![\"ADHD](\"https:\/\/saravanan.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Hyperactive.jpg\" "\\"Hyperactive\\"")
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ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)<\/a> is easily the most fascinating, misunderstood, contested and over-diagnosed psychiatric condition. \u00a0Through ADHD, we will see how our brain affects our behavior.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a brain chemical (neurotransmitter<\/a>) called Dopamine<\/a>. \u00a0When you get something right, the dopamine levels in the brain go up. \u00a0Of course, getting something right is often closely linked to improving one’s chances of survival or reproduction. \u00a0Dopamine is the reward chemical. \u00a0It supplies the feel good when we solve a mathematical problem, find delicious food or a delectable mate. \u00a0Cocaine high is also supplied by drug induced dopamine. \u00a0Dopamine is also responsible for movement, motivation, impulse control, alertness and focus.<\/p>\n There is a neurotransmitter called Norepinephrine<\/a> (NE). \u00a0NE increases secreted in your brain when your stress levels go up. \u00a0NE also increases the alertness and focus. \u00a0NE is a product of Dopamine.<\/p>\n A small set of the population seem to have a mutation that leaves them with sub-optimal levels of dopamine and\/or NE. \u00a0Because of the sub-optimal levels of alertness\/focus chemicals, unless something excites them (and increases the dopamine levels) or frightens them (and increases the NE levels), these people tend to remain distracted and under-motivated. \u00a0These people are thought of attention deficit.<\/p>\n There is also a difference in the way an ADHD brain in wired. \u00a0When a baby is born, the neurons inside the brain are cross wired in an almost random fashion. \u00a0As the baby grows up, surplus connections are pruned out. \u00a0This pruning is needed to build specialized modules inside the brain and make the brain more efficient. \u00a0Often, parts of an ADHD brain remains under differentiated. \u00a0As you will see later, this not always a bad thing.<\/p>\n It is interesting to see how these subtle changes inside the brain express as personality traits:<\/p>\n There are two people inside every person with ADHD brain type. \u00a0One is the dull, distraction prone, absent minded, careless and low-motivation person they live most of their life as. \u00a0The second character is highly charged, super-motivated, quick, sharp, intelligent and daring person they turn into when they are in a dopamine or norepinephrine pumping situation.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In other words, the baseline of performance for these people shift from situation to situation. \u00a0This dynamically shifting baseline is not understood by most of the people, including the ones who have this brain type. \u00a0That leads them to falsely under or over estimate their self worth.<\/p>\n In the next post, we will see how our compulsion to generalize ruins the lives of millions of people with this brain type.<\/p>\n\n