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WHAT IS ADHD:
a carrd by a person with ADHD
🚀👀👄👀 🧠

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welcome to the jungle (aka my brain), October is ADHD awareness month and I wanted to share the things there is to know about ADHD, so I made this carrd.

As someone who lived a big portion of their life unaware of ADHD, I realize how important mental health literacy is, so I hope that you read this carrd until the end and learn from it.

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!!! DISCLAIMER !!!

I am not a doctor or a professional yet. This carrd is purely for educational purposes and treatment should be left to licensed professionals.

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to continue, please press the '>' button :^D

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terms

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neurodevelopmental disorders - impairments of the growth and development of the brain and/or central nervous system.

cognition - the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

disability - any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them;

in the RA 7277 it is defined as the following:

1) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more psychological, physiological or anatomical function of an individual or activities of such individual;

2) a record of such an impairment; or

3) being regarded as having such an impairment;

psychosocial disability - includes those who have psychological and social problems that can leave them the sufferer unable to do what he/she normally does.

learning disability - disabilities that hampers or interferes with a student’s ability to learn basic concepts in math and science, knowledge that will help the student cope with everyday life.

neurotransmitters - molecules used by the nervous system to transmit messages

norepinephrine - a neurotransmitter important to the fight-or-flight response; it is also plays a role in sleep, blood pressure, and stress.

dopamine - a neurotransmitter associated with an organism's motivation and reward system.

stimulation - the raising of levels of physiological or nervous activity in the body or any biological system.

neurotypical - a term used to describe those who do not have any neurological disorders.

neurodivergent - an umbrella term used to describe those whose brain functions differently than what is considered normal.

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what is ADHD

Clinical Definition

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental* disorder typically characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity. ADHD commonly diagnosed in children and adolescents, though the disorder persists through adulthood as well.

"It goes from womb to tomb," as explained by Dr. Frank Emboltura, Professor of Special and Inclusive Education.

The exact causes of ADHD is unknown although studies show that both genetic and environmental factors can affect the likelihood of having ADHD.

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How a brain with ADHD works

The ADHD brain is wired differently than the neurotypical brain; it has low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine which affects motivation and attention. The prefrontal cortex is also observed to be much smaller in brains with ADHD. This affects motivation, experiencing time (also known as time blindness), and impulse control.

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DSM-5

The most recent edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (also known as the DSM-5) lists the following as the criteria for an ADHD diagnosis

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what having ADHD is like

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Executive Dysfunction

Executive functions are "a set of cognitive processes and mental skills that help an individual plan, monitor, and successfully execute their goals." as described by PsychologyToday. These include working memory, flexible thinking, and inhibitory control (self-control).

Executive dysfunction, on the other hand, is used to describe the range of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional difficulties which often occur as a result of another disorder or a traumatic brain injury' It is also present in other disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Emotional Dysregulation

Emotional dysregulation refers to emotional responses that are poorly modulated and do not lie within the accepted range of emotive response (Austin and Highnet, 2017). This is also seen in those who have experienced psychological trauma in their childhood. Emotional dysregulation is also observed in other psychiatrical disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and borderline personality disorder.

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Time blindness

As a result of a smaller prefrontal cortex, people with ADHD have what is called time blindness which disables them from experiencing time like a neurotypical person does. As Dr. Russell Barkley explains: "[...] people with ADHD cannot hierarchically organize behavior across time."

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Executive dysfunction, emotional dysregulation, and time blindness are all key aspects of ADHD, with their individual connections and correlation to ADHD being well researched. However it is less discussed compared to symptoms such as ‘easily distracted’ and ‘having trouble following multiple step instructions'.

This is unfortunately common with other neurodivergent disorders : the symptoms are framed with how they affect the people around the person, not the person with the disorder themself.

Because having ADHD can impair aspects of one’s life, it is recognized as a psychosocial disability* by the DSWD (alongside Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and more).

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ADHD as a disability

As such, accommodations, medications, and treatment are important to help bridge the gap between individuals and institutes. However, as an invisible disability, it is hard to access these aids, let alone receive a diagnosis. In fact many of those with ADHD don't get diagnosed until later in life.

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TREATMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Medication

Drugs such as amphetamine and methylphenidate can be taken to help encourage the flow of the neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine, which in turn can help with maintaining focus and keeping the brain stimulated well.

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Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT aids those with ADHD to learn how to work with their brain instead of against it, this includes time management, eliminating distractions, and more.

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School Accommodations

Under the Section 12 of the Republic Act 7277, also known ss the Magna Carta For Disabled Persons, educational institutions are required to provide accomodation to persons with disabilities.

"... encourage learning institutions to take into account the special needs of disabled persons with respect to the use of school facilities, class schedules, physical education requirements and other pertinent consideration."

