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Back in the 70s, when it was called "Hyperactive Disorder" and the psychiatrist told my mother that a) my case was mild and b) that it should go away when I got older.
I was a girl with an attention deficit and it didn't go away. I got in trouble a lot because it was supposed to have gotten better and I didn't have an excuse. My dad stepfather both believed it was just an excuse--period. It was not a fun time to be me, but it informed how I worked with children and parented and taught me a lot about kindness.
Sounds like you know me...I'm sorry this was your experience. My mom was at least understanding in a lot of ways.
Your experience is exactly why my wife and I made our documentary, r'ADD & Loving It?!' I got the same pushback and dismissiveness when I was first diagnosed and it continued for years. Making a documentary that featured a wide range of experts, was endorsed by CHADD & ADDA, and was picked up by PBS legitimized my diagnosis for a lot of skeptics.
By the way, you may notice that some of the most vociferous voices that sneer and disdain the idea that ADHD is real are often people who have it themselves. It's all they know. It's their experience of life and they naturally assume that everyone else is struggling with the same issues but other people are just better at dealing with life, and aren't 'lazy, weak, or looking for an excuse.' It's not an excuse, it's an explanation.
i was told over again, i should know better….my report cards always…too much talking….and by middle school i told my dad something was wrong, i so much daydreaming and heard voices, i need help….he laughed, he said there’s nothing wrong, he said if i didn’t have something to worry about i’d dream it up….and also tgat i had diarrhea of the mouth.
my dad ended up with alzheimer, got meannand nasty towards the end….i will miss the dad who was nice at times, but he really didn’t ever ask me anything…so not sorry he’s gone….he was miserable and gave me little to love.
I used to believe my brother got to use ADHD as a label and an excuse when I was a kid. Back then I had absolutely no idea (and neither did anyone else) that my less disruptive, easily distracted, highly masked and compensated traits meant that I too had inattentive ADHD… it can look quite different in girls/females. I didn’t find out the reason for my many creative work-arounds, lack of consistency, time blindness, and “but she has so much potential, if she’d only work harder” was due to ADHD until I was 43, 1.5 years ago. Perimenopause broke the ADHD mask I didn’t know I had.
I learned it at 65. It has given me hope of finally overcoming a lot of very real "character flaws."
YES!
It's worth mentioning that a significant contributor to "the passing fad" comes about due to increased diagnosis rates. It's not that the rate of ADHD has increased, it's that we have become a lot better at diagnosing it. So more people become aware and talk about it, leading "others" to the wrong group-think conclusions.
ABSOLUTELY! When we were making 'ADD & Loving It?' several of the experts who appear in the film warned us that there are going to be a LOT of people who will recognize themselves and identify with the struggles and symptoms. Which was the reason we made the film. But the experts pointed out that all of these people are going to want to find a specialist and get tested, or want to know what to do about it, and there was already a shortage of experts, resources, and reliable information. It's better today, but you only have to read the comments on this and other videos to see how many adults are unable to find professional help, or have been put on a waiting list for months and months.
I’ve decided to stop trying to convince those who do not accept my diagnosis as real and/or serious. Rather, I try to put my trust into those who DO. I do not have the time or tolerance for willful ignorance in 2025. This is my LIFE. The onus isn’t on me to convince others.
YESSSSSS!
Its red food colouring, caffeine, sugar, too much tv, heard it all growing up, doctor after doctor. My parents decided it was a character flaw, and all I needed was more discipline.
Yikes, I’m sorry.
So sorry
Yeah. That is a HUUUUGGGGGEEE help. Other great advice, "TRY HARDER." "BEHAVE". "JUST DO IT'. "SMARTEN UP". And of course there's the eternal and unanswerable question, "What were you thinking?"
Also, "Focus!" What they didn't know was that the harder I tried, the less I was able to (focus, study, clean, WHATEVER). STILL the only way I can get anything done is to not think about it 1st. Love these videos --- you're HILARIOUS! Thank you!
I'm the parent that struggled, and I raised 2 boys who both have ADHD. I can't remember much about those years though. I lived in overwhelm mode with a dash of burnout and my trusty masks and acting abilities. My regret is finding out it was my brain this late. I apologize to my sons' who have both been very supportive after their dad, my husband passed away recently. That hit me over the head and woke me up to not knowing who the heck I was! Knowledge is power and as I'm learning more, memories of my childhood are coming back. Forward motion!
