Manage Adult ADHD Impulsivity
Topic: Impulsivity. Why We’re More Impulsive And How ADHD Adults Can Manage It More Effectively. See the other Adult ADHD Issues.
Facilitator: Pete Quily
Thanks for Christopher Stanbury, Jean, and Trevor for taking notes.
September 3rd 2013 Meeting Notes for the Vancouver Adult ADD Support Group
Structure:
Warm Up
1. Why are ADHD adults more impulsive than non ADDers?
2 What increases the chances of you acting / talking impulsively?
3. What reduces our chances of speaking or acting impulsively?
4. Pick an area where you have an impulsivity problem
Warmup
Give two examples of how you learned to reduce your [negative] impulsivity in one or more areas of your life.
How did you learn to do it?
Split into groups of two people and discuss the above question.
1. Why are ADHD adults more impulsive than non ADDers?
Here we’re talking specifically impulsivity in a negative context, with negative outcomes. Positive impulsivity can be useful. I.e., creativity is impulsivity done right, etc, but we won’t focus on that here.
We are not always impulsive for the same reasons.
What makes it worse?
What will reduce the tendency to speak and act impulsively in a negative way/ impact?
Pick area where you perceive impulsivity in your life.
Take some of the ideas from here and make your own recipe for how you can create a plan to reduce your impulsivity
ADHD can be a competitive edge if managed properly.
Big difference between intelligent questioning, and reactionary questioning
Boundary issues. Basically have trouble saying ‘no’ and enforcing those nos.
Check out the Hunter Farmer Theory of ADD by Thom Hartman
Hunting for novelty, got to do it now or it won’t happen
If we set no boundaries we will tend to do whatever we are asked to do. I.e., people pleasing, which can be endlessly draining.
Lack of priorities, or too many priorities and difficulty prioritizing
Many ADHD negatives can be positive in the right circumstances
Many co-morbid (co-existing) conditions with ADHD i.e., depression, anxiety disorders, ocd, bipolar, personality disorders
Many problems with ADHD are common – but we do not all have all of them.
Medication rebound
More prone to brain fatigue – have less dopamine or use it up faster
ODD Oppositional Defiant Disorder. ADHD kids & adults have higher rates of it. It’s about resisting authority, don’t like being told what to do, and not shy of being vocal about it. Repeatedly and emphatically. In a counterproductive way.
Often we just don’t think about it. We don’t get the ‘big picture’.
Overly strong willed determination
Parts of our brain acts differently for us vs. non ADDers.
Sensation or stimulus seeking – stimulation
Set boundaries on others, and on yourselves.
Social trauma
The basic Neurobiology of ADHD (Basal ganglia, pre-frontal cortex, limbic system, neurotransmitters, etc.) predisposes us to impulsivity. Impulsivity is one of the 3 primary ADHD symptoms.
Trauma – Brain Development & Learning Conference – UBC by Dr. Adele Diamond, great conference
ADHD adults have higher rates of:
PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Past head history – i.e., concussion
Stress
Addiction self medicating in harmful way
We don’t manage our energy well – you need energy to do things, focus, to be less vulnerable to distraction
We’re not so good at stopping – doing whatever one is doing. A big problem with ADHD is learning to inhibit ourselves, learning to stop
Wired for new experiences – new is more interesting
Women are more generalists due to better multi-tasking someone claimed
2. What increases the chances of you acting / talking impulsively?
Anxiety. Adults with ADHD have higher rates of anxiety disorders and many of us have subclinical levels of anxiety
Being afraid to intelligently & effectively question the status quo / conventional wisdom / authority
Boredom
Exercise is a stress reducer; it’s the #1 non medical way to deal with ADHD
Feeling overloaded then overwhelmed
Good book. What does everyone else know that I don’t? Social skills for adults with ADHD by Michelle Novotoni
Improper alcohol / drug use or addictions, we are at higher risk of substance and behavioural addictions.
Independence vs. interdependence
Irritability, we’re more irritable, and have more mood swings
Lack of exercise
Lack of food, we forget to eat, forget to plan to eat or cook, shop regularly
Lack of our self awareness, we need greater calm vs hypervigilant, self awareness
Lack of planning
Lack of relaxation brain needs some breaks to refresh it
Lack of sleep is a major reason. Many ADHD adults have sleeping disorders and trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep, and waking up.
Lack of water, dehydration
Less conscious of social cues
Less Presence
Low blood sugar. Often because we forget to eat or eat whatever is the closest and easiest, which is often junk food.
New social / work situations, stress goes up
Not asking for help i.e., the John Wayne Syndrome
Not good at self observation
Passionate / excited about something
Problems self regulating
Self-medicating with trouble, drama or conflict. Usually unconsciously, some ADHD adults do this to self medicate, since they boost dopamine.
Sleep deprivation can look like ADHD and is gasoline on ADHD symptoms
Social skills and communications problems
The more aware or conscious we are, the less likely we are to be impulsive
Under stimulating environment
3. What reduces our chances of speaking or acting impulsively?
Adders frequently prefer direct social interaction. Often too direct for many. Not everyone does.
Also some cultures have different preferences around that. Americans are more comfortable with direct communication, Eastern Europeans even more so, Japanese prefer indirect. And even within countries, individuals preferences vary widely. So in an immigrant society, this is important to understand if you want to communicate effectively, and have good working and personal relationships
Be properly caffeinated / medicated
Clear the clutter
Direct versus indirect personality / culture
Direct: I don’t like it when you shout
Indirect: I am uncomfortable when you talk loudly
Do not take on too many tasks
Do not text while driving or talk while driving even hands free. It’s not the hands free part, it’s the distracted attention, talking on a cell phone hands or hands free increases your chance of an accident by 4 times. And adders are more likely to get traffic tickets & accidents so it maybe even higher for us.
Exercise in mindfulness
Breathe quickly for 15 seconds. How do you feel?
Breathe slowly for 45 seconds. How do you feel?
Schedule a slow breathing exercise for 2 minutes, x times a day- use an alarm to remind yourself to do it. Reduces your stress and increases your focus
Just noticing how you are breathing will make you less tense and impulsive
Find ways to become more conscious / present
Get CALM
If you don’t know the person you’re communicating with’s communication style, you can have a problem
Know when & where you’re vulnerable to impulsivity
Know your limits, experiment and measure results. I.e., how much attention do you really have for x type of task that you regularly do?
Know your problem areas then plan for them vs. being in denial or minimization about them
Learn social and communication skills, ADDers often have problems with them which leads to more relationship problems at work and in your personal life.
Mono-task
Mono-task sequentially for a set amount of time
Remove temptation
Respect your dopamine – know when it is running out, and when you need to refresh it
Think before you speak
Time frame depends on individual’s – sleep, dopamine, hydration, food intake, exercise etc
Write thoughts, and especially possible to do tasks down. Carry around your cell phone for taking notes or a notepad and a pen. Highly reccommend moleskin notepads. Writing it down not only increasing remembering to do it, it reduces blurting out and interrupting people
4. Pick an area where you have an impulsivity problem
Get into pairs or threes. Ask your partner to pick one of their impuslivity problems and ask them
What of the above factors increases the problem?
What of the above factos might reduces the problem?
Create a plan
When and how will you remember to do it? Pick a date and time.
Discuss in pairs
Write it up
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