Understanding ADHD Paralysis

Summary

In his enlightening talk, Rick Green, creator of 'Rick Has ADHD', delves into the perplexing issue of ADHD paralysis, a state of inertia that many with ADHD face. Through a personal journey and reflections with ADHD coach Elaine Taylor Klouse, Rick explores how undiagnosed childhood ADHD factors into adult procrastination and resistance to mundane tasks. He highlights the emotional underpinnings such as residual resentment from constant childhood admonishments, and offers a nuanced understanding that ADHD-related paralysis is complex, involving both psychological and physiological dimensions. He encourages viewers to reframe their task-related dialogue in a more self-empowering manner.

Highlights

• Rick Green's patrons identified overcoming inertia as the biggest ADHD challenge 🚦.
• The trivial nature of some tasks can make resistance to them especially frustrating 😅.
• ADHD coach Elaine Taylor Klouse pointed out the impact of undiagnosed ADHD in childhood 🧒.
• Residual resentment from childhood admonitions may play a big role in adult procrastination 🌱.
• Reframing task approaches with 'I choose to' can be a powerful motivator 🔑.

Key Takeaways

• ADHD paralysis can be a huge roadblock in productivity, making it hard to start tasks 🛑.
• Childhood experiences with ADHD can leave a lasting impact, affecting adult behavior 🚸.
• Reframing tasks as choices can make a positive difference in motivation 🔄.
• Being told constantly to behave in certain ways in childhood may lead to resistance in adulthood 🧠.
• Understanding why procrastination occurs can help in overcoming it 🤔.

Overview

Rick Green kicks off a series on 'ADHD paralysis' by addressing the daunting inertia many with ADHD experience. It's the number one frustration among his audience, as revealed through a recent poll. Rick dives into familiar scenarios where simple tasks become herculean, providing a personal backdrop to explain the complexity of the challenge.

In a compelling discussion with ADHD coach Elaine Taylor Klouse, Rick unravels the long-lasting impact of undiagnosed ADHD in childhood which could lead to a multitude of adult challenges. These include not only procrastination but comorbid disorders like anxiety and low self-esteem. The persistent commands and corrections during youth might seed rebellion against routine tasks as adults.

Rick encourages viewers to tweak their mental approach to tasks. Instead of seeing them as obligations, view them as choices you make. This simple shift in perspective—from 'I have to' to 'I choose to'—could provide a new lens through which to understand and perhaps alleviate the paralysis that's all too familiar to those with ADHD.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Frustration of Overcoming Inertia Rick Green discusses a poll conducted among his patrons to identify the biggest ADHD-related challenge. The top issue identified was overcoming inertia, which refers to the difficulty in getting started on tasks. Rick shares that based on patron chat room discussions and personal experiences, overcoming inertia is indeed a significant concern. This video is the first in a series addressing this common ADHD struggle.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Exploring Reasons for Avoidance The chapter explores reasons for avoidance, particularly in doing tasks perceived as simple or requiring little time. It highlights the personal struggle with inertia and the realization that asking 'why' such tasks are avoided is crucial. Despite efforts to use various tips and tricks to overcome procrastination, the author identifies the complexity added by the perceived simplicity of tasks, like removing old carpets, which paradoxically makes them more daunting.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Comparison of Simple vs. Complex Tasks The chapter discusses the procrastination involved in completing both simple and complex tasks. While addressing why certain small tasks are often left undone, such as leaving coffee and honey on the counter instead of putting them away, it contrasts these with more significant tasks like disposing underpadding and carpet, which was delayed for two years. The overall focus is on how even trivial tasks can have a cumulative impact, highlighting the personal struggle in overcoming the inertia to complete them.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Conversation with ADHD Coach In the chapter titled 'Conversation with ADHD Coach,' the narrator reflects on their struggles with daily tasks such as putting away toothpaste or hanging up a coat. Despite these challenges, they ponder their ability to manage larger projects, questioning how they have successfully tackled major endeavors like producing and directing a 105-episode television series. This reflection highlights the narrator's introspective journey into understanding their ADHD and their capabilities.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Discussion on ADHD and Childhood Experiences In this conversation with ADHD coach Elaine Taylor Klouse, the discussion encompasses insights into ADHD and its interconnectedness with various comorbid disorders such as oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, and depression. The dialogue opens up the possibility of understanding how childhood experiences can significantly impact the challenges associated with ADHD, potentially leading to a profound realization for those dealing with these conditions. Taylor Klouse invites listeners to consider how these experiences shape behavioral patterns and mental health outcomes, providing a framework to explore new approaches to managing ADHD effectively.
• 02:30 - 03:00: Reflection on Adult ADHD Manifestations The chapter delves into the potential adulthood manifestations of undiagnosed ADHD during childhood, such as issues with self-esteem, hoarding, and gambling addiction. It acknowledges ADHD as a real condition influenced by factors like dopamine, brain structure and function, brainwave levels, and genetics. Dr. Anique Vincent's personal experience with her children, two of whom have ADHD, is highlighted, mentioning how they showed signs of higher activity levels even in vitro.
• 03:00 - 03:30: A New Perspective on ADHD and Inertia The chapter titled 'A New Perspective on ADHD and Inertia' explores the idea that individual manifestations of ADHD may be influenced by early experiences of being constantly told what not to do. It suggests that as adults, individuals with ADHD may resist simple chores and responsibilities due to an unconscious resentment stemming from these past experiences. The chapter delves into the impact of this early conditioning on habit formation and responsibility management in adulthood.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Reframing ADHD Challenges The chapter titled 'Reframing ADHD Challenges' discusses how common societal expectations and instructions given to children, such as 'pay attention', 'sit still', and 'don't sass', are particularly challenging for children with ADHD. It highlights that while these demands are considered routine and achievable for most, they are significantly more difficult for individuals with ADHD. The narrative reflects on how these challenges are a consistent part of the experience for those with ADHD, rather than occasional lapses in behavior.
• 04:00 - 04:30: Conclusion and Call to Action The chapter concludes by reflecting on the freedom and choices available in adulthood, and why people often feel inertia or resistance in making life decisions. It explores the underlying resentment and self-recrimination associated with this inertia, and questions the lack of self-inquiry into these feelings. The chapter encourages introspection about personal preferences and decisions.

