Some signs that you might be understimulated include: Lack of motivation. Physical hyperactivity. A sense of unease, making you feel "flat" or irritable.
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.
If going about your daily life feels more like “existing” than “living”, chances are you're experiencing understimulation. This state occurs when you're feeling uninspired by your surroundings which can lead to boredom, lack of motivation and even depression if prolonged.
While this differs from person to person, an oversimplified generalization is that ADHD'ers tend to end up understimulated more often than overstimulated, while autistic folks tend to end up overstimulated more. Being understimulated can start as a sense of boredom or discomfort, and grow until it's physically painful.
Boredom is a feeling people with ADHD know all too well. Writing emails seems like an impossible task and looking at (someone else's) spreadsheet feels mind-numbing. An ADHD brain wants immediate relief from boredom and will chase it at the expense of your priorities.
Mood swings are common in people with ADHD. People with this disorder can be hypersensitive, too. That means sensations, like touch, that may feel normal to another person can feel too intense for someone with ADHD.
Understimulation is when there is not enough sensory input or feelings, so the person may stim their own stimulation of their senses. Overstimulation is where there are too many sensory inputs, and the person may stim to control the overwhelmed feeling they have.
Boredom Is Very Uncomfortable for ADHDers
I was often baffled by those who refer to a job as “pretty boring” but still tolerable. A tedious job terrifies me (at least if it lasts a long time). ADHD coach Andrew Lewis puts it well when he compares ADHD boredom to physical pain. I have indeed been bored to tears.
Overcoming understimulation can be difficult, but there is a way to simplify it - add more positive stimulation! Here are some ideas: Do something with your hands in boring situations, like doodling or using a fidget spinner. Listen to music or ADHD podcasts while carrying out mundane tasks.
Differences in emotions in people with ADHD can lead to 'shutdowns', where someone is so overwhelmed with emotions that they space out, may find it hard to speak or move and may struggle to articulate what they are feeling until they can process their emotions.
If, on the other hand, an individual with ADHD loses interest in an activity, his nervous system disengages, in search of something more interesting. Sometimes this disengagement is so abrupt as to induce sudden extreme drowsiness, even to the point of falling asleep.
Channeling bored behaviors
List several ways you can fidget that keep you occupied without getting up. This can include using a stress ball, doodling, taking notes (try doing so with a multi-colored pen), tapping a pen on your leg (so it doesn't make noise), or fiddling with a small stone.
Every behavioral reward that has been studied has been shown to amplify dopamine production, including food, sex, exercise, competition, and music. High-risk activities — driving fast, motorcycle riding, and waterskiing — motivate ADHD brains to focus.
Sensory overload can happen to anyone, but it is more common in autistic people and people with ADHD, PTSD, and certain other conditions. It causes feelings of discomfort and being overwhelmed. Moving away from sources of sensory input, such as loud sounds or strong smells, can reduce these feelings.
Overwhelm is a feeling all too familiar to anyone with ADHD or neurodiversity. When you're constantly bombarded with stimuli and your to-do list seems impossible to manage, it's easy to feel like you're drowning. One of the best ways to combat overwhelm is to write things down.
In contrast to over-stimulation, under-stimulation occurs when there's not enough going on in our environments to keep our attention or keep us interested. In other words, situations that are boring can be anxiety provoking! One common example of under-stimulation is standing in line.
Activation of the mind increases physiological responses in the brain by inducing the flow of oxygen, blood and nutrients. Without activating these mechanisms neurons will eventually begin to shrink, as will the brain. These neurological effects flow-on to the psychological effects such as boredom and depression.
(transitive) To stimulate too little or infrequently; to provide with insufficient stimulation.
Failing to provide children with adequate sensory stimulation puts them at a high risk of developmental and cognitive delays. This is known to have been recorded in young babies who grew up in orphanages, as well as in preterm babies.
Often girls with ADHD have a physiological sensitivity that results in their not wanting to be touched or feeling really sensitive to physical affection, such as hugs. e best thing to do is to nd out what type of interaction will work for them, because they do want affection.
Common ADHD-Related Problems
Impulsive spending or overspending. Starting fights or arguing. Trouble maintaining friendships and romantic relationships. Speeding and dangerous driving.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can impact intimacy in marriage. Some challenges surrounding ADHD and sex may include a lack of impulse control or sensory issues. Since folks with ADHD can experience inattention, a lack of focus during intimacy may cause a partner to feel as though they're not desired.