'Awareness is a key element in ADHD management,' Taylor-Klaus adds. 'ADHD is a medical condition and can lead to poor outcomes if untreated,' Gordon says, 'but no one should get the message that something is wrong with them or be reluctant to seek out treatment.' Instead, become aware of your symptoms, seek a diagnosis, and develop a physician-led care plan. And 42 to 53 percent of families below the poverty line have at least one family member with ADHD-compared to 33 percent of wealthier households. The divorce rate for ADHD couples is nearly double that of other marriages. Adults are two to four times more likely to get fired and both age groups are prone to drug and alcohol addiction. But teenagers with the disorder are 36 percent more likely to have a car accident.

Most likely, there is no Mary, no woman unable to flee her burning home because of it. Untreated, ADHD wrecks havoc on your life. 'When managed, being able to hyperfocus…is a strength that in many cases can lead to real life benefits, such as a successful career in the arts, computer programming, piloting, engineering, conducting surgery-the options are endless, when it is managed under the supervision of a treatment plan,' Gordon adds. My daughter is an amazingly talented actor, and I think it's because she can tune out the rest of the world and be completely present in the moment. 'I see hyperfocus as a gift when applied well,' Taylor-Klaus says. We can then enter a zone where we're lost to everything around us, surrendered to a single task. In order to get the neurotransmitters we need, people with ADHD latch onto the tasks that stimulate us, like playing a favorite game or reading about a topic we enjoy. Stimulation activates the prefrontal cortex, triggering dopamine and making it easier to stay on task.

If neurotransmitters are the grease that turn the brain's gears, dopamine and norepinephrine are ones that are linked to your ability to focus. The brain sends off signals of activity, pleasure, and engagement as they are immersed in a task while hyperfocused.'Ī little background: ADHD stems from an underproduction of two neurotransmitters in the brain-dopamine and norepinephrine. Kimberly Gordon, a psychiatrist at Sheppard Pratt Health System in Baltimore, explains the symptom as 'an intense, deep concentration on a specific task.' Like our mythological Mary, Gordon says, 'When individuals with ADHD hyperfocus on one thing, they tend to block out everything else going on around them. Instead, ADHDers often pay more attention to certain tasks than we should. Because the word 'deficit' is in the name, many incorrectly assume having ADHD means you can't pay attention. 'We all hate the name ADHD,' says Elaine Taylor-Klaus, cofounder of Atlanta consultancy group ImpactADHD.

Adhd hyperfocus on a person