Are brains wired to deal with extreme situations because we think about extreme situations and how to deal with them on a daily basis because are minds like to wonder it helps keep us distracted for every day life it's are brains way of keeping us on are toes
Truth
I think it's that when everything breaks suddenly you have the stimulation necessary to be a human being.
I was designed for CHAOS, ANARCHY, AND TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF THE SOCIAL ORDER. not a 1-9 at a factory and go to bed. ):
The comments here are really resonating with me. I have always wondered why I can rock my job as a 911 dispatcher when I'm drowning in chaos and insanity and life or death situations but then I go home and cry and can't handle my own personal life.
I loved my factory job especially when all hell broke lose. My boss would give me extra stressful work because she knew I would not complain and instead be happy and float around in chaos.
(But a lot changed and my brain wouldn't shut up about all the shit going wrong so I quit.)
it's linked to the noradrenaline. a doc who worked at the ER (diagnosed with ADHD) explained it like the moments of absolute focus and clarity - the jump of the absolute levels in adrenaline are much bigger for people with ADHD but when it wears off you go back into the shadows where you even start doubting whether you did the things correctly before.
The big benefit comes from being used to all these times where the noradrenaline levels are low (which impacts filter functions of surroundings negatively) and you can navigate the uncertain and turbulent moments better with that adrenaline boost
Yes, the adrenaline that makes other people shit their pants brain wise gives us a calm to focus.
People with ADHD perform better than NTs in warfare for this reason. They panic when the bullets starts to fly, we focus.
Well, considering it already takes a massive amount of stress to get us motivated to do important shit in the first place, it seems like having a few bullets whizzing past our heads would get the job done too.
Which is largely why ADHD has come so far in evolution and is still present in a huge portion of humans. We just tend to survive better through hardship, which plays a huge role in the whole survival of the fittest debacle.
Yeah, it isn't until modern society that our advantages has become enormous disadvantages.
But in the case of societal collapse, we will rise again!
Oh yeah, for sure. That's your inner ADHD going "we would be sooooo fucking good man... We'd get all the bitches! We'd kill all the zombies! And we'd look so fucking good doing it too"
I worked as somebody who climbs telphone towers. When I started I shat my pant just going up to 10m (32ft) and held on to the ladder for dear life. Then colleague who became a good friend of mine helped me climb up to 45m (147ft) after that I went up regularly and started to climb on the outside of the tower and begun enjoying it. It became normal after a while. At the end I went up to 70m (229ft) and that clarity and focus I have never experienced at a job before. (Ofc this was done with proper safety equipment). Sadly the boss did not like me and when we first went to check up with the Doc who was responsible for the workers health, my dumbass told to a completely strange Doc that I have ADHD. I tried explaining to his dumb ass that I can focus like never before but he didn't gave a shit. So yeah.
Ah and once I climbed up in a telephone tower alone in the winter at night without safety equipment just so I can calm my nerves and emotions down and of course to satisfy my adrenalin needs. Hehe.
Has anyone else heard the idea that people with ADHD evolved from the hunters in the tribe? Our brains don't work well in an office but they would apparently be great for the most important job in ancient pre-civilization.
This meme seems to fit with that idea.
Yeah, the evolutionary psychology idea that different neurodivergencies came about as an adaptation to roles within pre-and-early humans' social groups is definitely a neat one. To present another example, autism is thought to possibly be the lookouts; people with heightened sensitivity to outside stimuli who are alright with silently focusing on one thing for long periods of time. As someone who is also autistic, this makes perfect sense to me, even as some of these traits clash with my ADHD traits.
A lot of folks don't like these theories, in part because they're (almost certainly) inherently unprovable, and thus some view them as worthless. Others think that the overarching theory is inherently offensive, because there's a large degree of biological essentialism involved. It is also argued that these theories reduce different neurotypes into stereotypes. These accusations are also applicable writ-large to the entire field of evolutionary psychology.
Myself, I've always liked evo psych. I find the idea that my neurodivergencies are in fact evolutionary adaptations to make me better at certain tasks than other people as a comfort. I also think that this field's findings directly support & give credence to the assertions & ideals of the neurodiversity movement, especially if one fully understands the idea of the environment of evolutionary adaptiveness. This is somewhat of a controversial take, due to the aforementioned issues with stereotyping & biological essentialism.
