Prof. Maggie Sibley

particular task that you've been sucked into yeah exactly it seems like a paradox and the going hypothesis that I've been hearing from scientists is that maybe what's going on with ADHD is they have problems with the control of their attention so not just like problems with attention but problems with how to control it so to Maggie it wouldn't be a paradox at all

particular task that you've been sucked into yeah exactly it seems like a paradox and the going hypothesis that I've been hearing from scientists is that maybe what's going on with ADHD is they have problems with the control of their attention so not just like problems with attention but problems with how to control it so to Maggie it wouldn't be a paradox at all

So the same thing that makes it hard for someone to stay on task might make it hard for them to move on to other things that should be now taking their attention. Like, you know, I was saying earlier, people forget to go to the bathroom. You should be aware. Like, I have a full bladder. I should go to the bathroom.

So the same thing that makes it hard for someone to stay on task might make it hard for them to move on to other things that should be now taking their attention. Like, you know, I was saying earlier, people forget to go to the bathroom. You should be aware. Like, I have a full bladder. I should go to the bathroom.

Yeah. Ooh. Are you having yet another Ratatouille moment? Yes.

Yeah. Ooh. Are you having yet another Ratatouille moment? Yes.

You know, it makes me think that some people do say that hyperfocus is a problem. It's not necessarily a superpower. It can mean that you get way too focused on the wrong thing or at the wrong time.

You know, it makes me think that some people do say that hyperfocus is a problem. It's not necessarily a superpower. It can mean that you get way too focused on the wrong thing or at the wrong time.

Well, it's not in the DSM, which is, you know, the psychological Bible. It's not? Yeah, it's not part of the diagnosis of ADHD. So officially, no. But there has been a little bit of research on this, and it has given us some clues that We have a couple studies that have found that people who score higher on that questionnaire that we just took, they were more likely to experience hyperfocus.

Well, it's not in the DSM, which is, you know, the psychological Bible. It's not? Yeah, it's not part of the diagnosis of ADHD. So officially, no. But there has been a little bit of research on this, and it has given us some clues that We have a couple studies that have found that people who score higher on that questionnaire that we just took, they were more likely to experience hyperfocus.

No, but it really hasn't been studied very much at all. So right now it seems like it's plausible that people with ADHD experience a state of hyperfocus. More often and maybe differently than people without ADHD. We just don't have a lot of research one way or the other on it. That's interesting.

No, but it really hasn't been studied very much at all. So right now it seems like it's plausible that people with ADHD experience a state of hyperfocus. More often and maybe differently than people without ADHD. We just don't have a lot of research one way or the other on it. That's interesting.

Yeah, it doesn't sound like it has anything to do with that profile we were talking about earlier, like the typical ADHD set of symptoms, which are all about, you know, attention and focus. But a lot of people are sharing stories about being emotionally overwhelmed, dysregulated, very reactive, very sensitive. Here's one listener who called in.

Yeah, it doesn't sound like it has anything to do with that profile we were talking about earlier, like the typical ADHD set of symptoms, which are all about, you know, attention and focus. But a lot of people are sharing stories about being emotionally overwhelmed, dysregulated, very reactive, very sensitive. Here's one listener who called in.

This is tricky. I looked into it. It's like it's almost in the diagnosis. The DSM does say that low frustration tolerance, irritability, and mood lability, that's basically moodiness. It says that all of those are associated with ADHD.

This is tricky. I looked into it. It's like it's almost in the diagnosis. The DSM does say that low frustration tolerance, irritability, and mood lability, that's basically moodiness. It says that all of those are associated with ADHD.

And there is a study that found that people who scored higher on that test that we just took, they also scored higher on a test that measures emotional dysregulation, which suggests there might be some connection here.

And there is a study that found that people who scored higher on that test that we just took, they also scored higher on a test that measures emotional dysregulation, which suggests there might be some connection here.

I talked about this with Maggie and other scientists, and they think it might be tied to impulsivity, which we know is common in people with ADHD. So we know that some people with ADHD have trouble regulating their behavior. Maybe this also applies to emotions. Like they could have a tough time regulating emotions like they have a tough time regulating behavior.

I talked about this with Maggie and other scientists, and they think it might be tied to impulsivity, which we know is common in people with ADHD. So we know that some people with ADHD have trouble regulating their behavior. Maybe this also applies to emotions. Like they could have a tough time regulating emotions like they have a tough time regulating behavior.