Adults and children with ADHD have lower levels of dopamine, which limits their brains ability to both recognize rewards and seek them out. This results in a lack of motivation. Without recognizing rewards, the body is unmotivated to act in any direction.
ADHD can have an impact on your motivation, making it more difficult to initiate and maintain tasks. When you have ADHD, it can be helpful to find strategies that will help you get started and sustain focus on a task that is overwhelming or just plain boring.
ADHD can affect motivation. A person may find daily tasks overwhelming and struggle to complete them. This low sense of motivation can feel similar to fatigue, especially if a person feels unable to keep up with their responsibilities.
This early work by Douglas mostly includes environmental effects on behavior and performance only (Motivated action and Life outcomes; Figure 1), although Douglas (1985) does explicitly state that children with ADHD experience a lack in intrinsic motivation.
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 someone with ADHD] gets distracted by something, they have to come back and start again, it may take them three or four or five rounds to actually complete the task,” Pinsky says. That's multiple times of going through the stress of beginning the task, so the task itself becomes incredibly difficult to complete.
ADHD burnout is often something a little deeper. It refers to the cycle of overcommitting and overextending that leads to fatigue in people with ADHD. It involves taking on too many tasks and commitments, and then the subsequent exhaustion that happens when we're unable to fulfill all of our obligations.
Adults with ADHD may find it difficult to focus and prioritize, leading to missed deadlines and forgotten meetings or social plans. The inability to control impulses can range from impatience waiting in line or driving in traffic to mood swings and outbursts of anger.
ADHD brain fog causes people to feel unfocused and mentally exhausted. Brain fog can also cause anxiety, depression, low productivity, forgetfulness, and problems communicating with others. When all these factors combine, it becomes virtually impossible for the person to function normally.
INCUP is an acronym that stands for interest, novelty, challenge, urgency, and passion. The term was first proposed by psychologist William Dodson, who suggested that these five things are the top motivating factors for someone with ADHD.
As we've discussed, unfortunately, many people with ADHD tend to have a lack of empathy. This can be addressed, though, through identifying and communicating about each other's feelings. If you see a disconnect between ADHD and empathy in your child or in your spouse, don't give up hope.
This is where understanding what motivates you and your ADHD brain comes in handy because you can leverage the 4 pillars of motivation: novelty, interest, competition, and pressure, to get yourself into action.
In general, ADHD doesn't get worse with age. Some adults may also outgrow their symptoms. But this is not the case for everyone.
But for some adults with ADHD, it can be difficult for the mind to shut down and relax even after a busy day. This means that it can be hard to fall asleep or wake up naturally in the morning, resulting in sleep deprivation. This can make us feel exhausted and lacking in energy.
As many as 60% of individuals with ADHD symptoms in childhood continue to have difficulties in adult life. Adults with ADHD are more likely to be dismissed from employment and have often tried a number of jobs before being able to find one at which they can succeed.
Adults diagnosed with ADHD often blame themselves for their problems or view themselves in a negative light. This can lead to self-esteem issues, anxiety, or depression.
ADHD meltdowns are sudden outbursts of frustration and anger that seem to come out of nowhere. If your child is struggling to control their emotions, there are ways to help them. For children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsivity can present in many ways.
ADHD and fatigue share a connection as they both primarily affect your brain and executive functioning. They both can have their roots in how your brain is wired and ultimately operates. As a result, people with ADHD tend to be more prone towards developing cases of regular and chronic fatigue.
Some people might suddenly feel blank and numb, unable to process information or even move. Others might experience sobbing or angry outbursts. All sorts of life events can contribute to a breakdown, from mental illness to losing one's job.
“The hardest thing about ADHD is that it's 'invisible' to outsiders. It's not like other conditions that people can clearly see. People just assume that we are not being good parents and that our child is a brat, when they don't have an idea how exhausted we truly are.” —Sara C.
Ritalin in the brain
Ritalin works by increasing the amount of dopamine released in the striatum, a key region in the brain related to motivation, action and cognition.