ADHD Coaching

Considering that our nervous (neuro) system begins developing around the 3rd week after fertilization, ADHD is something that diagnosed adults are born with. Many children, consciously and unconsciously, develop coping strategies to adapt to the needs of their environment (school, structure, etc). But once we reach adulthood, some of our strategies are no longer effective for our life-styles (work, autonomy, etc).

Inattention refers to the struggle of staying focused or concentrated. This is due to synaptic activity in the brain, not a lack of will power. Some common tendencies of inattention include forgetting information (regardless of its importance), becoming easily distracted, and getting bored or understimulated easily. Everyone does this once in a while, but someone with ADHD experiences a persistent pattern.

Hyperactivity refers to a more-than-average (hyper) level of activity which can be physical or mental. This is, again, due to due to synaptic activity in the brain, not a lack of will power. Physical hyperactivity can be as subtle as bouncing one’s leg or clicking a pen. Mental hyperactivity can feel like having 3 podcasts, 1 song, and a movie playing at once or jumping from topic to topic in conversation. Again, a diagnosis requires persistence. These behaviors are normal.

Anyone can struggle with inattention and hyperactivity due to a variety of factors such as stress, lack of sleep, emotional states, etc. What makes ADHD specific is the frequent struggle with inattention and/or hyperactivity in 2 or more domains of life. Important to note, sometimes work and/or school are NOT the domains most impacted. Others include social life, relationships with partners or family members, and the relationship with one’s self (self-esteem). Other times, it can feel we’re spinning plates. As soon as one domain feels sorted, the others start to crash. And finally, interference is subjective. One person’s constraint is another person’s inspiration.