Yes! Keep moving forward. And know in advance that it won't be a straight line. It may even have some U-Turns, switchbacks, and unexpected little side trips!
@RickHasADHD yeah, and that's only Monday! 😏
I was blessed with a father who accepted me as different as I was. I learned to read late and had difficulty starting and finishing things. I had the oddest chores to do. I asked him, as an adult, why I had to do them. My dad just said you had to start and you had to finish them. Thankfully my father must have had ADHD because he understood me and taught me in a very loving and supportive manner.
Your dad is the dad we all deserved but never had. One in a million ❤
I miss him greatly. Thanks
Thank you for quickly listing all 7 within the first 1.5 minutes so I don't spend the whole video scrolling through the comments to figure it out lol
Looking forward to that video about why you love having ADHD! I was diagnosed with the inattentive flavor several months ago and still struggle to see it as anything more than a burden and hindrance to my life.
I'm a combined type, so I understand a bit of your dilemma. The more tools you have, the easier things can become. I do love mine, and I hate it too sometimes.
I love having ADHD... at some points... when I'm doing certain things... for example writing. But when a loved one is pouring out their heart to me, or a lawyer is going through some paperwork, and I'm tuning out or missing half of what's being said... well... then, I am not feeling the love.
Right on, Rick! I don't think "the internet or video games" gave me the ability to look at an empty stage, hallucinate a set that never existed, and construct it from detailed plans that just appear in my head. Once I saw a TED talk on ADHD (I forget who the speaker was) that included a line which really resonated: "ADHD is defined as a problem with regulating attention, but it is SO much stranger than that.". Your videos are great Rick.
In my time, 1980's, doctors thought ADHD would... work itself out... during puberty.
As such... I was taken off my medication in 6th grade.
And... as such... my grades... and social life... took a beating.
22-years later... one of my friends, and a doctor, encouraged me to get back on medication.
What a life changing event.
But now... I can't help but wonder... how different my life would've been... if I was kept on my medication.
That's a tough one, for sure. What makes it especially tragic is that the decision to take you off medication was most likely taken out of concern for you, a concern that was based on misinformation about medication. I'm glad you are back on medication and that it's working, to the point where it is, as you say, 'life-changing.'
When you consider that about 80% of people who try an ADHD medication stick with it because it works, I find it frustrating that ADHD medications are still encumbered with so much baseless fear and myths.
I never put together how scrolling can effect my ability to focus.
Going to have to make a plan to change that.
I add : sometimes people do not remember ADHD symptoms because, if they had a balanced life, for example, can run all the day along, and can hyperfocus on maths, it doesn't look like a problem. it's possible to find some symptoms, but it requires a deep investigation, effort of memories, and rely recurrent things to ADHD. It takes time, but the brain will pop-up day after days some memories. And again, those symptomes alone doesn't mean "for sure", it's just the plus plus plus. At the end, we realize exxactly waht you are saying : I am just like that and I have always been. We have a kind of margin of action, but not in the same range than other people. As a late diagnosed, it's even hard to stop to try to do what I will never be able to do. But little by little, I can find my real way to function. Such a relief.
I'm glad for you! I know what you mean about the 'relief.' It really is a tricky process to diagnose ADHD. It's not like any of the symptoms are unique to this disorder. Everyone has, at some point, misplaced things, zoned out, felt overwhelmed, forgotten things, and had trouble managing focus and distractions.
When the 'symptoms' are frequent enough, severe enough, and impacting your life then it's considered a disorder.
It's similar to Clinical Depression. Everyone is sad, even deeply sad, at various points in their life. But when it's constant and severe, then it's Clinical Depression. And if you've ever seen brain scans of a severely depressed brain, it's clear that it's not working as it should.
Thank you, Rick! My daughter was recently diagnosed , she is 13. Your channel is so helpful! We have been watching old Red Green episodes lately, free on Amazon Prime. Such a blast!! :D
Wonderful! In fact the first time someone said I had ADHD was when Red did his voice-over for one of the Adventure With Bill videos. He said that years before I was actually diagnosed.
@RickHasADHD oh wow! That's a great piece of history! Have loved your show for years! So cool to get a message from you :)! Red Green and Corner Gas, our two favorite Canadian comedies ❤️👍!!
