Those with ADHD may also struggle with black-and-white thinking. (“I always do this,” “I've seen nothing like that,” or communicating strong, rigid opinions on topics without a lot of reasoning to back them up.)
For some, this manifests into all-or-nothing thinking, also known as 'splitting', or black-and-white thought patterns. Instead of acknowledging the nuances and grey areas in life, all-or-nothing thought patterns tend to view situations as all good or all bad.
Narcissism. Narcissism is an exaggerated, excessive interest in oneself. Black and white thinking can be a symptom of this personality disorder. People who have it will often find it challenging to get help because they quickly dismiss doctors and therapists.
The takeaway is that even though theres an intuitively appealing image of people with ADHD simply being distracted because they bounce from one idea to the next, its important to keep in mind that both mind wandering and blank thoughts are associated with ADHD.
If you are someone who has ADHD, you may be more prone to intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts that pop into your head and cause a great deal of anxiety. They can be disturbing and make it difficult to focus on anything else.
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted and repetitive thoughts that can be distressing or disturbing. They can take many forms, such as worries, doubts, or even violent or taboo images.
ADHDers—people with ADHD—can also experience intrusive thoughts that are repetitive, distressing, or just flat-out strange. It's not uncommon to have intrusive thoughts, but frequently experiencing them may be a symptom of your ADHD (if you have ADHD) or possibly something else.
A brain dump gets all the ideas out of the head by listing them on a single sheet of paper or writing each one on a Post-It note.
The thoughts a person with ADHD tend to jump without stopping to worry about the details. Additionally, many people with ADHD report feeling more relaxed when they're most active, so this activity stream can often be comforting. This lack of inhibition in thought can also result in more tangential connections.
Black-and-white thinking is sometimes a symptom of a personality disorder, like narcissism or borderline personality disorder, as well as eating disorders, depression, or anxiety, according to APA. Many people engage in black-and-white thinking even when they don't have a mental health diagnosis.
While extreme, black-and-white thinking can be a form of coping during the traumatic times, eventually it becomes a habit that no longer serves you as an adult. It fosters intense insecurities that need constant reassurance and results in missed opportunities, because of misjudging a situation.
Black and white thinking can be unlearned. Reframe your mindset into a “growth mindset,” which allows for flexibility and change. Challenge yourself to see the other side of a situation. Try to avoid using words such as 'always' or 'never.
So even when actively trying to focus on a task, DMN levels remain high in the ADHD brain, making it easy to slip back into that daydream or resting mode. That slippage could feel like the involuntary spacing out or zoning out that people with ADHD experience so often.
Kids with the inattentive kind of ADHD have a hard time concentrating and following instructions. They often forget and lose things; they can't seem to get organized or complete assignments or chores. Most kids with ADHD have a combination of the hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive types.
Conversational skills and humanity
Those with ADHD are often talkative , which means that they can spark an intriguing conversation in most scenarios. Another study highlights that people with ADHD may have higher levels of social intelligence, humor, and recognition of feeling, or empathy.
Autism is very distinct from ADHD, but the core symptoms of ADHD-Combined type, i.e., attention deficit, impulsivity, and hyperactivity, would appear to also be features of autism. ASD and ADHD are neurobiological disorders characterized by similar underlying neuropsychological “deficits”.
There's no direct relationship between ADHD and talking too fast. However, it's possible that because of some of our symptoms, we might resort to speedy speech. Case in point: since forgetfulness is a common trait of people with ADHD, we might talk too much so as not to forget the ideas in our head.
Functional Neuroimaging Findings
Underactive frontal and parietal networks which regulate execution of actions and attention, leading to poor attention and hyperactivity have been seen. Additionally, there are overactive visual and dorsal attention networks as well as the default mode network.
Bored or under-stimulated ADHD brains may become restless and demand an immediate reward and more stimulation. While you may think your child's fidgeting, noise, laughter, yelling, or conflict-making behaviors are inappropriate and unprovoked, their under-aroused brains, needing stimulation, are demanding it.
ADHD-PI means that a person is 'primarily Inattentive'. A primarily inattentive person most likely finds it hard to organize, keep time, remember details and retain focus through long tasks. They may lose things, forget appointments, and become distracted quickly.
Some adults with ADHD find relaxation in long drives and spending countless hours traveling, but there are others that find them stressful and troublesome. The key is to find what relaxes you and stick to that. Remember that everything appears differently between individuals.
While people with neurotypical brains can easily have and sustain a hobby, some adults with ADHD may struggle. They might easily lose interest in the activity or impulsively decide to try another one.
The ADHD tendency to hobby-bounce sometimes combines with hyperfocus to morph innocent pastimes into obsessions. Some of us can't do things halfway; we have to jump in with both feet. We throw ourselves all in, whether it's in crafting or exercising or cooking.