ADHD Terminology

I use a lot of terms on this blog that are used widely throughout the ADHD and mental health community, but I’ve realized that a lot of people don’t quite know what these words mean. So I’m gonna go ahead and define a few! Let me know if you need any other terms defined and I’ll add them.

Hyperfocus- hyperfocus is a state of absolute and complete focus that ADHD people face. During a hyperfocus session, we will often cut off completely from the rest of the world and think only about the task we are focused on while we completely disregard any family trying to get our attention, or the need to eat, or the need to go to the restroom, etc.

Hyperfixation- a hyperfixation is an intense interest that someone with ADHD finds complete and utter comfort in, and usually just talking about it can trigger a state of hyperfocus. We will often steer the conversation towards these topics without even realizing it because they are in our minds so often, and we will usually feel a need to know anything and everything we can about our hyperfixation(s). These are similar to special interests in the autism spectrum community. NOTE: only people with ADHD can have hyperfixations! If you do not have ADHD, then you do not have the capacity to have any hyperfixations, even if you really really like something. This label is specific to ADHD at this point in time, just as the term special interest is specific to the autism spectrum community.

Neurodivergent- used to describe a person with a mental disorder/disability. Often shortened to ND

Neurotypical- used to describe a person without a mental disorder/disability. (and is often used to describe a person without a specific disorder when speaking within a certain community, though this is not widespread and most people do not agree with this use). Often shortened to NT

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD)- an intense and all encompassing feeling of emotional pain/sensitivity felt by ADHD people in response to rejection or perceived rejection. I hope to have a full post about RSD soon! I’ll link to it here once it’s completed.

ADHDers- people with ADHD

Actually ADHD- a blog on tumblr!! They do wonderful work and I highly recommend checking them out. It’s run by a group of people that have ADHD and want to help others learn about it and understand. You can visit their blog here and their website here. This term has also been taken up by the ADHD community as a tag to indicate that someone actually does have ADHD, particularly when talking about ADHD. This is the same for other mental health issues as well, such as Actually Tourette’s and Actually Autistic. If someone tags their posts like this, then they’re telling you that they have that disorder.

Self diagnosis/dx- self diagnosis, often abbreviated to self dx, is the act of diagnosing oneself with an illness or disorder, either of the mental or physical variety, without consulting a medical professional. This is often incredibly frowned upon, as in most cases this diagnosis is made is a rash manner within a situation where medical advice is very readily available, but it also often takes places in a circumstance where a doctor is not available. This might be a result of a lack of insurance, a lack of support from parents, or countless other circumstances that make a true diagnosis difficult, or impossible, to obtain.

REBLOG IF... YouTubers make you happy

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public-charmer

9 months ago

My brother has returned, the world may be a kinder place then once believed.

Started watching one piece but I was watching it with my brother because i am incapable of watching shows by myself and now I fear he will be leaving me to watch by himself so basically all hope is lost

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public-charmer

7 months ago

cant stop thinking about when the strawhats were having sandwiches for breakfast and Law was like I HATE BREAD so sanji served rice cakes especially for him

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public-charmer

5 years ago

it's so stupid, adhd is a dozen vaguely related neuroses in a trench coat, including such popular hits as

Can't Fucking Sleep Disorder

Can't Fucking Wake Up Disorder

What Is A Focus

Oops I Did It* Again (*Spent Thirteen Hours On Youtube And Forgot To Eat Or Drink)

The World Is Too Noise Today

All My Friends Hate Me (I Deduced This From A Three Word Text)

I Forgot About [thing] Literally As Soon As I Turned Around

...and they decided to call it Trouble Sitting Still Disorder?????

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public-charmer

1 year ago

trying a different art style:)

captain rex🪐

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public-charmer

5 years ago

1d10 Ways To Explain Your D&D Character’s Amnesia...

You were captured! And your Brain partially devoured by a hungry Mind Flayer. You managed to escape its grasp, but not before your memories became forfeit.

You walked across one of the many forest circles into the Feywild as a Child. You lived a crazy but happy life there, and saw things no regular man, woman or child could see. That was until you wandered back into the Prime Material Plane, and suddenly those memories scattered, and you were left as a being with no memory, alone in the woods… (See ‘Fey Crossings: Memory Loss’, Page 50 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

You were once a powerful Wizard that knew their own mortality. In a fit of desperation, you crafted a Clone of yourself, younger and more perfect in almost every way. But when you died of a combination of old age and madness, something went wrong. You woke up in the younger body of your Clone, but your memories were lost. But every now and again, you remember the spells of your past, if only you could remember them so well as to cast them…

You were once a Prodigy, a Wizard with a sharp mind. So great was your intellect that you were brought before a Local Member of Nobility who wished to employ you as their Diplomatic Representative and Adviser to their Workings. You sat down with them and their Family, until you noticed a thin red string of ooze behind each of them. Before you could react, the Oblex struck at your mind. Your memories quickly became scattered and faded as you ran from the attacking creature. You escaped, but collapsed. When you woke up, all you remember saying is the Noble’s Name and “Red String”. And to this day, you still check people for that suspicious “Red String”.