Understanding ADHD Paralysis Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 hi I'm Rick Green In a recent poll my patrons voted on their biggest ADHD frustration from a list of about I don't know 20 common challenges Number one was overcoming inertia Getting started on something or on anything Based on comments in our patron chat rooms and my own experience over the years I suspected that overcoming inertia might be the hot ticket So this is the first of a number of videos I'll be making about that famous ADHD lament I know
• 00:30 - 01:00 what to do and I still don't do it To find a way to overcome my inertia and I have tried many tips and tricks it finally occurred to me that I should ask why Why do I avoid doing things that are ridiculously petty that take no time at all The fact that they are simple no-brainers actually makes it especially gling I mean overcoming the inertia to tear up all of this old carpeting on our ground floor of our house to pry out hundreds of staples and stubborn
• 01:00 - 01:30 underpadding and then rolling up the chunks of carpet and then hauling them off to the town dump There's no big mystery as to why I put off this job for 2 years whereas I leave the coffee and the honey here on the counter rather than put them away right here I know that these little incomp completions are trivial but the impact cumulatively is not If I can't find the
• 01:30 - 02:00 wherewithal to put away the toothpaste or hang up my coat rather than throw it over a chair how can I muster the confidence to tackle a big project like tearing up all the carpeting or producing a television series 105 episodes producing and directing co-writing co-starring How did I manage that How did I do that While pondering the reason behind my dillydallying over trifling tasks I happened to have a
• 02:00 - 02:30 conversation with ADHD coach Elaine Taylor Klouse She had some thoughts that led me to a minor epiphany actually it might be a major epiphany depending on what I do with it Elaine Taylor Klouse is fascinated by the possibility that many of the challenges of ADHD and one of the factors in many of the comorbid disorders that come along with it oppositional defiant disorder obsessivecompulsive disorder conduct disorder anxiety depression low
• 02:30 - 03:00 self-esteem hoarding gambling addiction that these are all the result at least partly of having a childhood of undiagnosed and untreated ADHD HD Now I'm not suggesting ADHD isn't real Dopamine is a factor Our brains are structured and function differently Different levels of brain waves There's a genetic component Dr Anique Vincent has four sons Two of them who have ADHD were far more active in vitro We're fidgety as fetuses That said I just
• 03:00 - 03:30 wonder if the way our ADHD manifests in particular for each person might be a result of being constantly told "Don't do that Don't touch that Sit up." And the result is that now that we're adults free to live as we please We shrug off those simple chores and responsibilities that we were nagged over and the good habits we never developed because there's this unconscious residual resentment over the thousands of times
• 03:30 - 04:00 we were told pay attention sit still don't sass nana and since that conversation with Elaine Taylor Klouse I've noticed that many of the symptoms that are used to diagnose ADHD are things every child hears ADHD or not Don't fidget Wait your turn Pay attention Stop talking Just listen And most people can do that Not us Having ADHD makes those things so hard to do So we are told over and over and over Later
• 04:00 - 04:30 in adolescence and then adulthood we're free to do whatever we want We can do what we want when we want We can spend as much as we like We could even do nothing I'd never pause to consider why I resist why that inertia feels so heavy so ingrained There's this resentment underneath it We all appreciate that it's holding us back We may even curse it We can curse ourselves about it But do we ever pause to ask why Why in particular Why do I only like wearing
• 04:30 - 05:00 jeans Is it because we had to wear these really uncomfortable flannel pants to go to church and I didn't like church We never paused to ask why We are rebels without a pause And I think at least for me there's an almost childlike terrible too knee-jerk You're not debas I don't know It's just an idea Maybe ADHD doctors actually figured this out years ago and it's a core part of understanding ADHD And I'm coming along now going "Look the sun is very bright
• 05:00 - 05:30 Maybe it's obvious but it was a surprise to me a new perspective for me." I'm not dismissing ADHD challenges This isn't about just try harder It's about reframing things or looking for the cores as to particular particular uh behaviors that we each have because everybody expresses it differently The inertia and procrastination and the paralysis we experience is complicated There are physical reasons for it and I'll focus on solutions to that in other videos In the meantime here's a possible
• 05:30 - 06:00 solution a tip hack little experiment to try is probably a better way of putting it Rather than saying uh I should make my bed or I have to make my bed try phrasing it as I choose to make my bed I'm making my bed for me and my partner and any pets Hope this helps Please like share comment and uh and even become a patron Chop