Neurodivergence

It just feels exhausting and hopeless lately and I'm afraid I'll just end up being lonely forever.

/vent over, thank you, carry on. Please don't absorb my upset into your own heart.

Canonical YouTube link

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I've tried a lot of diets, and I have a lot of trouble committing and maintaining structure. I eat out every day. I don't exercise much. I'm having trouble with willpower fasting. Still I think the most "ADHD friendly" way of dieting is likely fasting. It requires little practical restructuring of ones life, just commitment and willpower. Do you all have anything better? Any advice?

Hey folks! I hope you all are safe and doing well.

First things first, I realize HSP (highly sensitive personality) is not in the neurodivergence spectrum, but I don't think there is a more suitable community for this. After a bit over a year of therapy, I have finally been identified as a person with hyper sensitive personality. In a sense, I'm relieved that I finally have a "label" for it and am now able to pick the correct tools from my toolbox to deal with some of my emotional issues.

In any case, I am writing here for those of you who identify yourselves or have otherwise been diagnosed as a HSP - what are your self-care routines/tools? For me it has always been essential to spend a few hours in the dark with no stimuli, listen to music that is usually a bit more complex technically, read poetry, experience art or other awe-inspiring scenes.

I would also like to know what your hobbies are. Do they take advantage of this trait of your personality?

This video almost made me cry in a few points. I am so guilty of punishing myself for being unable to be productive like others. I can relate to this so much, including attempting GTD for a long time (which surprise surprise, didn't work out!).

I told chat GPT to give me some prompts to help people with emotional processing/expression, and to get pretty weird/quirky, so some of them are kinda out there. I want that weird, stimulating creativity, but I'd like some help filtering out undesirable content/general bad vibes. Some of them also get a little trite, repetitive, or even just nonsensical, so it helps to filter those out as well.

There's a lot of them, but I told it to shuffle them for every person, so even if you just rate the first five or so it gives you it should help. My end goal is to narrow down to about 1/4 - 1/2 of each, so if you rate however many you do at about an 1/3 bad, 1/3 ok, and 1/3 good, I should eventually get a pretty solid list.

There's so many because I'm thinking about offering a daily challenge of one of each, and I want there to be almost no chance a patient will see the same one twice (I just feel like that would be really disheartening for someone stuck inpatient for a long time).

Feel free to share this around in any creative or mental health circles you run in!

• Writing Prompts
• Drawing Prompts

Like most folks with ADHD I have some spares for situations like the recent shortage.

Every so often it seems like the pill isn't really doing it's job. I start to wonder if I'm building up a tolerance, and need to ask for an increased dosage, and then suddenly I'm doing fine again.

Well, I was going through that recently, and I realized I just switched to my newest bottle. Now it feels just as strong, if not stronger than it used to be. As it happens, I tend to have some spares from days I forget and whatnot, so it's been maybe 2 weeks. That also means this last bottle was over month old, too. I wish I could remember if I'd just changed to the new bottle the last time this happened too.

I'm using Walgreens, and the shape of the pill changed last month, so maybe there's a different formulation? I just keep going through this feast and famine of medication efficacy, and Itd be nice to know if this is a problem I can actually solve without going to a higher dosage. Idk, maybe I'll keep them in the fridge while Im not using them or something.

Hello everyone. This is my fifth month taking atomoxetine, and my third month with a 100 mg dose. I can say that life is better with medication than without medication, but not everything changed for the better.

• My impulsivity has been reduced. I ponder about this or that choice before taking it, although some days I feel myself more impulsive than others. But in general, that's really good.

• My racing thoughts slowed down noticeably. I feel my head more silent than during the time I was not diagnosed. It's not silent, and I "listen to" music non-stop, but I have way less voices and intrusive thoughts.

• I think I can engage in conversations more easily. I'm not in my mind world the way I was when I was not diagnosed. The negative note is that I also have ASD, so it's still a struggle sometimes, but better to have one disorder tamed than unleashed.

• I can manage my time more efficiently. I still can be a bit impatient, depending on the day and the situation, but it's more under control.

I only can notice two bad things:

• My executive dysfunction is still non existent. I want to do things, but I'm not able to make my thoughts into actions. And it sucks. I have responsibilities, and I don't take care of them, no matter how much I think about taking care of them.

• Dysgeusia is a real pain, especially when you need to stop eating something you like because its taste feels disgusting somehow. I stopped taking soy milk, cow milk, milkshakes and apple juice over time. I found that eating peanut butter with atomoxetine can hide that side effect, but I would rather prefer not to have that side effect.

