ADHD often (not always, there’s a few types) comes with an inability or reduces ability to direct ones focus. It is believed that the mechanism behind this is one of early or overzealous dopamine reuptake.
Mammalian brains have a reward system based on the release and reuptake of dopamine. Perform survival task, get some dopamine. People with ADHD, due to their overzealous reuptake, do not build up significant enough amounts of dopamine for this reward system to function as normal. As a result of this, when someone with ADHD is cleaning (a task that would normally supply enough dopamine to hold attention) and sees the box of nostalgia, enough dopamine is released by interacting with the nostalgia box (because nostalgia) to override the attention on the task and shift it to the fun engaging box of stuff.
Isn’t it like this for everyone ? I have ADHD and do that, however a very large majority of the people I know get distracted the same way too, if they find an object that invoques nostalgia.
I think the difference is that it’s harder (impossible-feeling) for people with ADHD to abandon the nostalgia box distraction and get back to the chore they were doing. Or, once a person with ADHD finishes going through the nostalgia box and starts coming down off that dopamine hit, it can be hard (impossible-feeling) to do anything afterwards, let alone the boring chore, leaving the person stuck in a “frozen” state.
Obviously there are different levels of severity to ADHD, and my understanding of it is colored/biased by my personal experience, I’m not a doctor, etc., but this is the difference I’ve noticed at least.
Why is this ADHD ?
edit: I mean, really “why”
What’s the connection ?
ADHD often (not always, there’s a few types) comes with an inability or reduces ability to direct ones focus. It is believed that the mechanism behind this is one of early or overzealous dopamine reuptake.
Mammalian brains have a reward system based on the release and reuptake of dopamine. Perform survival task, get some dopamine. People with ADHD, due to their overzealous reuptake, do not build up significant enough amounts of dopamine for this reward system to function as normal. As a result of this, when someone with ADHD is cleaning (a task that would normally supply enough dopamine to hold attention) and sees the box of nostalgia, enough dopamine is released by interacting with the nostalgia box (because nostalgia) to override the attention on the task and shift it to the fun engaging box of stuff.
Isn’t it like this for everyone ? I have ADHD and do that, however a very large majority of the people I know get distracted the same way too, if they find an object that invoques nostalgia.
I think the difference is that it’s harder (impossible-feeling) for people with ADHD to abandon the nostalgia box distraction and get back to the chore they were doing. Or, once a person with ADHD finishes going through the nostalgia box and starts coming down off that dopamine hit, it can be hard (impossible-feeling) to do anything afterwards, let alone the boring chore, leaving the person stuck in a “frozen” state.
Obviously there are different levels of severity to ADHD, and my understanding of it is colored/biased by my personal experience, I’m not a doctor, etc., but this is the difference I’ve noticed at least.
Oh, I see
ADHD has about as much meaning as “woke”.