Verdandi wrote:
I solidly meet the criteria for inattentive type ADHD, and I just barely miss meeting the criteria for combined type. If I were diagnosed under the DSM-5, I would easily meet the criteria for combined type.
I notice people say "I can't have ADHD, I don't have an attention deficit." ADHD is called "attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" but the name is a misnomer - it isn't actually an attention deficit. You could call it an intention deficit disorder or a motivation deficit disorder, or an executive dysfunction disorder, or even a self-regulation deficit disorder, but it's not characterized by a short attention span or a true attention deficit. Calling ADHD "attention deficit" is like saying autism is all about flapping hands.
For me, ADHD isn't about how long I can pay attention to something at all. I can pay attention to things for hours. It is about - to some extent - controlling how I direct my attention, intentions, motivations, etc. The problems it causes for me are related to impulsiveness (I often do and say things without thinking, purchase things I don't need without really thinking about whether I can afford it, etc.), organization, doing anything I find to be boring, shifting my attention from things I like. I can't plan very well - when I clean a room, my plan is fairly haphazard and tends to involve shifting from one task to the next without making a lot of headway, and without really knowing which part I should do first, or next. Usually, what motivates me is that I need to find something I lost, or I need to have a room clean by a certain day for various reasons, but even then I don't manage it very well. I lose things all the time. I don't do it as much, but I used to set things down and then spend hours trying to find them again. Nowadays, it's more like I don't have as much stuff to keep track of and therefore lose.
I remember occasions when I set out to clean up a room to find a specific thing - a pair of shoes for example. Once I found the shoes, the motivation to continue cleaning simply evaporated. I couldn't prioritize it above other things I wanted to do, which made it difficult to push forward with the cleaning task, even though I actually did want to finish.
It impacts my sense of time, as in I barely have one. I am really good at guessing what time it is, but I am terrible at knowing how much time has passed. To me, I may feel like only a few minutes have passed, but in reality hours have. Further, I don't really have a strong sense of "the future." I mostly have a sense of "now," with a somewhat faint sense of "tomorrow" followed by "next week to next month." Anything past that might as well be never as far as how I think about it.
I think some of this is autism and some of this is ADHD. And some is both. But mostly, ADHD is a lot of things that aren't best described as "attention deficit."
Thank you! I was going to try to clear up some misconceptions people seem to have about ADHD but It seem you have already done most of the work. So thanks again.
One thing to add just because it bugs me
ADD ceased to exist in 1994! Now it's ADHD with 4 subtypes:
ADHD -- Inattentive type
Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
Has difficulty sustaining attention
Does not appear to listen
Struggles to follow through on instructions
Has difficulty with organization
Avoids or dislikes requiring sustained mental effort
Often loses things necessary for tasks
Is easily distracted
Is forgetful in daily activities
ADHD -- Hyperactive/Impulsive type
Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
Has difficulty remaining seated
Runs about or climbs excessively (in adults may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
Has difficulty engaging in activities quietly
Talks excessively
Blurts out answers before question have been completed
Has difficulty waiting in turn taking situations
Interrupts or intrudes upon others
ADHD -- Combined type
defined by an individual meeting both sets of attention and hyperactive/impulsive criteria.
ADHD -- Not otherwise specified
defined by an individual who demonstrates some characteristics but an insufficient number of symptoms to reach a full diagnosis. These symptoms, however, disrupt everyday life.
Also the DSM 4 dose not include the ability for someone with ADHD to hyper-focus on there interest. but it is a common trait.
25 Mar 2012, 6:44 pm
