ADHD often feels like a constantly busy, noisy, and distracted mind, similar to having many browser tabs open at once, with thoughts jumping rapidly, making focus difficult, leading to a "brain fog," mental fatigue, poor organization, and challenges with starting or finishing tasks, though it can also involve periods of intense hyperfocus on interesting subjects. It's an internal restlessness where you're overwhelmed with information, even when trying to sit still.
ADHD makes it difficult to focus and get things done
There's often a really big struggle in my head. That's the attention deficit, the not being able to concentrate and focus bit.
It means that it's harder for you to control your attention or direct it to certain tasks. ADHD causes symptoms like difficulty focusing, trouble sitting still and impulsive behaviors. But it also allows you to “get in the zone” and hyperfocus on things you really enjoy.
The brain networks of people with ADHD may take more time to develop and be less effective at relaying certain messages, behaviors, or information. These brain networks may function differently in areas such as focus, movement, and reward.
Research shows that people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) are more likely to experience migraine. For example, in a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 26% of children and adolescents with ADHD experienced migraines, compared to 9.9% of those without ADHD.
The 20-minute rule for ADHD is a productivity strategy to overcome task paralysis by committing to work on a task for just 20 minutes, leveraging the brain's need for dopamine and short bursts of focus, making it easier to start and build momentum, with the option to stop or continue after the timer goes off, and it's a variation of the Pomodoro Technique, adapted for ADHD's unique challenges like time blindness. It helps by reducing overwhelm, providing a clear starting point, and creating a dopamine-boosting win, even if you only work for that short period.
The ADHD "30% Rule" is a guideline suggesting that executive functions (like self-regulation, planning, and emotional control) in people with ADHD develop about 30% slower than in neurotypical individuals, meaning a 10-year-old might function more like a 7-year-old in these areas, requiring adjusted expectations for maturity, task management, and behavior. It's a tool for caregivers and adults with ADHD to set realistic goals, not a strict scientific law, helping to reduce frustration by matching demands to the person's actual developmental level (executive age) rather than just their chronological age.
Looking at the brain helps physicians know what is causing those symptoms. Research published in Radiology indicates that functional brain imaging can identify ADHD.
Increase stress relief by exercising outdoors—people with ADHD often benefit from sunshine and green surroundings. Try relaxing forms of exercise, such as mindful walking, yoga, or tai chi. In addition to relieving stress, they can teach you to better control your attention and impulses.
In adults, symptoms can lead to:
24-Hour Hot Spot: Have a designated area somewhere like your desk where you can place your “need to-dos.” Place anything there that needs your attention within 24 hours so that it doesn't get lost. Pocket Notes: Writing on your hand is risky; try writing important things on notes and putting them in your pocket.
The ADHD burnout cycle is a pattern where constant effort to manage ADHD symptoms (like executive dysfunction, overstimulation, and masking) leads to extreme mental/physical exhaustion, a "crash," and a shame spiral, often followed by trying to overcompensate again, repeating the cycle. It involves phases like the initial push/overcompensation, the struggle/stress, the collapse/shutdown, and the guilt-ridden recovery attempt, resulting in fatigue, irritability, procrastination, and disengagement from life.
People with ADHD may also be shaking or experience ADHD chills, where they seem to shiver from hyperactivity. Substance use and abuse: A 2015 study indicates that individuals with ADHD have an increased risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD).
10 Physical Symptoms of ADD/ADHD
While most people associate ADHD with hyperactivity and impulsivity, it can also manifest in more subtle ways, such as through intrusive thoughts and overthinking. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and repetitive thoughts that can be distressing or disturbing.
The 24-hour rule for ADHD is a self-regulation strategy to combat impulsivity by creating a mandatory waiting period (often a full day) before reacting to emotionally charged situations or making significant decisions, allowing time for reflection and reducing regretful snap judgments, especially for things like impulse purchases or arguments. It's a pause button that gives the brain space to process, move from impulse to intention, and evaluate choices more logically, helping manage ADHD's impact on emotional regulation and decision-making.
Symptoms and patterns
Adults with ADHD may struggle with daily tasks, relationships, and work. These challenges can lead to feelings of frustration and underachievement. They may struggle to manage their time, stay on top of their finances, meet deadlines, and maintain stable home and social lives.
They found that youth with ADHD had heightened connectivity between structures deep in the brain involved in learning, movement, reward, and emotion (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens seeds) and structures in the frontal area of the brain involved in attention and control of unwanted behaviors (superior temporal ...
The ADHD "2-Minute Rule" suggests doing any task taking under two minutes immediately to build momentum, but it often backfires by derailing focus due to weak working memory, time blindness, and transition difficulties in people with ADHD. A better approach is to write down these quick tasks on a separate "catch-all" list instead of interrupting your main work, then schedule specific times to review and tackle them, or use a slightly longer timeframe like a 5-minute rule to prevent getting lost down "rabbit holes".
The top 3 core symptoms of ADHD are inattention (difficulty focusing, staying organized), hyperactivity (excess restlessness, excessive movement), and impulsivity (acting without thinking, poor self-control). People with ADHD often experience a combination of these, though some might primarily struggle with inattention (inattentive type) or hyperactivity/impulsivity (hyperactive-impulsive type).
A feeling of ear pressure that comes and goes can have various causes. Common reasons include changes in atmospheric pressure, congestion from colds or allergies, earwax buildup, and muscle tension. Jaw joint (TMJ) issues or inner ear conditions may also contribute to the sensation.
Heavy-headedness can be caused by inner ear disturbance, motion sickness and medication effects. Sometimes it can be caused by an underlying health condition, such as poor circulation, infections or injuries. Panic attacks can cause heavy-headedness as well. Medical conditions like anxiety causes heavy-headedness too.
Occipital neuralgia can feel like a sharp, shooting pain in the back of the head, usually on one side. It might be described as a throbbing or burning sensation. It can also cause sensitivity to light, scalp tenderness and pain behind the eye on the affected side.