Anyway, this 8th of August I have my next appointment with my psychiatrist. I'm not sure whether continuing with this treatment or changing to guanfacine, considering those two negative points (especially the executive dysfunction). I'm not allowed to take stimulants, and in my country only atomoxetine and guanfacine are available specifically for ADHD.

What about you? Any tips, advice, positive experiences...?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/1174435

1. Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)

Contribution to Attention (Normal):
The prefrontal cortex is essential for executive functions, including attentional control, working memory, and impulse inhibition. It helps maintain focus on relevant information while filtering out distractions. For example, when reading a book, the PFC helps you concentrate on the text, ignore background noise, and remember the storyline.

Difficulty with Tasks (Impaired PFC):
If the PFC is impaired, individuals may struggle to sustain attention. For instance, when studying, they might find it hard to stay focused on the material, constantly getting sidetracked by irrelevant thoughts or environmental cues. This can lead to difficulty completing tasks and poor academic or occupational performance.

2. Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC)

Contribution to Attention (Normal):
The ACC is responsible for detecting conflicts and errors, as well as monitoring task performance. It helps to regulate attention by signaling when adjustments are needed. For example, during a test, the ACC aids in detecting errors and prompts you to correct your answers.

Difficulty with Tasks (Impaired ACC):
If the ACC is not functioning optimally, individuals might have trouble detecting errors and adjusting their behavior. In a work setting, they may make careless mistakes and have difficulty staying on task due to the lack of awareness of errors.

3. Parietal Cortex:

Contribution to Attention (Normal)
The parietal cortex directs attention to specific objects or locations in space. It helps with spatial awareness and shifting attention between different stimuli. For instance, while driving, the parietal cortex enables you to focus on the road, check mirrors, and react to changing traffic conditions.

Difficulty with Tasks (Impaired Parietal Cortex):
If the parietal cortex is impaired, individuals might struggle with spatial awareness and attention shifting. They could become easily disoriented, have difficulty following instructions, and find it challenging to organize their work or daily activities.

4. Basal Ganglia, especially the Striatum:

Contribution to Attention (Normal):
The basal ganglia, including the striatum, play a role in the selection and initiation of motor and cognitive behaviors. It helps in maintaining attention to relevant tasks and filtering out competing responses. For example, during a conversation, the basal ganglia enable you to pay attention to the speaker's words without being distracted by other conversations in the background.

Difficulty with Tasks (Impaired Basal Ganglia):
If the basal ganglia are not functioning properly, individuals might struggle with impulse control and have difficulty filtering out distractions. They may interrupt others frequently, have trouble waiting for their turn, and find it challenging to concentrate on one task for an extended period.

5. Cerebellum:

Contribution to Attention (Normal):
The cerebellum assists in coordinating motor movements and also plays a role in attention and cognitive processes. It helps maintain focus and regulate attentional resources. For instance, when playing a musical instrument, the cerebellum supports attention to timing, rhythm, and coordination.

Difficulty with Tasks (Impaired Cerebellum):
If the cerebellum is impaired, individuals may experience difficulties in motor coordination and maintaining attention. They might struggle with fine motor tasks, have problems following complex instructions, and exhibit attention lapses during activities requiring sustained focus.

6. Frontal Cortex

Contribution to Attention (Normal):
The frontal cortex, particularly the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), is involved in impulse control and inhibitory processes. It helps regulate attention by suppressing irrelevant or distracting information. For example, when resisting the temptation to check your phone while working, the frontal cortex aids in maintaining attention to the task at hand.

Difficulty with Tasks (Impaired Frontal Cortex):
If the frontal cortex is largely inactive or impaired, individuals may have difficulty controlling impulsive behaviors. They might act without thinking about the consequences, have difficulty following rules, and find it challenging to stay focused on tasks with delayed rewards.

Share your experiences or questions related to ADHD and its neurobiological aspects~-----

Reading is hard. I often want articles and PDFs for work to be read aloud while I'm doing something else. Anyone have any Android apps for this?

Thanks to whoever made this place on lemmy! It has been an important and awesome resource on reddit and NDs are the first who should leave reddit immediately since the toxic leadership decisions. It’s wonderful to see that we now have a place here! <3

A neurodivergent friend sent me a link to this site and I thought it's worth sharing here for more folks to see.

Basically it's a TODO list that breaks down tasks in micro-steps using AI to make it a bit easier for people who have a hard time starting a task.

An example for "Clean my room":

Many folks in these communities mention listening to podcasts, whether utilizing them as a strategy for long drives or mundane tasks or listening more regularly.

Let’s share our top podcasts! To make this a easy resource for our growing community, please reply to the appropriate parent comment based on podcast topic:

• ADHD podcasts
• ASD podcasts
• Both ADHD and ASD/neurodivergence in general
• Other neat podcasts (unrelated to neurodivergence)