When you think of someone with ADHD, what comes to mind? What assumptions do you make? And how does it match up with what having ADHD is truly like?
According to the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by “levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that impair a person’s functioning.” The Center for ADHD Awareness in Canada (CADDAC) estimates that 5-9 per cent of children and 3-5 per cent of adults have ADHD, though the true proportion may be higher. ADHD does not have a specific cause but is known to be genetic and is often inherited through families.
While public awareness about ADHD has progressed significantly, people are still prone to both making incorrect assumptions about ADHD and heavily stereotyping those with ADHD in outdated ways disproven by recent research.
Among the most common myths is that those with ADHD are lazy, unproductive, or unwilling to work hard and finish tasks. The reason for the prevalence of this myth is connected to executive dysfunction and time blindness exhibited by those with ADHD. Both characteristics have been linked to low levels of dopamine in the brain, which is a chemical linked to “motivation, mood, attention, and emotional regulation,” according to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA). Low dopamine levels make it harder to start tasks, organize said tasks, maintain focus, and follow through with plans, especially when the work feels unstimulating or uninteresting.
Second-year honours science student Madison Baskin states that this part of ADHD is a big hurdle to overcome emotionally. “I’m really hard on myself when executive dysfunction leads to me not being productive,” she said in a written statement to Imprint. “Since I know what I need to do, I feel like I should be able to do it, and many people think the same way without understanding what it feels like to not be able to.” At UW, this means that juggling obligations alongside co-op job search and schoolwork can feel even more overwhelming.
In addition to executive function struggles, time blindness is also another challenge facing UW students with ADHD, a factor also linked to low dopamine levels per a 2022 study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Time blindness, or time distortion, refers to having a different sense of the flow of time. Someone with ADHD may overestimate that a task will take an hour, but in practice takes only 15 minutes. Another may drastically under-estimate—getting to the nearest bus stop seems like it would take seven minutes, but ends up taking seventeen, resulting in a missed ride. Even with recurring events or tasks, people with ADHD may have difficulty estimating time accurately and consistently.
“One of my biggest fears is being late or having things late,” said third year French studies student Hannah Delattre in an interview with Imprint. “I almost swing to the opposite end of the spectrum, where I assume things are gonna take way longer than they are,” she noted, stating that her time blindness also made starting and completing tasks “way more daunting.”
Another big myth, says second-year psychology student Kaelagh Thomson, is that discussions about ADHD traits are only centered around distractibility. “ADHD is mostly seen as not paying attention to anything; nobody talks about the super focus,” she stated. Contrary to what its name suggests, ADHD is characterized not by a lack of attention, but differences in the ability to regulate that attention. ADDA states that hyperfocus is common even when not always included in diagnostic criteria, defining it as “a strong and prolonged interest in or focus on something” that often comes at the expense of attention to other things. This manifests especially strongly when in a flow state while working, says Thomson. “I can forget that I’m hungry… that I need to go to the washroom, or that I need to drink water,” she explained. Even “transitioning, like going and getting myself food… disrupts everything, and it’s a struggle to get back into [work].”
Many also mistakenly believe that those with ADHD only exhibit traits associated with the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (ADHD-PH): not being able to sit still for long periods, jumping rapidly between conversation topics, and always being on the go mentally or physically.
Delattre was diagnosed with predominantly inattentive-type ADHD (ADHD-PI), which manifests very differently from the broadly known hyperactive type. “I can sit through a lecture, no problem,” Delattre said to Imprint. As a child, she often daydreamed in school, a trait common for those with inattentive-type ADHD. “People don’t really realize that can be part of [ADHD] too… because you’re daydreaming, and you’re quiet [and] not disruptive, it’s not as noticed.”
Misinformation not only surrounds the nature of ADHD, but also those who have or might have ADHD. Delattre believes a combination of popular misconceptions about ADHD — that people with ADHD are usually men, do poorly in school, and fall under the hyperactive type — led to her late diagnosis as an adult in 2022. “When it doesn’t look like the picture that [people] have in their minds, sometimes people are like, ‘Do you actually have it?’” ADDA cites that men with ADHD are three times more likely to be diagnosed in childhood than women. On average, women are five years older than men when diagnosed, meaning they miss out on early intervention and support that could help equip them with skills and resources to tackle challenges from having ADHD.
Delattre adds that misinformation about ADHD has been exacerbated thanks to online platforms. Similar to how autism is fetishized on dating apps and social media, ADHD has also been misconstrued in its own way. People picture ADHD as “the cute, quirky stuff, without realizing there’s a lot of debilitating aspects to this too… it’s [seen] as sort of that infantilized, child-like approach to the world and to life,” Delattre notes.
Last but not least, Baskins, Delattre, and Thomson all agree that one of the largest struggles of having ADHD is that it is an invisible disability. Highly successful people with ADHD in the workplace or in school may not be seen as needing accommodations or support systems. “That doesn’t mean we have any less struggles as somebody else,” Thomson clarifies. “It’s just the fact that we don’t show it as much.”
So, for those who have or suspect they have ADHD, what can you do to help make things easier? The best approach should come from a qualified professional. But just like how a shorter person uses a stool to reach a top shelf, there are strategies that help lower the mental effort needed to complete tasks and that healthily boost dopamine.
For Baskins, breaking larger tasks down into detailed smaller tasks is a huge help. “I find if I don’t have an outline for what things I need to do, I am less likely to do them. Having a plan removes the step of deciding what to do, which can help bypass decision paralysis as well.“
“Building your routines around little things that bring you pleasure [and] joy [has] been super helpful for me,” Delattre says. Working in treats or tasks that give you a mood boost to prepare you for tackling obligations is helpful — but avoid things that may derail your focus like easy dopamine hits, Delattre highlights. “I try [to] avoid scrolling on the phone because it’s sort of an endless dopamine loop.” Thomson also recommends a similar strategy that adds novelty but avoids harmful dopamine fixes like sugary foods and drugs, suggesting that “doing a safe [activity] but something that you wouldn’t normally do” would also help, like outings that bring a change of scenery.
Above all, it’s important to note that those with ADHD deserve compassion and understanding from both others and themselves going forward. “This world isn’t made for us; we are just trying our best,” Thomson emphasized. “It’s very easy to be really hard on ourselves… [so] I think that we need to give ourselves a little bit of grace, more than we usually do.” Thomson also stressed the importance of self-acceptance for those struggling with ADHD: “It’s OK to be different … to need more support. And it’s OK to love yourself and love the people around you.”
Delattre agrees. “You’re using it as a tool, not a vice,” she stressed about her suggestions on adding to routines. “It’s a tool that you’re using to put yourself in a mental place [where] you will be more successful.”
“Regardless of it all, you’re here,” Thomson finished at the end of her interview with Imprint. “And even if you don’t feel like you belong, you’re here for a reason. So we gotta make the most of it.”