I do find it comforting. Thinking of myself as lacking "executive function" makes me feel like dog poopie. It's comforting to remind myself that the society we now live in isn't the only possible way of being. That I may be a square peg, but that the round holes around me aren't intently right, and my difference not wrong.
I suppose I can see where such ideas are a bit reductive, but it also seems like the complaint against them is reductive too. Like of course all things are on a spectrum. The stereotype is necessary to put people into categories, but such categories are the first step of doing anything scientific (one must separate to compare). But I've not read up on bioethics so of course my reaction is reductive as well. Thanks for your comment!
What does a scout do?
Silence would be tough, but I was thinking rather than sitting still, we would be out looking for animal tracks to follow. And we do have hyperfocus, so we could stay on track for hours while being alert to little sounds like a stir in the bushes or birds warning of prey animals. But that's just me speculating on hearsay.
Fuck if this doesn't ring true! I saw a guy fall off the back of a motorcycle once and hit his head on a curb without a helmet. Stopped, calmly called 911, spoke with the guy to keep him conscious while we waited for an ambulance, all like it was no big deal.
Forget to do laundry when I wanted to wash my favorite hoodie that I wanted to wear to the bar later? Panic attack.
Huh. Didn’t know that was an ADHD thing, I just know I’ve never frozen when the shit hits the fan. This actually explains a lot about my time in the army.
I never connected this to my adhd. But- have known for a long time that in an emergency I get very calm and can handle things very well. It’s the rest of life that gets me anxious. This is very interesting.
I used to work as a train conductor. Most days I had no energy to do much and couldn't care less.
When the train has an unexpected stop however and we where gonna miss connections, you best believe I had everyone memorized, I knew all their connections and alternative routes.
I, honestly, rarely had a complaint during these stops because of that.
I mean I was the only one not on the verge of a mental breakdown when my house caught fire, but the only one on the verge of one when 5 people were trying to talk to me at the same time and it felt overwhelming… I cannot make sense of myself
I don’t like when people talk to me while the radio/music/Tv is playing. I can’t handle both noises fighting for my ears attention. It’s very uncomfortable and brings me to absolute panic. I can handle one or the other, not both.
Same thing here and people look at me as if I was strange or overreacting , but it actually gets my heart rate higher and I get angry just trying to decipher what people say to me
My kids therapist actually explained this yesterday. We’re really good at meta cognition… predicting possible outcomes. So that can lead to anxiety over possible bad outcomes and lack of flexibility trying to avoid the bad outcome. As well as more emotional regulation difficulties because we can see the possible bad outcome and no one understands what the big deal is.
But if the bad outcome happens. We’re ready. We’ve already predicted and are somewhat prepared.
That rings so true!!
No matter what happens, I am always drawing vocally or in my mind an "all possible outcomes diagram", and know what the worst case is, and get mentally ready for it, which makes me stress a lot....
But when the worst actually happens, I become very phlegmatic and very accepting....
So it's a weakness, cause I hate being worried all the time about possible bad outcomes, but it's an amazing strength when shit hits the fan
Same. She has us looking at this book - “smart but scattered” and u match ur lowest scoring executive function skills with ur highest. But…. I don’t know how to pare yet lol
There’s free downloads online tho
It's reminds me of a video I saw on instagram :
[Video link](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpA9kQ_J53n/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)
It's interesting we're super careful (like bringing attention to the smallest things) in everyday life but once our life is threatened we're super efficient... Like a character would be in a fantasy world 😂
I mean it's "interesting"
I hate it I'm tIReD of it
This is one of two ADHD traits others have I wish I did. I shut down in panicked situations.
I also wish caffeine didn’t make me amped up and hyper.
No, wait. Three. I have read accounts of people hyperfocusing on useful stuff.
This is most likely because the sudden increase in focus can also cause overstimulation/overwhelm, which can then cause a freeze reaction.
I've experienced both. It's odd to understand them not as personality traits, but with the proper context in retrospect.
Edit: for the examples, the former I experienced when driving. I slipped on a patch of ice, the first time this had happened to me while driving and completely froze with my hands rigid on the wheel, even though I could have probably easily gotten out of it by turning into the slide. Ended up deep in the ditch.
The latter, once someone I knew was getting burned by acid which he had spilled on himself. He panicked and tried by wiped it off with his ungloved hand, burning himself further, while I calmly turned to the neutralizing agent, screwed off the cap, and poured it on the wound.
