That’s a major reason why Dr. Russell Barkley refers to it as Executive Function Disorder. We actually don’t have a problem with attention; we have a problem prioritizing what we attend to. Everyone with ADHD is familiar with the hyperfocus phenomenon. We can pay attention (even sustained, abnormally intense attention) to activities that provide a healthy dopamine payout, but we don’t really control what those activities are. It’s helpful if they happen to be socially useful activities!
Yes! I've been slowly getting into his work on the various executive functions, not just the intellectual/thinking one... emotional regulation is a big thing too!
Honestly, the emotional regulation component is one of the biggest things for me, as anyone who has ridden with me driving could tell you…
But learning to see it as an executive function disorder that really touches on a whole host of other cognitive functions beyond just attention has been a real game-changer for me in terms of conceptualizing the disorder. It makes it more overwhelming on some level, but it also helps to explain many of the struggles I have beyond just paying attention (which, as we know, often isn’t the major problem we face).