Thanks for the info on this channel ❤😎👍👍👏👏👏👏
I'll add the "it's all down to trauma" brigade. I'm sure that kids with trauma display ADHD type behaviours, but with therapy, if they improve, then they didn't have it.
I am currently on a crossroad with this one, there is a possibility of either ADHD and/or trauma and therapy helps to a degree, so the quick conclusion would be trauma but I'm still convinced that I am just managing the symptoms better than before because I understand them now.
@barborahrabalova7945 Yes. All the things he mentioned, plus trauma and others, *can* affect symptoms one way or another, so it might look like a cause or cure from the outside. But in the end we know how we have always been on the inside.
They overlap in a lot of areas. Childhood trauma can actually add to the load of kids with ADHD risk factors FWIW. I had a 26 page analysis done recently and was told it was hard to untangle the I-adhd from my complex trauma. My ADHD traits emerged before my trauma so they were sure it’s both.
The thing IS, COMPLEX trauma isn’t necessarily flashbacks, nightmares, and the other things you normally associate with Trauma - they are long term, repetitive, “little T” traumas that can effect a child developmentally into adulthood. The overlap with adhd (in terms of brain fog/dorgetfulness/hyper-vigilance/reactivity etc) is really hard to pick apart sometimes. And so many of us who have adhd have childhood trauma ❤
Yes. But then being raised in a family that has generations of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD can be traumatic.
Its similar to autism in that way... autism goes through similar spirals of prejudice...
It's also common to have a dual diagnosis of ADHD and autism.
I tried asking my dad what I was like as a kid, he always says I couldn't have ADHD cause they never had to have help me with homework or get me to learn math or things like that, but I clearly remember always waiting until Sunday to do my book report that I had all week long to do, reading the book on that same day and spending all day writing with a sore hand haha. I also enjoyed math because my teacher was great and made it so fun and interactive, and other things like science as well, so I believe that would make me focus.
What I mean it is always harder to note these signs in girls. Right? Plus I am an only child so no way to compare me to other siblings...
Having no other children to compare you to is a very good point. I don't think I've ever heard that mentioned before. I had an older brother and a younger one. Both got into enhanced programs in junior highschool. They were scoring A's. I was muddling along with C's and the occasional B-Minus.
And there's a good chance your father may have had ADHD, and so he assumed your study habits were the same as his were.
@@RickHasADHD Thank you for responding! Yeah maybe that's true, I have noticed some traits in him but mostly in my mom, I am trying to find a good mental health facility in my country to get officially diagnosed soon.
I am almost 7O years old and I spent over 6 decades just trying to get enough Dopamine so that I could function like everyone else. Art and Music and Dancing and Sex and Alcohol. After getting just about every single diagnosis in the DSM except an accurate one. I finally diagnosed myself. And I now get my Dopamine from Amazon and stay the hell away from the pseudoscience known as psychiatry.💙
What supp on Amazon?
@@KariRasmussen-nj7wu...
I am using Dopamine Advantage by Life Extension. Due to it's affordability. I also tried Mucuna Pruriens Extract by Double Wood supplements when the other was unavailable.. But it was a too potent. There are many other more expensive options which I have not tried. Good Luck.💙
Thank you for the information about scrolling and reading.
I have also lost my ability to focus on books.
You have given me hope sir.
Thank you.
You're welcome. I'm currently reading 'The Men Who United The States' by Simon Winchester. and 'The Bomber Mafia' by Malcolm Gladwell. My wife and daughter both joined book clubs so they have to read. Great incentive.
😊✅, I was always this way... but I didn't know I had ADHD until years after my kids were diagnosed.
Another great video Rick. The information about the types of brain waves was new for me. Is it possible to determine how severe ADHD might be by analyzing the waves? Thanks for putting this information out there. It is a real condition and the more we learn about it, the more we can compensate for it and live happier lives.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm not sure about measuring the severity of ADHD. But I'm sure that thought has occurred to some researchers somewhere.
Watching cat videos while allergic to cats - that’s my poor son 😂
His evaluation is this spring ❤
Good luck! Do as much reading as you can ahead of time. Write out any questions you have. And bring his report cards. The marks aren't as important as the teacher's comments. Teachers see a lot of kids, they know what to look for, and they probably spend more time with our kids than we do.