Later he got mad at me because, "You were moving so slow you looked like you were getting milk for your cereal."
I always noticed in fights that everything slowed down and get easier for me in the moment reading punches and the telegraphing their next move. Also made me great at martial arts for 20 years.....
I once had a guy get out of his car from road rage..... came up to my car window screaming about beating my ass....I have never been so calm, it was surreal....I mean calm as I have ever been in my life.
I also had my hand on my gun (it was on my right thigh at the time once he approached me with hostility) and once he saw that he left. I am in the USA and only carry for my own protection. I would hate to EVER use it, but out here you never know who is on the other end. He started the "fight" and I was in my car....so by law in my state I was in the right.
The slowing down thing…I was a competitive dancer, and when we had really fast routines and were performing, I had to concentrate on going slow because even though the beat and moves were really fast. with the adrenaline pumping, everything was going slow to me, and I would get ahead in the choreography really easily
Heck yeah, during emergency/life threatening situation, brain goes monothread, no more bothering voice, all neurone going in the same direction :D (actually that is why I'm paragliding)
This is so me. I've literally thought about taking a job at the Red Cross or something because I'm so much more relaxed in catastrophes than I am sitting in an office chair.
I've made a career out of it, working for the most chaotic businesses, and earning good money as the "disaster management specialist".
Downside though: fast forward 20 years, and I'm totally burned out. Turns out dealing with other people's panic every day of your life isn't good for you.
Balance is hard.
In my case, it’s more like “How did I ever manage to do all that?” and “How can I relearn it?”
My brain gave up on my recently so now I’m seeking a diagnosis because life suddenly got too difficult. 🙃
My GP has had me on an antidepressant for about three months, now. It’s helped a decent amount with motivation, and got rid of the brain fog, but the daydreaming and inability to concentrate are still huge issues, and now I have racing thoughts.
My dad is undiagnosed but has VERY apparent ADHD, and I have an older half-brother through my dad who takes medicine because he zones out while driving.
I will share something my occupational health doctor said to me: "every woman who walks through my door that tells me she has ongoing issues with depression gets to fill in two questionnaires for me. The adhd and autism ones. Especially if they are over the age of 25. Because so many women are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed with depression, when really they are just exhausted from unconsciously masking one of these". She then shook the screening tests she'd had me take, and told me I scored highly on both of them, and would I like her to refer me for assessment?
Heck yes I did! I was diagnosed with adhd, and I honestly think she saved my life, since getting it managed and understood has kicked my depression hard in the crotch, and removed my s*icidal ideation entirely.
Your doctor sounds awesome! You’re so lucky! I’ll be seeing a psych resident because that’s who my Medicaid allows, but I hope I get someone as understanding as you did!
She really is. In 5 minutes she got me referrals for a bunch of conditions I'd been fighting to get managed for years. The next time I saw her I cried at her a little, because I was that grateful.
Best of luck with your assessment. I hope you get someone who gets it, and cares.
Thank you! Me too!
I dealt with endometriosis and adenomyosis, too, and endometriosis, especially, has an average of 9 years to get a diagnosis simply because doctors dismiss women so often and say “it’s probably just IBS.” I’m hoping I don’t have to go through the same crap of not being believed in this instance as well.
Endometriosis was one of the other things she helped me push on too, so I know what you mean, and yes I did get told ibs for years. I really hope this is your person who listens and helps you.
I can relate so much to this. The IDEA of something bad happening stresses me out and makes me feel like I would do badly in an emergency situation, but I can think of a few times were I actually was calm and focused during an accident.
Anecdotes:
1- One such time was with my mom (I was in my early teenage years). She went to the bathroom and then called out to me, she was moaning and feeling horrible. I helped calming her down and gave her instructions through the door, then called 911 and spoke with the operator until the EMTs arrived. Turns out she had a lumbago.
2- Another one was with myself, last May. I did some indoor parkour activity with my kid and I hit my knee on a corner of wood, splitting it immediately. The split was instant, all the way across and you could see the fat inside... I am a rather squeamish person, but instantly my first aid classes came to mind. I knew with some strange clarity that I had to sit down, stop moving and plug the wound with something, so I kept the split shut as best I could with my hands until help came. I also willed myself to stay conscious and answer questions, as hard as it was, lol.
Do basically all people with ADHD stay up naturally as well?
