Wanna know what’s going on in your ADHD brain? Ask your hurdler.
Strange title, I know, but hang in there with me a moment. People with ADHD sometimes have a horrendous time sustaining their attention and remembering what they are supposed to be doing at any given moment. That’s got to be pretty frustrating, right? But why is it sodifficult for them to just follow a conversation or remember what they had planned on doing 5 minutes ago?
I wanted to find out.
As I was reading a terrific book by Chris Ziegler Dendy ( see below for details), I came across an explanation of this very concept, written by her son who has ADHD. I’m a person who learns by hooking new information to a metaphor or analogy to help me really digest it. Here’s what I came up with. (Hint: it has to do with hurdle jumping of all things)
Ready, Set, Go
When you receive a message, that message has to make it through to the various parts of your brain that will enable you to remember the information and act on it if necessary. Let’s say someone asks you to get something from another room and bring it to them. This particular request involves, among others, motor skills (go upstairs), spatial and visual skills (find the bedroom) and memory skills (remember to get the item and bring it back down).
Now, let’s imagine that there’s a tiny messenger running through your brain- a hurdle jumper. As he carries that message along the neural pathways in your brain, he has to jump from neuron to neuron because they’re not all connected (yikes!) In reality, your hurdle jumper is a neurotransmitter like dopamine or norepinephrine.
In between the neurons, there’s a gap called a synapse. As the message reaches the end of one neuron, it releases a neurotransmitter that takes that message (aka hurdle jumper) across the synapse so the next neuron can receive it, light up and send that message along. Those neurotransmitters are then taken back up, but not entirely, to be used for the next message that comes along. This all happens in the blink of an eye.
That’s how a neurotypical brain works, so what about the ADHD brain?
Wait...What?
Well, the ADHD brain has a hurdle jumper too. The problem is that the hurdler can’t get across all of those hurdles-he kind of runs out of steam. Scientists theorize that people with ADHD don’t have as many neurotransmitters in their brains as do those with typical brains, so as the message travels down the neural pathways, it can’t make it across the synapse. The neurotransmitters either break down too quickly or, in the case of some ADHD brains, too much gets taken back up into the neuron, making it difficult to get the message safely to the other side. That could explain why a person with ADHD might begin to act on a request, then forget what they’re supposed to be doing. Something else captures their attention and off they go. The message doesn't get all the way through. Ditto for holding their attention on a conversation or specific task.
So what? Why is this important to understand? If you have ADHD, you can feel better that it’s not some failing on your part when it comes to memory and distraction. Then you can develop some strategies to address those situations where you really struggle. If you know and love someone with ADHD, you can help them by keeping conversations and/or directions short and very tactical. You can provide them with visual supports and cues to keep them on track.
A final and VERY IMPORTANT note. This really cool explanation about scientific theory does not account for the entirety of why the ADHD brain doesn't function in the same way as a typical brain. This is but one short article and it’s just not that simple, unfortunately. Other factors such as brain size, maturation rate and activity level play a part as well. Research into the workings of the ADHD brain is ongoing and I have no doubt there’s much more to learn.
Suzanne Leon is a Certified Professional Coach who works with people affected by ADHD/ADD. Visit her website to learn more about the services she provides.
Chris A. Ziegler Dendy, M.S. Teenagers with ADD,ADHD & Executive Function Deficits A Guide for Parents and Professionals (3rd ed.)