ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder developes in the womb and impacts how the brain generates, distributes and processes various chemicals in the brain. Mainly, dopamine.
In order for the brain to function properly it requires specific chemicals to help the frontal cortex to process, organize and prioritize the information it receives and stores.
When the receptors in the frontal cortex are not sufficient to receive the necissary quality or quantity needed to perform these task naturally, the results are the symptoms you see with ADHD. These include the inability to accurately process time. Lmited short term memory, (while at the same time remembering very random information from years and years ago) the inability to set priorities or maintain organization od any kind. A lack of impulse control, seeking and finding patterns, object permanence or the idea that if you don't actually see something you will tend to forget it exists. Obviously, there is no amount of trying that will improve these things and studies have also proven that telling someone to try harder has a negative, not positive effect. Hoeever, most of us install "brain hacks" that serve as a safety net, or framework to help us work around our symptoms to function. Things like setting reminders, using audio recorders or noise canceling headphones.
The term "lack of focus" is the way people who don't fully understand ADHD often describe it. However, someone who has ADHD, has probably also experience "hyper focus" so they are more likely to describe it as not being able to filter any thing out to prioritize the one thing they know they know they should be focused on.
Ive described it as being in a bar, with a loud punk band playing, a soccer game on the big screen with fans from both teams playing while you are supposed to be learning a new song but already have another song thats been stuck in your head all day.
ADHD isnt overly diagnosed, if diagnosed by a qualified person. The idea being that many symptoms of ADHD can be attributed to alot of things other than ADHD. So typically a proper assesment, takes a minimum of 6 hours and actually tests for everything from Autism, dyslexia, ptsd to ocd.
In theory they first determine if there is any possibility the symptoms could be something other than ADHD. Once they have eliminated everything else,
then the actually test for ADHD.
Using several forms of testing for each syptom. Even if you do show signs of ADHD that doesnt mean you have it.
The final question is do these symptoms negatively impact your daily life?
If not, you don't get a diagnosis.
Keep in mind these symptoms have to have appeared in childhood and been consistent all your life.
Recently studies using brain scans have proven that that ADHD Brain is structured differently than a non ADHD brain. This means synptoms have nothing to do with behavior or anything outside of the body. While external stimuli can both positively and negatively impact symptoms, they do not cause or cure ADHD.
Now, that being said, do I believe that a biochemical change in the amount and quality if energy to an ADHD can alter or even cure ADHD? Yes, I do.
Because the fact remains that the brain is still mostly a mystery to us. Only those who refuse to keep an open mind would believe otherwise.
It is my belief that a persons level of intelligence is directly connected totheir willingness to understand that what we currently believe, is only accurate, until we learn better. Thats all I have to say about that.