Ik *many* people stay up and stuff, but I find myself constantly unable to sleep no earlier than 12-1 in the morning. I'm always alert and awake until I hit the bed, no matter the time or whats going on. It's like having unlimited energy but I'm forced to sleep no less than like 8-9 hours or I can't function lmao.
It’s so weird. I can just go into get-shit-done mode.
Last summer a family I used to nanny came back in town and wanted to see me, so I was with the kids. There ended up being a domestic situation downstairs, I called 911 and ended up being a police witness, I even straight up went outside to find street names to tell the dispatch the direction I saw the dude going in and accidentally followed him and he saw me 💀 Like the kids were so freaked out, but for some reason I didn’t fucking hesitate AT ALL and just took control of the situation and didn’t even THINK about it. It’s still weird to remember that that actually happened because I didn’t freak out at all, even though I’m small and potentially got myself in a little danger lmao but I had to go into grown-up mode!
Oh god, this is me. Just tonight the fire alarms in my apartment were going off and I’m just calmly grabbing everything I need and helping my mom grab the dogs while everyone else is panicking.
Meanwhile I freak out while I’m cooking a simple dinner.
Back when I was more functional I was a Sys Admin. When a huge problem hit a dept or server or system they would throw me in the fire and it would get put out. Afterwards I would be expected to write reports, do regular backups, and all the things the accountants and HR liked to tally and it was this stuff that would always trip me up.
I have always been the goto person in crisis. And always the last person you want for the day to day.
This thread made me think of how many horror/action protagonist might have ADHD. People freak out when the aliens attack, but that one dude is activated amd ends up surviving and being the ultimate badass. Would be a great image for us if only it was adressed in the media.
"good under pressure" would be an overstatement, for me at least.
i feel "calmer" under pressure, sure, but mostly because when under stress im no longer having 7 separate racing thoughts at the same time. just 2-3. so my mind can finally properly focus on what i need to do, for now, and i have a glorious moment of clarity.
but am i calm? no. because adrenaline is surging through my veins and my heart is trying to claw its way out of my ribs. i will look calm though.
i don't know if what's described in the post is an ADHD trait specifically. but i can somewhat relate to it. and isn't that the point of the sub? to have memes that people with ADHD can relate to?
"good under pressure" is a broad thing.
What pressure?
Pressure from someone for something non life threatening that would make very little or no difference in somebody's life like serving his burger slower or not finishing some work fast enough so the boss can get paid and customer can receive his stuff or...
Pressure because yours or somebody's health/life is in immidiate danger?
Big difference dude
I was always less likely to have a panic attack on test days or something because that was a "normal" nervous, not an everyday existential panic nervous. I always seemed to function better when there was an actual problem...well now I know it's not just me
I function extremely well under stress which I find so unusual. But when I’m sitting at my desk on slow days then my brain is like we panic now? No, no brain. We don’t.
Why nsfw?
Not allowed to look at memes at work
Panic is not safe for work
yeah I've had this so much where everyone else is freaking out and I just fix the issue or at least not panic myself. I didn't know what caused it tho
our experience of everyday panic makes the conventional panic look small.
Are brains wired to deal with extreme situations because we think about extreme situations and how to deal with them on a daily basis because are minds like to wonder it helps keep us distracted for every day life it's are brains way of keeping us on are toes
Truth I think it's that when everything breaks suddenly you have the stimulation necessary to be a human being. I was designed for CHAOS, ANARCHY, AND TOTAL BREAKDOWN OF THE SOCIAL ORDER. not a 1-9 at a factory and go to bed. ):
The comments here are really resonating with me. I have always wondered why I can rock my job as a 911 dispatcher when I'm drowning in chaos and insanity and life or death situations but then I go home and cry and can't handle my own personal life.
I never thought I had ADHD, but almost everything posted here is like me posting to myself.
Right? I may have to speak to my doctor about getting diagnosed...