I never ever believed in any of those myths. Many do tho. Some extended family members do. But they know surprisingly little about their own shortcomings in general, so... anyway. Even tho I did not believe in any of these, and I said early on that one of my sons should probably be tested for it, it came as a total shock to me how little I actually knew about it, and it was an even bigger shock to me - mixed with denial plus a paradox feeling of relief when I realized I had lived my entire life with it myself without having that word for it.
Instead there was label after label of things like anxiety and stuff that made no sense to me (as to why it was the way it was. Psychiatrists often seem to treat this stuff as if it happens in a vacuum and that there are no possible causes and thus making the anxiety and similar secondary to other things like ADHD). Seems just knowing what it actually is, so you can spot it, is a superpower not even some doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists doesn't have.
They should.
I wouldn't trade my life for anyone else's. But I wish I had realized things before I was 40 and the mother of all flame-outs was a fact.
I could never read a book. But I bought one now, for the first time in 30 years I have some kinda illusion that I'm actually gonna learn something from a book I bought. Wish me luck hahahaha.
Good luck. (You might consider audiobooks. My son swears by them.).
You're right on the money about the overlaps of ADHD and other mental health issues. Having ADHD dramatically increases the risk of having Anxiety and/or Depression. In fact, 70% of people diagnosed with ADHD will have a second diagnosis, and 40% will have a third or fourth, or even more.
As you have discovered, having one or more of these secondary issues, what doctors call co-morbidities,' complicates the diagnostic process and developing a treatment plan as well.
Rick, you're great!
I became interested in ADHD when I had not only a kid in class 10 years ago with a serious case of it (and not my first time to see it in Japan, but my first time to see it so clearly it could be identified by a total layperson), but an increasing number of other children around 10 or 11 with extreme impulsivity, with it becoming acceptable among the children in general; cases of dyslexia after COVID arose (I'd never even heard of it in Japan prior to then), and a general inability to concentrate in class among other young students.
It was in trying to help them that I watched a video of what life is like from the perspective of someone with it, and I realized--that is ME!
And as you say, it did manifest in childhood, with one frustrated teacher picking me up in 1st grade, and screeching at me for my daydreaming and inability to keep up in group work. I think all my childhood friends would say there was something fundamentally different about me. I had more vigor and curiosity.
I note one thing: when someone brings a hidden smartphone into the room, my ability to concentrate goes out the window (and see former WHO Director Gro Harlem Brundtland). So while not causing ADHD in my case, the radiation from these clearly exacerbates it for me.
And another thing (forgive me), there has been some worrying research that maternal use of cell phones can result in a greater likelihood of ADHD, autism and other disorders. Thus my horror at seeing so many young students show up with this.
I count myself lucky. I was only a little problem and later learned to conceal it and get along, despite the frustrations of...what was the word? And procrastination!
Thanks! It's nice to know someone else thinks I'm great besides my wife. (As for me, I'd give myself a 7 out of 10. LOL)
Yeah, there are some cultures that are more tolerant and supportive of neurodiversity than others.
The question about cell phone use and kids is interesting. I'll look into that.
@@RickHasADHD 7 out of 10! You are doing wonderful! My husband is about as ADHD as I (we met hang gliding), so he realizes I can't help it. You can imagine our house.
I Googled "ADHD maternal cell phone use" not expectng to find anything, but they directed me to NIH who has the study I had seen: Birks et al. 2017, Maternal cell phone use during pregnancy and child behavioral problems in five cohorts. The BioInitiative report of 2012 also has a rundown of various problems that can arise from EMR exposure, including neurological ones.
5-7% of the population...hmmm...ADHD and/ or autism is 100% in my family. Parents, sibling, children, grandchildren. And husband! You're correct about all of this; these things can all affect symptoms (including diet; allergies are higher among neurodivergents, and our food system is increasingly broken) , but yep, it's from birth. Unfortunately I only know that in hindsight...the future is brighter for the grands who found out when young.
Yes. Allergies are on the rise.
As for the food system, my wife grew up on a farm, and today we have a large veggie garden. We eat a diet that is 95% vegan, with some cheese or milk chocolate now and then.
Eating a plant-based diet takes commitment but we've learned that healthy eating really starts in the grocery store. If there's junk food in the house, we'll eat it. We have to have a shopping list that we stick to, and there are whole sections of the grocery store that we never go down.
The first clue that our food system is broken is that there is an aisle labeled: Health Food. Which means there are 11 Unhealthy Food aisles.
