#adhd hyperactivity
(part 1 of the answer to an ask i received:
- what does hyperactivity look/feel like? (this post)
- how does it feel to be on effective adhd medication?
the answer to the second question will come soon (I hope).)
disclaimer: I’m NOT an expert - I’m just a layman diagnosed with ADHD who’s read a lot & experienced a lot! also: my experiences are NOT universal! other people may experience/feel hyperactivity differently from me.**
ANYWAY
the symptoms of hyperactivity (& impulsiveness) doctors look for to diagnose ADHD (list based on DSM-V criteria, pulled from here&here) & what, ime, they actually mean/look like:
hyperactivity:
fidgeting/constantly changing position, unable to stay still/seated.for example:
- the Legg Bounce™
- chewing pens
- fussing with necklace
- body-focused repetitive behaviors like pulling hair or picking nose
- getting up to pace often
unable to play ‘quietly’
- I read this as: unable to regulate volume/contain their feelings when happy, so ends up shouting or being loud without noticing
- seriously, I have no idea how loud I’m being. I don’t hear it
constantly ‘on the go’
- once done with one thing, it’s time to do the next thing
- no waiting, no time to relax, no chill
- we’re done eating, right? so we can leave the table and do something else? right now???
talks ‘excessively’ (this is the form of hyperactivity that tends to get afab ppl &/or women diagnosed as hyperactive).
- stories tend to start way earlier than needed & end someplace other than the point
- don’t give other ppl a chance to talk … unless interrupted, which usually doesn’t bother me as long as the addition is interesting
impulsiveness:*
interrupts others in conversation/finishes sentences for them
- I read this as: ‘I’ve anticipated the end of your sentence & want to answer you before my brain bolts in another direction’
- ‘you’re taking too long to get to the point, hURRY UP’
has a hard time waiting their turn/waiting in line
- and by ‘hard time’ I mean ‘being asked to ‘wait a second’ while someone else completes a thing is nigh unbearable’
- seriously there is a 50/50 chance I will need something to do within 10 seconds of being asked to wait
- if there’s something engaging to do in the meantime, it will take my mind off the wait. hence: I bring coloring books everywhere
interrupts/intrudes on others.examples:
- interrupting conversations, even private ones, to ask questions
- ‘borrowing’ stuff without asking b/c it’s there & the hyperactive person finds it more convenient to use than looking for their own stuff
- doing things without being asked to b/c it was interesting at the moment
*In regards to ‘impulsiveness’:
imho: it’s not so much that hyperactive adhd people are ‘impulsive’ as ‘hyperactive adhd ppl have brains that are also hyperactive, which makes them do things that look impulsive to outsiders’.
hyperactive ppl physically fidget and constantly move & jump from activity to activity because their brain’s neurons are doing the same thing, but with thoughts: fussing/chewing on things at random, constantly roaming from place to place, and always thinking about SOMETHING - unable to rest or be still.
for example:
- interrupting ppl I’m conversing with: if I don’t talk right now, I’m going to lose whatever it was I was going to say - the thought going in and out of my head before it’s my turn to speak.
- waiting is hard: if I’m doing nothing, that’s time for my brain to remind me of the 27 things that are SUPER IMPORTANT that I COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW. so I get anxious & impatient b/c I’m wasting valuable time just WAITING MY TURN.
- intrudes on others: if I think of a thing & get up to tell the relevant person & they’re busy, I know I’ll forget before they’re free - so I interrupt.
- takes things without asking: if I see a thing that belongs to my roomie that reminds me of something I want/need, I just use my roomie’s thing b/c I’ll forget if I look for my own version of the thing.
- takes over tasks inappropriately: If I do a thing without being asked & it turns out I wasn’t supposed to, I probably forgot I wasn’t supposed to or justified it to myself at lightning speed.
tl;dr my brain moves too fast for life. to compensate, sometimes I do things too fast for other people. then they say I’m impulsive for doing it.
**also: the psychiatrist evaluation I underwent found that I was ADHD-PI (primarily inattentive): that is, my ‘H’ is also (supposedly) relatively low. but now that I better understand what PI people experience - things like ‘brain fog’ - I think I’m more likely ADHD-C (combined).