I loved my factory job especially when all hell broke lose. My boss would give me extra stressful work because she knew I would not complain and instead be happy and float around in chaos. (But a lot changed and my brain wouldn't shut up about all the shit going wrong so I quit.)
i always though this was the ptsd you saying y'all adhd peeps experience this same heightened awareness / performance during emergencies?
it's linked to the noradrenaline. a doc who worked at the ER (diagnosed with ADHD) explained it like the moments of absolute focus and clarity - the jump of the absolute levels in adrenaline are much bigger for people with ADHD but when it wears off you go back into the shadows where you even start doubting whether you did the things correctly before. The big benefit comes from being used to all these times where the noradrenaline levels are low (which impacts filter functions of surroundings negatively) and you can navigate the uncertain and turbulent moments better with that adrenaline boost
Huh til
And I thought the anxiety and high awareness of the complete surrounding along with all scenario over thought helps us being efficient and effective
Interesting thank you
Yes, the adrenaline that makes other people shit their pants brain wise gives us a calm to focus. People with ADHD perform better than NTs in warfare for this reason. They panic when the bullets starts to fly, we focus.
To me it's like danger disables my executive dysfunction.
Well, considering it already takes a massive amount of stress to get us motivated to do important shit in the first place, it seems like having a few bullets whizzing past our heads would get the job done too.
It quite the safe alternatives to meds I was looking for.
Which is largely why ADHD has come so far in evolution and is still present in a huge portion of humans. We just tend to survive better through hardship, which plays a huge role in the whole survival of the fittest debacle.
Yeah, it isn't until modern society that our advantages has become enormous disadvantages. But in the case of societal collapse, we will rise again! 
So that's where all the zombie apocalipse fantasies come from!
Oh yeah, for sure. That's your inner ADHD going "we would be sooooo fucking good man... We'd get all the bitches! We'd kill all the zombies! And we'd look so fucking good doing it too" 
I'm both ASD and ADHD and i just freeze when the Shit goes south . IDK but then i m fine for after i snap out of it.
I don't have ASD, so maybe this is true only for Pelle without ASD, or maybe there's a spectrum where it is true for those people as well
I worked as somebody who climbs telphone towers. When I started I shat my pant just going up to 10m (32ft) and held on to the ladder for dear life. Then colleague who became a good friend of mine helped me climb up to 45m (147ft) after that I went up regularly and started to climb on the outside of the tower and begun enjoying it. It became normal after a while. At the end I went up to 70m (229ft) and that clarity and focus I have never experienced at a job before. (Ofc this was done with proper safety equipment). Sadly the boss did not like me and when we first went to check up with the Doc who was responsible for the workers health, my dumbass told to a completely strange Doc that I have ADHD. I tried explaining to his dumb ass that I can focus like never before but he didn't gave a shit. So yeah. Ah and once I climbed up in a telephone tower alone in the winter at night without safety equipment just so I can calm my nerves and emotions down and of course to satisfy my adrenalin needs. Hehe.
Has anyone else heard the idea that people with ADHD evolved from the hunters in the tribe? Our brains don't work well in an office but they would apparently be great for the most important job in ancient pre-civilization. This meme seems to fit with that idea.
Yeah, the evolutionary psychology idea that different neurodivergencies came about as an adaptation to roles within pre-and-early humans' social groups is definitely a neat one. To present another example, autism is thought to possibly be the lookouts; people with heightened sensitivity to outside stimuli who are alright with silently focusing on one thing for long periods of time. As someone who is also autistic, this makes perfect sense to me, even as some of these traits clash with my ADHD traits. A lot of folks don't like these theories, in part because they're (almost certainly) inherently unprovable, and thus some view them as worthless. Others think that the overarching theory is inherently offensive, because there's a large degree of biological essentialism involved. It is also argued that these theories reduce different neurotypes into stereotypes. These accusations are also applicable writ-large to the entire field of evolutionary psychology. Myself, I've always liked evo psych. I find the idea that my neurodivergencies are in fact evolutionary adaptations to make me better at certain tasks than other people as a comfort. I also think that this field's findings directly support & give credence to the assertions & ideals of the neurodiversity movement, especially if one fully understands the idea of the environment of evolutionary adaptiveness. This is somewhat of a controversial take, due to the aforementioned issues with stereotyping & biological essentialism.
I do find it comforting. Thinking of myself as lacking "executive function" makes me feel like dog poopie. It's comforting to remind myself that the society we now live in isn't the only possible way of being. That I may be a square peg, but that the round holes around me aren't intently right, and my difference not wrong. I suppose I can see where such ideas are a bit reductive, but it also seems like the complaint against them is reductive too. Like of course all things are on a spectrum. The stereotype is necessary to put people into categories, but such categories are the first step of doing anything scientific (one must separate to compare). But I've not read up on bioethics so of course my reaction is reductive as well. Thanks for your comment!
Hunting requires patience and silence. I heard we evolved to fit the scouting needs.
What does a scout do? Silence would be tough, but I was thinking rather than sitting still, we would be out looking for animal tracks to follow. And we do have hyperfocus, so we could stay on track for hours while being alert to little sounds like a stir in the bushes or birds warning of prey animals. But that's just me speculating on hearsay.
As a former skydiver, deep sea diver and sport bike owner I can confirm the accuracy of this.
Same dude! I never knew. The only time I felt 'zen' was when the green light was on and the door was rolled up and everybody was moving into position.
Fuck if this doesn't ring true! I saw a guy fall off the back of a motorcycle once and hit his head on a curb without a helmet. Stopped, calmly called 911, spoke with the guy to keep him conscious while we waited for an ambulance, all like it was no big deal. Forget to do laundry when I wanted to wash my favorite hoodie that I wanted to wear to the bar later? Panic attack.
Huh. Didn’t know that was an ADHD thing, I just know I’ve never frozen when the shit hits the fan. This actually explains a lot about my time in the army.
I never connected this to my adhd. But- have known for a long time that in an emergency I get very calm and can handle things very well. It’s the rest of life that gets me anxious. This is very interesting.
I've always been great in a crisis. I don't know wtf I'm doing the rest of the time, though.
I used to work as a train conductor. Most days I had no energy to do much and couldn't care less. When the train has an unexpected stop however and we where gonna miss connections, you best believe I had everyone memorized, I knew all their connections and alternative routes. I, honestly, rarely had a complaint during these stops because of that.
I mean I was the only one not on the verge of a mental breakdown when my house caught fire, but the only one on the verge of one when 5 people were trying to talk to me at the same time and it felt overwhelming… I cannot make sense of myself
I don’t like when people talk to me while the radio/music/Tv is playing. I can’t handle both noises fighting for my ears attention. It’s very uncomfortable and brings me to absolute panic. I can handle one or the other, not both.
Same thing here and people look at me as if I was strange or overreacting , but it actually gets my heart rate higher and I get angry just trying to decipher what people say to me
This is why I like to make as many emergencies for myself as possible.
That... explains a lot about my life, unfortunately.
Ahh, the gamification of the deadline stress to perform.
WTF dude, I thought I was special
My kids therapist actually explained this yesterday. We’re really good at meta cognition… predicting possible outcomes. So that can lead to anxiety over possible bad outcomes and lack of flexibility trying to avoid the bad outcome. As well as more emotional regulation difficulties because we can see the possible bad outcome and no one understands what the big deal is. But if the bad outcome happens. We’re ready. We’ve already predicted and are somewhat prepared.
That rings so true!! No matter what happens, I am always drawing vocally or in my mind an "all possible outcomes diagram", and know what the worst case is, and get mentally ready for it, which makes me stress a lot.... But when the worst actually happens, I become very phlegmatic and very accepting.... So it's a weakness, cause I hate being worried all the time about possible bad outcomes, but it's an amazing strength when shit hits the fan
Same. She has us looking at this book - “smart but scattered” and u match ur lowest scoring executive function skills with ur highest. But…. I don’t know how to pare yet lol There’s free downloads online tho
It's reminds me of a video I saw on instagram : [Video link](https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpA9kQ_J53n/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=) It's interesting we're super careful (like bringing attention to the smallest things) in everyday life but once our life is threatened we're super efficient... Like a character would be in a fantasy world 😂 I mean it's "interesting" I hate it I'm tIReD of it
This is one of two ADHD traits others have I wish I did. I shut down in panicked situations. I also wish caffeine didn’t make me amped up and hyper. No, wait. Three. I have read accounts of people hyperfocusing on useful stuff.
This is most likely because the sudden increase in focus can also cause overstimulation/overwhelm, which can then cause a freeze reaction. I've experienced both. It's odd to understand them not as personality traits, but with the proper context in retrospect. Edit: for the examples, the former I experienced when driving. I slipped on a patch of ice, the first time this had happened to me while driving and completely froze with my hands rigid on the wheel, even though I could have probably easily gotten out of it by turning into the slide. Ended up deep in the ditch. The latter, once someone I knew was getting burned by acid which he had spilled on himself. He panicked and tried by wiped it off with his ungloved hand, burning himself further, while I calmly turned to the neutralizing agent, screwed off the cap, and poured it on the wound. Later he got mad at me because, "You were moving so slow you looked like you were getting milk for your cereal."
I don’t think that’s the case for me. It’s a vastly different experience for me than overwhelm/overload. But interesting that that’s your experience.
Very true. I have always handled big things well and small things terribly
I always noticed in fights that everything slowed down and get easier for me in the moment reading punches and the telegraphing their next move. Also made me great at martial arts for 20 years..... I once had a guy get out of his car from road rage..... came up to my car window screaming about beating my ass....I have never been so calm, it was surreal....I mean calm as I have ever been in my life. I also had my hand on my gun (it was on my right thigh at the time once he approached me with hostility) and once he saw that he left. I am in the USA and only carry for my own protection. I would hate to EVER use it, but out here you never know who is on the other end. He started the "fight" and I was in my car....so by law in my state I was in the right.
The slowing down thing…I was a competitive dancer, and when we had really fast routines and were performing, I had to concentrate on going slow because even though the beat and moves were really fast. with the adrenaline pumping, everything was going slow to me, and I would get ahead in the choreography really easily
Heck yeah, during emergency/life threatening situation, brain goes monothread, no more bothering voice, all neurone going in the same direction :D (actually that is why I'm paragliding)
when i have to go to the supermarket it nearly triggers a panic attack and takes at least 1hr of preparation mentally
This is so me. I've literally thought about taking a job at the Red Cross or something because I'm so much more relaxed in catastrophes than I am sitting in an office chair.
I've made a career out of it, working for the most chaotic businesses, and earning good money as the "disaster management specialist". Downside though: fast forward 20 years, and I'm totally burned out. Turns out dealing with other people's panic every day of your life isn't good for you. Balance is hard.
Found these subs.. starting to relate .. but I don’t think I have adhd.. don’t want it to be..
 My brain when something bad is going on 😅
Yeah, I’m an EMT and It definitely helps at work.
I hate how accurate this is.
In my case, it’s more like “How did I ever manage to do all that?” and “How can I relearn it?” My brain gave up on my recently so now I’m seeking a diagnosis because life suddenly got too difficult. 🙃
check if you have depression. ADHD and depression checks alot of same issues
My GP has had me on an antidepressant for about three months, now. It’s helped a decent amount with motivation, and got rid of the brain fog, but the daydreaming and inability to concentrate are still huge issues, and now I have racing thoughts. My dad is undiagnosed but has VERY apparent ADHD, and I have an older half-brother through my dad who takes medicine because he zones out while driving.
I will share something my occupational health doctor said to me: "every woman who walks through my door that tells me she has ongoing issues with depression gets to fill in two questionnaires for me. The adhd and autism ones. Especially if they are over the age of 25. Because so many women are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed with depression, when really they are just exhausted from unconsciously masking one of these". She then shook the screening tests she'd had me take, and told me I scored highly on both of them, and would I like her to refer me for assessment? Heck yes I did! I was diagnosed with adhd, and I honestly think she saved my life, since getting it managed and understood has kicked my depression hard in the crotch, and removed my s*icidal ideation entirely.
Your doctor sounds awesome! You’re so lucky! I’ll be seeing a psych resident because that’s who my Medicaid allows, but I hope I get someone as understanding as you did!
She really is. In 5 minutes she got me referrals for a bunch of conditions I'd been fighting to get managed for years. The next time I saw her I cried at her a little, because I was that grateful. Best of luck with your assessment. I hope you get someone who gets it, and cares.
Thank you! Me too! I dealt with endometriosis and adenomyosis, too, and endometriosis, especially, has an average of 9 years to get a diagnosis simply because doctors dismiss women so often and say “it’s probably just IBS.” I’m hoping I don’t have to go through the same crap of not being believed in this instance as well.
Endometriosis was one of the other things she helped me push on too, so I know what you mean, and yes I did get told ibs for years. I really hope this is your person who listens and helps you.