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how you can help and why you should

Educate yourself

This helps lessen the myths and stigma that comes with being neurodivergent or being disabled. Learning also promotes better understanding of one's health and can help one seek treatment as soon as possible.

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Try to understand and be patient

Always keep in mind neurodivergent/disabled people are always trying their best to integrate themselves into society.No one wakes up in the morning and says 'today I'm not gonna pay attention just to make my family/teachers/classmates frustrated!'. Seriously.

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Don't make assumptions

Living life disabled is different from one person to another. If you have a question or don't understand something, ask. If you still can't understand, just be kind and do what is asked of you.

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Say it

"She is disabled, she has ADHD." It's okay to say those words. Don't feel awkward or think that its something shameful. It's not. In fact it will make things better because you're acknowledging that something is different about the person and that it doesn't make them any less of a human.

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Part of why it's hard to talk about this is because there's so much misinformation and taboo around being neurodivergent. That makes it hard to get treatment, sometimes even identify the disorder itself. This is dangerous as studies have shown those with untreated ADHD are more likely to be addicted to drugs and/or alcohol

All conversations about mental illnesses and disabilities (especially psychosocial disabilities) should not start and end where it affects those who don't have it. Imagine having a bad case of asthma, and all people know about it is that it makes you noisy and lazy. Imagine if they never acknowledged that asthma gives you chest pain and that it makes breathing hard.

If we leave our views as it is, things won't get better, that's why we need to spread thoughtful awareness that is supported by research.

Being disabled shouldn't be something that is taboo or pitied, too. We can not solve issues we're not willing to talk about and we will not hear those who want to talk if we silence them. We should also not pity or view these struggles as ✨ inspirational✨; when people do this, they set aside real issues that real people go through for the sake of soothing their egos.

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faq

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I think I have and/or someone I know fits your description of ADHD, what do I do?

First and foremost, I recommend that you do further research, not just with ADHD, but also with other mental disorders like autism, bipolar disorder, and more. There are many overlaps between these illnesses and you might end up mistaking one with another; second, you should see a lisenced professional because they can help you identify your problems the best.

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I heard everyone has ADHD these days, is it a made up disorder?

Yes a lot of people are getting diagnosed these days, but no, it isn't a made up disorder nor does everyone have it.

And even if a lot of people have ADHD, what we should focus on is whether or not everyone is receiving proper treatment, don't you agree?

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Gadgets/sugar/bad parenting cause ADHD.

okay handover the peer reviewed research paper, scientist. now.

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Kulang ka kang nang dasal/just pray

You're right, palagi akong nagdadasal na maging mas aware ang mga tao sa mental health issues pero marami paring hindi willing matuto, so help me pray AND spread awareness ✌️😇✨

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You're just doing this for attention.

Yes, I am doing this for attention; that's the point of spreading awareness.

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What is this site? I want to make one too

you can click the text below that says "(made with carrd)", have fun!

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end of carrd

If you've made it this far, thank you so much! It took me around four weeks to research, edit, write, and create this carrd. I also learned so much more about ADHD while doing the research, so I hope you did too!

As of now, I'm making a separate carrd to share my experiences, but if you want to see how its like to have ADHD, you can check out this site ;; of course, there's more to ADHD than just getting distracted, but I think this stimulation captured my experience with school well :,). yall muntikan na akong maiyak noong una ko syang na try parang throwback nung elementary


A lot of the information had to be shortened to fit in this carrd, so if you have any questions, clarifications, or want me to translate anything, please feel free to talk to me at messenger! I'll do my best to respond as soon as possible!
yeah but keep in mind stupid questions will get stupid answers

I'd like to thank Dr Emboltura for helping explain ADHD and disability, and to my doctors, Dr Taroja and Dr Egloso for helping me get better!

Thank you so much for reading, always wash your hands and wear a mask!

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-💗✌️👼

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sources:

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Cognition - Oxford Dictionary

Disability and Health Overview

RA 7277 – An Act Providing For The Rehabilitation, Self-Development And Self-Reliance Of Disabled Person And Their Integration Into The Mainstream Of Society And For Other Purposes.

Who qualifies for the PWD ID?

Molecular Cell Biology. 4th edition.

Norepinephrine - PubChem

What is Dopamine

What Is: Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent, Neurotypical

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - National Institute of Mental Health

ADHD Neuroscience 101

Neuropsychiatric EEG-Based Assessment Aid System

Executive Function - Psychology Today

What is Executive Function Disorder

How ADHD Amplifies Emotions

Why stimulants help ADHD

ADHD and Executive Function - Dr. Russell Barkley

ADHD is Time Blindness - Dr. Russell Barkley

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