Gluten/wheat allergies can have similar behavioral symptoms, which is why I got my kid allergy tested before attempting ADHD meds.
Spoiler: kiddo has ADHD and probably gets it from me.
Rick, you always have me ROTF laughing! Your back then, Minecraft and grand theft auto were... 😂😂
I believed it was an allergy maybe cause my brother was told he can't have certain food coloring lol...or big pharma everyone has it now a days then I realized uhh I've had it 32 years.
Whoopsies! 😂
This is off-topic (how very ADHD) but I read somewhere that we have a higher rate of asthma.
actually Drs have to take multiple yearly education so they keep up on the lastest, it’s called CME…continuing medical education….i facilitate 5-6 lectures monthly.
drs are human, they rely on help from their colleagues, medical books and experiences with past cases…why one of my monthly lectures is CASE presentations, they study cases. don’t expect your dr to immediately know, and medical practices change over time….that’s why it’s called medical practice.
and this hate towards big pharma…many of us are alive because of big pharma. i have a disease, no cure, big pharma is working to find a cure….i am waiting patiently…stop pestering them, show some gratitude for how they’ve helped you or someone you know.
quit picking the low hanging fruit, do better, i know you can…FOCUS😂
sorry its this on spanish? my adhd mother rlly need it. she cant read :(
No, it's not. Does RUclips do translations? You could also copy tne transcript and have Google translate it.
Ah! You have a cabbage deficiency.....
Come on, just a couple more...
I've never enjoyed reading!
Yes, my son struggled with reading. I think both he and I have some mild learning disorder of some kind going on.
Do you like audio books? My son has them playing all the time when he's doing housework or driving.
😂🤣😂🤣🤣😂😎👍👍
I hope you're laughing with me. Not at me.
Actually, come to think of it, I'll take either.
That stuff about pre-12 year olds is a bad thing in the ADHD world because people are being assessed against US 12 year old, whitem straight kids who were hyperactives. If you are just inattentive type, or your a woman, or gay, or not white- you will be judged against that.
You may also have lived in an environment that masked things. Last minute but not late to school? What if you lived 2 minutes from your school. What if you had parents that helicoptered you and thus lateness didn't occur.
Try and get your score as an adult as you get your final diagnostic score. You can deal with that even if they deny you treatment because you didn't exhibit pre-twelve.
Exactly - I honestly think that the standardised testing has some meaning but cannot be the definitive tool for the reasons you have mentioned, there are just far too many variables that shape the situation. I think the US situation might be tricky because healthcare is so expensive and the insurance covers are specific to diagnoses, therefore you are forced into standardised and approved tools, rather than being treated as an individual in your particular sets of circumstances.
Great points! Thank you for sharing. This resonates for me. I don’t have a diagnosis yet. I think if anyone asked my parents what I was like before age 12, they’d lie and say I was an angel because appearances and perception are more important to them than reality and individuality. Any hyperactivity or disorganization was either beaten or shamed out of me. I learned what to mask very early. Sports were the only acceptable place for my hyperactivity. Plus, school was one of my special interests (I also have ASD), so I did well in school. It was other life skills I struggled with. I just got made fun of for them and hovered over where I wasn’t permitted to fail, lest it reflect badly on the family.
Well put. And you may not have exhibited the symptoms because you had incredible support, or you were smart enough to find workarounds, or, well, any number of reasons. Including the fact that no one was looking out for the symptoms.
Another meth is that it's due to older birth ages for parents. Simply not true My parents had just turned 30 when they had me and I have autism and ADHD! Fun!
I believed it was just for hyperactive little boys... till I was diagnosed. I've been told it's a crutch 🩼, that I'm just not focusing and following through. And definitely the lazy one.
Inattentive ADHD seems harder to convince people of, BECAUSE I'm not running around the room.. and I'm a female.
That stereotype, the fidgety, squirmy, disruptive boy is still around, but there's a much more nuanced understanding of the many ways ADHD manifests itself. In fact, there's been talk of breaking it down into a number of difference diagnosis. Already, I'm seeing references to auDHD, a clever way of describing someone with symptoms. of ADHD and autism. (I suspect I'm one of them.)
I’ve decided to stop trying to convince those who do not accept my diagnosis as real and/or serious. Rather, I try to put my trust into those who DO. I do not have the time or tolerance for willful ignorance in 2025. This is my LIFE. The onus isn’t on me to convince others.
YESSS!