Reality of ADHD

Goal

To understandhow ADHD affects day-to-day living.

Types of Attention (Hinshaw & Scheffler, p. 26)

There are several types of attention:

1. Sustained attention or vigilance � Fighting drowsiness or boredom to stay alert
2. Selective attention � Deciding where to focus
3. Attention span � How much information a person can hold onto at a time

Individuals with ADHD experience considerable fluctuations in attention, which triggers unpredictable and inconsistent performance. This can lead others to incorrectly think that the person is not trying hard enough. In reality, the individual’s impaired performance is caused by a reduced ability to self-regulate, decreased motivation, and/or intruding “off-task” brain signals.

The Reality of ADHD (Hinshaw & Scheffler, p. xxiv)

In day-to-day life, those affected by ADHD may make impulsive decisions, easily lose track of time, have difficulty prioritizing, and engage in risky behaviors, especially when caution is the best choice-for instance, when driving a car, choosing how many cigarettes or drinks to have, or deciding whether to send that nasty e-mail to your new boss. Over the lifespan, someone with ADHD may experience academic failure, relationship problems, and accidental injuries as well as risk for substance abuse and self-harm including suicide. Learn more about the reality of ADHD by watching the following video: