ADHD Origin Story - Do I need medication?

David describes his recent dream ADHD scenario: he was craving sweets (rare, for him) and went to 7-11 and got four different kinds of donuts, then had a bite of each one. He didn’t have to decide which one to get, he didn’t have to prioritize, he could just eat a bite of each one and then change his mind to cheese fries. Bobby describes similar dynamics, except with candy bars, and how he gets candy for Isabelle to justify what he did. Is it disordered eating or ADHD? Most of the time, Bobby doesn’t do this, thinking about how he feels after he does this. David is jealous of Bobby’s skill to think ahead to what it’ll be like afterwards: response cost - knowing the consequences of your actions. Isabelle shares being on a conference call that had such poor quality that she couldn’t concentrate to say what she didn’t want to do, and is proud that she didn’t shame spiral fully—noticed the shame spiral. ADHD is not a deficit of attention, it’s an overabundance (and variability) of attention. The click of the ceiling fan you can’t tune out and find yourself yelling to be heard over. Most folx with ADHD are overstimulated by uncomfortable stimulus, but it’s different for each person, for some it’s sound, or texture of food, etc. But neurotypical folx don’t think twice about advocating for themselves (eg. I can’t hear the conference call, can we redial? v. It’s my fault I didn’t hear). It is revealed that this is the first time that David, Isabelle, and Bobby were recording Something Shiny. Long term consequences and threat of a consequence do nothing for folx with ADHD. Bobby gets up to turn off the fridge and David points out that folx with ADHD will feel authorized to advocated for themselves when they have a feeling or sense of mastery or expertise for something. Bobby shares his origin story: being awarded a spokesman ship award when he was little (for talking a lot). He tried a friend’s Adderall in college and it was his most productive day, but he was so scared it was a drug and that he shouldn’t do it, and was wrapped up in the shame and stigma of it all that he didn’t do it again. After being diagnosed about two years ago, he finally tired meds, but not without first watching a documentary on Netflix about the dangers of ADHD meds (see below). He mentioned his five hour energy consumption and how calm he felt to his therapist, and his therapist said “we need to get you some medication.” Bobby and Isabelle see a scary documentary on ADHD meds, so Isabelle was scared of Bobby going on medications, and then he said “I’ve had my brain be a crowded room my whole life and you’re telling me that there’s something that can help and now you’re telling me I can’t have it?” David pauses to say: I don’t think people realize what it’s like to take medication and then be like—“what? People can read a book? People can just sit down and decide to not eat.” And how most people feel like they’re cheating, and it starts to reinforce the notion we are lazy and flawed. The predominant factor that stops people with ADHD is self-esteem issues, thinking “I can’t.” ADHD meds help you have a better assessment of how you did, not actually perform better. It increases your stimulation and you don’t have to self-stimulate. We don’t think about what kids needs, we give them medication three times a day no matter what they do. Why don’t we teach kids what they need the medicine for? The medication doesn’t make you work. More meds do not equal solving the problem. The medication is going to help you with whatever task you’re doing. Have some food, start your task, and then take the meds, and you can trigger the hyperfocus. 

Documentary on ADHD meds we reference: Take Your Pills (available on Netflix) 

DAVID’S DEFINITION

Response Cost: a neurological skill that helps you know the consequences of your actions later on down the road

A note on medications: ADHD medications are very effective and also everyone gets to make their own choices about medications. For those of us folx on ADHD meds, we are often prescribed medication with zero education about how they work. Especially with kids, we don’t teach them what they need the medicine for. Medication can be used like a scalpel, where you know when to apply it; on their own, medication will not help you do your task…it will help you do whatever it is you were doing when you take the medication (eg. Playing video games, binge watching Squid Game, etc.). One idea is to take some food, start your task, then take the medication (as prescribed) to trigger hyperfocus. Please note that neither David nor Isabelle are prescribers and are talking about meds from the perspective of professionals who work with folx who have ADHD and also as folx who have ADHD. We will continue to expand upon and explore this topic in future episodes, so stay tuned!

For full show notes, lecture slides, and more, check out our website!
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Cover Art by: Sol Vázquez

Technical Support by: Bobby Richards

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