Welcome to the glossary of terms – and yes, I’ve called this The ADH‘D’ictionary! Granted, it looks better than when verbalised – but it does the job, and that’s what counts! This ADH‘D’ictionary contains some of those ADH‘D’-specific terms which are often used by and about ADH‘D’ers, to describe the daily experiences, triumphs and trials which affect us. So, to start us off, we have:
ADHD Tax is the additional emotional, intellectual and financial strain we put upon ourselves when we do not manage to do something in a timely manner. Just a couple of examples being ignoring bills, in the hope that they will miraculously disappear, but all the while you risk incurring late fines and having energy supplies cut off. Not cancelling subscriptions and continuing to pay for them because we do not get around to correctly cancelling them, is another example. And no – deleting an app does not equate to cancelling the subscription to it!
ADHD paralysis (also known as analysis paralysis or ADHD shutdown) is a commonly used term about and by ADH‘D’ers to describe our experience of being so overwhelmed by all we have to do, that we become ‘frozen’ and unable to do any of it.
ADHD paralysis looks like:
• ADHD mental paralysis – a state of overwhelm from too many converging thoughts and emotions. It may make it challenging to speak, move, or express what is going on in our mind in-the-moment
• ADHD choice paralysis – a sense of overwhelm related to too many choices or the need to make a decision
• ADHD task paralysis -a block/halt in motivation, which typically causes us to procrastinate, ignore or avoid completing the task.
Symptoms typically include:
• difficulty prioritising and managing tasks
• ‘Time blindness’ (unaware of ticking time), resulting in time management challenges
• jumping from one task to another
• losing train of thought
The Biopsychosocial Model (of mental health) came about in the 1970s, as a much needed alternative to the traditional medical model of mental health, which proposes that mental health conditions are solely caused by the brain. The biopsychosocial model acknowledges the complex interplay between biological factors (such as genetics, holistic physical health, diet and sleep), psychological factors (such as personality, beliefs, lifestyle and stress levels) and social factors (such as family, relationships, employment, poverty and inequality) – and how these can culminate to compromise mental health.
Body Doubling is a strategy designed to help us stay focused on and be productive during tasks. It simply involves having another person beside us while we are engaged in a task – or trying to muster the motivation to even get started! This ranges from paying bills, gathering the dirty washing, to loading the dishwasher, changing the bedding (does anyone enjoy doing this?!), to helping ADH‘D’er children and adults alike to complete assignments.
This person’s role is NOT to criticise and shame us into getting the task done (we get plenty of that, thank you!), but to offer encouragement. This will look like something different to us all – the body double, or buddy, might sit quietly, they might read a book, have their headphones on, or they might help us to complete the task.
Co-regulation should take place across the lifespan, beginning in utero, and can be defined as those warm and responsive interactions that provide the support, modelling and coaching that children (and adults) need in order to understand, express and regulate (manage) their thoughts, feelings and consequent behaviours.
Without co-regulation, self-regulation cannot develop – at least, not in ways that are healthy and growth-promoting.
Not to be conflated with dissociation, disassociation refers to an individual choosing to remove themselves from someone or something – for example, ending a relationship.
Dissociation is a psychological term for separating from reality. It is one way in which trauma survivors and neurodivergent children and adults, particularly, cope with unpleasant experiences and consequent emotions in-the-moment. Following an episode of dissociation, the individual might have no recollection of what happened during the episode.
Some also refer to it as ‘zoning ‘out’ and it is erroneously called ‘daydreaming’. When we dissociate, we describe it as feeling detached/disconnected from our bodies (‘floating on top of the situation’) and physical sensations, as well as from our thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity. It is not the same as disassociation.
Doom Piling this is an acronym for “Didn’t Organize, Only Moved”. Yes, all too familiar to many of us ADH‘D’ers! It refers to our attempts to tidy and organise our environment without actually doing any tidying or organising. This typically looks like creating mini mountains of clothes and books on floors, tables and chairs, as well as bags and boxes full of belongings.
Developed by Jessica McCabe and Eric Tivers, a dopamenu is a list (much like a restaurant menu) of feel-good activities/experiences for us to use when we are feeling down, low in energy or in need of a boost. Follow this link to download a dopamenu template that you can create for yourself!
Dopamine is a hormone that plays a key role in the brain’s reward centre – that collection of brain regions which give feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. Dopamine also plays an important role in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration and movement, as well as regulating our emotional responses. As is widely documented, ADH‘D’ers commonly experience difficulties with processing dopamine in the brain and are consequently deficit in dopamine. This can affect our ability to feel (and stay) motivated and to find certain activities/tasks rewarding.
These are activities and experiences which trigger dopamine release, boost our dopamine levels and consequently make us feel happy, excited or calm (depending on the dopaminergic activity/experience). A few examples include listening to music, walking in nature or taking a cold shower/ice bath – which can increase dopamine levels by up to 250%!
Dopamine is one of our “feel-good” hormones and as we know, we ADH‘D’ers tend to struggle with dopamine regulation. Dopamining refers to ADH‘D’ers’ attempts to get that dopamine hit through various activities.
We just need to try to seek out dopamine-boosting activities that do not undermine our holistic health and wellbeing. So, instead of impulse shopping, excessive gaming, or using alcohol and substances to get that dopamine boost, we could go dopamining through getting regular exercise, getting enough sleep, eating healthily, listening/moving to uplifting music and trying something new to do (like learning a new skill or joining a walking/running group).