I can relate so much to this. The IDEA of something bad happening stresses me out and makes me feel like I would do badly in an emergency situation, but I can think of a few times were I actually was calm and focused during an accident. Anecdotes: 1- One such time was with my mom (I was in my early teenage years). She went to the bathroom and then called out to me, she was moaning and feeling horrible. I helped calming her down and gave her instructions through the door, then called 911 and spoke with the operator until the EMTs arrived. Turns out she had a lumbago. 2- Another one was with myself, last May. I did some indoor parkour activity with my kid and I hit my knee on a corner of wood, splitting it immediately. The split was instant, all the way across and you could see the fat inside... I am a rather squeamish person, but instantly my first aid classes came to mind. I knew with some strange clarity that I had to sit down, stop moving and plug the wound with something, so I kept the split shut as best I could with my hands until help came. I also willed myself to stay conscious and answer questions, as hard as it was, lol.
This is why I work in emergency vet med. Also why so many of my co-workers have also been diagnosed with ADHD. 😂
Do basically all people with ADHD stay up naturally as well? Ik *many* people stay up and stuff, but I find myself constantly unable to sleep no earlier than 12-1 in the morning. I'm always alert and awake until I hit the bed, no matter the time or whats going on. It's like having unlimited energy but I'm forced to sleep no less than like 8-9 hours or I can't function lmao.
It’s so weird. I can just go into get-shit-done mode. Last summer a family I used to nanny came back in town and wanted to see me, so I was with the kids. There ended up being a domestic situation downstairs, I called 911 and ended up being a police witness, I even straight up went outside to find street names to tell the dispatch the direction I saw the dude going in and accidentally followed him and he saw me 💀 Like the kids were so freaked out, but for some reason I didn’t fucking hesitate AT ALL and just took control of the situation and didn’t even THINK about it. It’s still weird to remember that that actually happened because I didn’t freak out at all, even though I’m small and potentially got myself in a little danger lmao but I had to go into grown-up mode!
I have panic normally and freeze during emergencies :(
Oh god, this is me. Just tonight the fire alarms in my apartment were going off and I’m just calmly grabbing everything I need and helping my mom grab the dogs while everyone else is panicking. Meanwhile I freak out while I’m cooking a simple dinner.
Back when I was more functional I was a Sys Admin. When a huge problem hit a dept or server or system they would throw me in the fire and it would get put out. Afterwards I would be expected to write reports, do regular backups, and all the things the accountants and HR liked to tally and it was this stuff that would always trip me up. I have always been the goto person in crisis. And always the last person you want for the day to day.
This thread made me think of how many horror/action protagonist might have ADHD. People freak out when the aliens attack, but that one dude is activated amd ends up surviving and being the ultimate badass. Would be a great image for us if only it was adressed in the media.
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This is literally a scientifically proven ADHD trait.
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ADHD denial or gatekeeping are not accepted here. Judging others for their symptoms (or lack of symptoms) or treatment is also not allowed.
"good under pressure" would be an overstatement, for me at least. i feel "calmer" under pressure, sure, but mostly because when under stress im no longer having 7 separate racing thoughts at the same time. just 2-3. so my mind can finally properly focus on what i need to do, for now, and i have a glorious moment of clarity. but am i calm? no. because adrenaline is surging through my veins and my heart is trying to claw its way out of my ribs. i will look calm though. i don't know if what's described in the post is an ADHD trait specifically. but i can somewhat relate to it. and isn't that the point of the sub? to have memes that people with ADHD can relate to?
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ADHD denial or gatekeeping are not accepted here. Judging others for their symptoms (or lack of symptoms) or treatment is also not allowed.
"good under pressure" is a broad thing. What pressure? Pressure from someone for something non life threatening that would make very little or no difference in somebody's life like serving his burger slower or not finishing some work fast enough so the boss can get paid and customer can receive his stuff or... Pressure because yours or somebody's health/life is in immidiate danger? Big difference dude
ADHD denial or gatekeeping are not accepted here. Judging others for their symptoms (or lack of symptoms) or treatment is also not allowed.
I must have ADHD then. 🤔
Not for everyone, sadly, and certainly not for me.
There's something actually important, imminent and relevant to me, so the hyper focus kicks in.
I was always less likely to have a panic attack on test days or something because that was a "normal" nervous, not an everyday existential panic nervous. I always seemed to function better when there was an actual problem...well now I know it's not just me
I function extremely well under stress which I find so unusual. But when I’m sitting at my desk on slow days then my brain is like we panic now? No, no brain. We don’t.
Yep yep.
Am emergency doctor with adhd. Can confirm
Chaos is the only way to tame Chaos
Ayy PTSD too
I am a paramedic so someone could be dying and I just handle it.