Never Enough? Why ADHD Brains Crave Stimulation
by Parker · 20 things on Twos
- https://www.additudemag.com/brain-stimulation-and-adhd-cravings-addiction-and-regulation/
- Goal-directed behaviors can be fine-tuned without the distractions of emotions or sensations
- ADHD brains are motivated by their search for optimal stimulation, rather than by what others label as important
- The owners of these brains are not making conscious choices to ignore external demands, although it often appears that way
- Internal motivations are intrinsically more meaningful to their brains and, as a result, more dopamine becomes available. Concerns about time or consequences are dwarfed by the pursuit of pleasurable reinforcement
- Learning from experience is the basis for sound decision-making, and the motivation to learn is modulated by the promise of reward
- Stimuli need greater personal relevance — larger, more immediate, or repeated rewards — to be attractive to ADHD brains
- ADHD brains struggle to sustain motivation when rewards are mild or are linked to long-term gratification
- ADHD brains search for stimulation that can increase dopamine more quickly and intensely
- Every behavioral reward that has been studied has been shown to amplify dopamine production, including food, sex, exercise, competition, and music
- High-risk activities — driving fast, motorcycle riding, and waterskiing — motivate ADHD brains to focus
- Nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, opiates, risky sex, pornography, gambling, physical risk-taking, reckless driving, and compulsive buying increase dopamine even more
- If some stimulation is good, more is better. This is the signature short-sighted philosophy of brains compelled to choose immediate rewards over long-term gratification
- Many people with ADHD chide themselves for indulging in pasta and cookies, when their brains are actually demanding those foods instead of salad
- When they self-medicate with food, their brains enjoy a surge of dopamine, an increase in glucose-based energy that improves attention, and a serotonin-based calming of restlessness
- Circadian cycles skew toward higher activity levels in the evening, resulting in later bedtimes and waking times
- Many individuals with ADHD celebrate when they finally have time to themselves late at night. This is when they are attracted to internally driven activities, like watching TV, engaging with social media, looking at porn, or playing computer games
- Understanding what ADHD brains want makes it clear that the struggle for self-regulation is neurological, and has nothing to do with character deficiencies
- The ADHD brain needs higher stimulation in order to complete this rote task with minimal payoff
- Your ADHD brain says, “That task is way too boring, and I can’t focus on it. Find something that interests me more, which offers me a bigger dopamine reward, and I’ll work with you.”