Dysregulation is when a child or adult experiences difficulty regulating (managing) their emotions and consequent behaviour. Experiences and situations that would not typically distress others, can be triggering for us, causing us to react (as opposed to respond) in ways that are viewed as disproportionate to the trigger.
Quickness to emotional and physical dysregulation is common among survivors of trauma and neurodivergent individuals, particularly when they are in environments and with people that are unsupportive.
Being dysregulated is not – and must not be conflated with the hideous term ‘tantrum’. It is dysregulation of the nervous system and must be met with due empathy.
Despite it being a central feature of ADH‘D’, emotional dysregulation is still is not part of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) criteria for ADH‘D’.
Hyper-focus is where we become so engrossed by and immersed in an activity, that we focus on it intensely and for such a long period of time, that we lose track of everything and everyone else around us.
Masking is when a neurodivergent person intentionally or unintentionally hides their traits (symptoms), in order to fit in with those around them and be socially accepted. Masking typically takes place at school and in the workplace, and might include not talking much, sitting still at a desk, imitating the behaviour of neurotypical peers and rehearsing what to say and how to respond to others.
Procrastivity is a type of procrastination where we are not doing nothing, but instead, busy ourselves with tasks which are not as time-sensitive or important as the one we should be getting on with.
Issues around managing our time and prioritising tasks are common reasons as to why we procrastivate – for me, it’s also my need to focus on lots of tasks in order to be able to focus on (what should be) the main one!
Recognition Responsive Euphoria (RRE) is the opposite of Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) (See below for its definition). RRE is in large part due to ADH‘D’ers’ quickness to dysregulation. It describes the all-consuming feeling of pleasure that ADH‘D’ers can experience from being recognised for what they do well/their achievements. The flip-side is that some individuals might consequently engage in significant amounts of “people-pleasing” behaviour to achieve this, which can also take a toll on wellbeing.
Despite not being included in the DSM-5, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD) is a hallmark trait of ADH‘D’ and is characterised by extreme and intense emotional responses to perceived or real rejection, which would be considered disproportionate to a neurotypical person. Given its inextricable link to emotional dysregulation, when we experience RSD, we also find it more difficult to manage our feelings associated with RSD, and in the long-term, some of us struggle with low self-esteem, perfectionism and/or become “people pleasers”.
Given the fact that by 10-yrs-old, ADH‘D’ers hear 20,000 more negative, critical, and corrective messages from authority figures, than their neurotypical peers (Jellinek, 2010) – it is no surprise that THIS is the biggest cause of RSD.
Self-regulation – is our ability to regulate (manage) our thoughts, feelings emotions and consequent behaviour. Where we struggle to do this, we become dysregulated (see Dysregulation).
According to Dr Stuart Shanker, self-regulation exists in five domains and we have triggers in each of these domains. The five domains are: Biological, Emotional, Cognitive, Social and Prosocial.
Below, are just some triggers across the five domains:
Biological – Excessive visual stimulation, noise, insufficient exercise, having to be too still, cluttered classroom, illness
Emotional – Intense emotions – both positive (over-excitement) and negative (fear and anger), anxiety, change in routines
Cognitive – Difficulty in processing certain kinds of information (organising thoughts, time constraint, interruptions)
Social – Difficulty in understanding the effect of their behaviour on others and in understanding social cues, bullying
Prosocial – Difficulty in coping with others’ stress, feeling of injustice, being late, empathy/sympathy
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) is the term used for children and young people who have a neurobiological difference (I cannot abide the term ‘learning difficulty’!) or disability, which means that they learn differently to most others their age.
Just a few examples include:
The four areas of SEND needs are:
Shorthand for self-stimulating behaviours, stimming refers to the repetitive behaviours that neurodivergent children and adults engage in, to help us feel calmer, less anxious, help us focus, and create – or release energy. The list of stimming behaviours is lengthy and unique to the individual, but some typically include:
Verbal/auditory – actions that produce sound or involve listening to repetitive noises. These behaviours include humming, singing, finger tapping, frequently clearing one’s throat or repeating words.
Oral stimming – chewing your gums (or is this just me?!), chewing on objects, such as pens, pencils, toys, food, clothing, sucking on fingers or nail-biting.
Olfactory or taste stimming – sniffing or smelling people or objects.
Tactile – involves touch, such as picking at the skin, hair twirling, or fidgeting with textured objects.
Visual/sight – involves interacting with and staring at spinning objects, switching lights on and off, or drawing/’’doodling’’.
Vestibular – refers to balance and spatial orientation. A few examples include rocking in a chair, tiptoeing, or head-tilting.
Interchangeably used with the term ‘suicidal thoughts’ – suicide ideation refers to the thoughts and fantasies which some individuals (including a significant number of ADH‘D’ers) have about ending their lives. These thoughts might or might not include a plan to die by suicide.
If you are affected directly, or know someone at risk, please call NHS 111, Option 2 and Mental Health Direct Crisis Lines, or call the Samaritans on 116 123. Lines for both are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You can also check out our Help Hub for further support.
Task avoidance is the putting aside or ignoring of tasks, particularly those which ADH‘D’er children and adults alike find stressful or ‘boring’/meaningless. Due to our dopamine and emotion regulation differences, we can struggle to initiate and complete tasks, due to overwhelming feelings of anxiety, stress or mental fatigue.
Although most people put off doing tasks sometimes, such as opening letters and responding to emails, it is particularly common – and persistent among ADH‘D’ers, to the point where it becomes a problem.
