Dopamine - Shimmer Video

Transcript

In my last video, I gave an overview of ADHD and how it's so much more than the stereotypes. Today, let's dive deeper into the brain chemistry side of things - specifically, our friend dopamine.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a starring role in our ADHD brains. It's involved in motivation, reward, attention, and a bunch of other important functions. Basically, dopamine is the cheerleader in your brain, encouraging you to pursue goals and giving you a mental high-five when you achieve them.

The current understanding is that ADHD brains have some dysfunction in the dopamine department. While we don’t have an exact cause, there is research that suggests there may be too many dopamine transporters, which are like little vacuums that suck up dopamine before it can finish doing its job. Imagine trying to keep a room clean while someone follows you around immediately undoing your work - frustrating, right?

This dopamine imbalance can lead to some classic ADHD struggles:

Difficulty initiating tasks and sustaining motivation, because there's not enough dopamine signaling to make things feel rewarding.
Trouble regulating attention, since dopamine helps you zero in on what's important.
Impulsivity and risk-taking, as the ADHD brain seeks out stimulation to get its dopamine fix.
Mood fluctuations and irritability when dopamine levels bottom out.

It's not all doom and gloom though! Understanding the dopamine link empowers you to work with your brain instead of against it.

Here are some tips:

Break tasks into smaller steps and reward yourself along the way to keep the dopamine flowing.
Build in novelty and fun to make boring tasks more stimulating. Try putting karaoke on the TV, singing your heart out while you do chores.
Get your body moving - exercise is a natural way to boost dopamine.
Eat a balanced diet with protein to support dopamine production, and be mindful of quick-fix cravings.
Meds like Adderall and Ritalin help many people by increasing dopamine signaling. If you go this route, work closely with your doc to get the dosage right, since too much can backfire.

Above all, go easy on yourself. Having ADHD doesn't mean you're lazy or lack willpower. Your brain is just wired a bit differently, and it may need some extra help in the dopamine department to thrive. Educating yourself is a huge step in the right direction.

Next time, we'll talk about executive functions and overcoming that pesky ADHD paralysis.

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