A Deal with a mighty Devil cost you your memories in exchange for phenomenal arcane powers. You often wonder what you were like back then. Were you Married? Were you a Parent? Or even a Traitor? And that seems to bring an amusing smile to your face…

Perhaps you were a great hero, or a well-loved citizen, or some lonely cleric just took pity on you. You don’t remember… Thanks to a failed resurrection ritual, you were indeed brought back to life, but brought back with no memories of before…

You have a great fear of caves, the underground, and most of all the weather. Perhaps because your mind was shattered by the maddening winds of Pandemonium. How did you get there you might ask, were you imprisoned there by some otherworldly being, or did you venture there of your own volition? (See ‘Pandemonium: Mad Winds’, Page 62 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

Your memories were snatched away from you by a powerful mage, perhaps because you knew too much about a certain someone or a certain something…

You’re originally from the Prime Material Plane, but travelled to Elysium on some sort of extra-planar pilgrimage. How did you get there? You don’t remember. All you remember is staring at those pearly white beaches, never willing to leave. (See ‘Elysium: Overwhelming Joy’, Page 60 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide)

Your mind was shattered by the Abyssal Demon Lords. Sometimes you can still feel their maddening presence…

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public-charmer

5 years ago

Mmmmmm so true

adhd theatre productions presents: ‘Logic’

STARRING: Good Instincts!

and their nemesis: Asshole ADHD Galaxy Brain

-Let the play begin-

[OPENING SCENE]

Parent: You knew I didn’t want you to do that! Why did you do it anyway?

Me, put on the spot: uh - well, um …

Parent: what were you *thinking*?

Me, trying to sort out the thoughts of Past!Me: hmm …

—FLASHBACK—

Past Me, presented with solutions a, b, and c to handle a minor dilemma, and under a time crunch because of procrastination: i dont’ like any of these options.

My Good Instincts, zooming up & dodging past my executive dysfunction: Option B is the best one.

Me, easily persuaded: thanks, Good Instincts! I agree.

ADHD Galaxy Brain, arriving dramatically, 15 minutes late with Starbucks: but is it really the best option?

Me, instantly distracted: is it?

ADHD Galaxy Brain, an asshole: What about option D?

Good Instincts: *quickly* option d wasn’t up for consideration in the f–

ADHD Galaxy Brain: *bats Good Instincts into the sun*

ADHD Galaxy Brain: *to Me* well?

Me: I hadn’t considered option D! but I can’t remember why I didn’t consider it.

ADHD Galaxy Brain: Neither can I!

ADHD Galaxy Brain: but here, have 32 reasons why option D is definitely the best one. It took 2.8 seconds for me to come up with them, so you better appreciate it.

Me, mistaking this for critical reasoning: wow, those are all really good reasons! This is why people say you should carefully consider your options before acting.

Good Instincts: *yelling from the sun’s surface, but too far away to be understood*

Me, a fool: welp, you’ve convinced me. Option D is definitely the best one. But I feel like my instincts are trying to tell me something?

ADHD Galaxy Brain: could be. but do we really have time to check? besides, if we undo all this critical reasoning, we’ll have to start all over again, and I hate doing things twice.

Me, a person who struggles to do things even once: yeah, that sounds boring.

Me, satisfied: Option D it is! sorry, Instincts, but the feeling of foreboding your indistinct yelling gives me requires too much time&effort to understand!

—

Good Instincts, watching from the surface of the Sun as I execute option D: i SAID, your PARENTS will be ANGRY if you go with Option D!!

Good Instincts: THAT’S WHY IT WASN’T ON THE TABLE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!

Good Instincts: AAAAAAAAAA WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS

–END FLASHBACK–

Present Me, struggling to put words to this: …

Parent, out of patience: well????

Me: I—

Me:

Me: …

Me: i don’t know.

—FADE TO BLACK—

NARRATOR VOICEOVER, grave: the truth is, they *did* know. They remembered it all with remarkable clarity, considering how quickly their decision was made.

NARRATOR VOICEOVER: but they also knew from previous experience … that they would never have the words to explain it.

-The End-

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