ADHD paralysis occurs when you are overloaded by a million things and end up accomplishing nothing.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often coupled with hyperactivity, which is characterized by rapid speech (typically packed with a lot of information and ideas) and the urge to move about physically to release energy.
People imagine you get a lot done while you’re surrounded by a flurry of activity, but this isn’t necessarily the case with ADHD.
ADHD may sometimes indicate difficulties in concentration. When you have a lot of energy but can’t seem to channel it, you might become trapped.
This lack of drive is referred to as ADHD paralysis. But don’t worry, it’s manageable.
What exactly is ADHD paralysis?
ADHD paralysis is not a recognized diagnosis.
It’s a word used to describe a typical occurrence for individuals who have ADHD: overload freeze.
“Procrastination over finishing tiresome activities is prevalent for so many individuals,” says Ari Fox, a certified clinical social worker specializing in children’s mental health in New York.
According to Fox, the idea of doing basic tasks like cleaning does not appeal to the brain of someone with ADHD.
He argues that even little jobs might be so intimidating that you may ignore them entirely, preferring things that provide pleasure and rapid reward instead.
ADHD paralysis types
One of the numerous biological reactions to perceived danger is freezing. Other reactions you may be acquainted with are panic, flight, and fawning.
When you have ADHD, you may feel more overwhelmed because of decreased executive functioning linked to task planning and execution.
Overwhelm may be stressful, and you may react to it using ADHD freezing mechanisms such as:
- avoiding \sprocrastinating \signoring
This fear of having too much on your plate may also lead to ADHD paralysis in several areas of functioning, which is known as the overwhelm-shutdown process.
Common manifestations of overwhelm-shutdown in everyday life include:
- ADHD causes mental paralysis. Overwhelm caused by too many competing ideas and feelings. It may make it difficult to talk, move, or explain what is going on in your head at the time.
- Task paralysis is a symptom of ADHD. A lack of motivation may lead to procrastination and task avoidance, which is exacerbated by a growing to-do list.
- Choice paralysis is a symptom of ADHD. This is a feeling of overload caused by too many options or the necessity to make a decision, often known as analysis paralysis.
ADHD Symptoms
ADHD symptoms are classified into numerous categories:
- inattention \simpulsivity \shyperactivity
Outward symptoms and behaviors may include:
- ignoring particulars
- Work difficulties that seem to be irresponsible sustaining long-format chores, play, or conversation difficulty listening
- challenges Planning or arranging often results in the loss of things required for job accomplishment.
- forgetfulness
- easily diverted
- Excessive talking interrupts impatience due to fidgeting
- must be continually moving
- indecisiveness
Is choice paralysis a frequent ADHD symptom?
Anyone may suffer choice paralysis, often known as indecision or decisional procrastination.
It’s the feeling that having too many options means having to make too many decisions, and that stress leads to little being done.
A 2008 pilot research found that persons with ADHD had greater decision paralysis than the general population, while the actual incidence is unclear.
How to Overcome ADHD Freeze
ADHD paralysis may be managed with the use of several helpful tactics.
Task segmentation
When everything seems to be collapsing around you, it may help to isolate one duty that seems less tiresome.
According to Fox, you may then divide that activity into smaller pieces, using a timer to keep you on track.
“The prospect of cleaning the whole building is intimidating. “Instead, we often recommend setting a 10-minute timer on a phone or microwave clock,” he explains. “During these ten minutes, the person may concentrate on just one component of cleaning, such as the dishes.”
Whiteboard brainstorming
“I recommend utilising a whiteboard and a calendar to physically write down activities in the order they should be accomplished and by when,” says Laurie Singer, a certified psychotherapist in New York. “It is critical to include time for breaks, which should be put into the timetable.”
Scheduled project time
Christy Hom, a board-certified paediatric neuropsychologist from Orange, California, recommends scheduling time each day to perform a couple of the activities on your list.
She also says not to stress about completing the tasks. “Beginning a work is half the fight. Don’t be concerned about not being able to do it all in one sitting, and don’t put it off till you have’more time’ – this is what leads to procrastination.”
Giving up on perfection
Hom also advises concentrating on finishing the assignment rather than perfecting every detail.
All of those minor complexities might contribute to feelings of overwhelm.
“Most things don’t have to be flawless,” she explains. “They just must be completed.”
Crossing things off the list… literally
The act of checking off a finished job may be satisfying.
“There’s a genuine feeling of success when we establish a goal and try to achieve it, regardless of the scale of the objective,” Singer adds. “By marking off accomplished tasks, we train ourselves to repeat the process and generate intrinsic incentive to continue ahead.”
Organizing rewards
It does not have to be all business and no pleasure.
“Another effective method is to discover incentive in the form of a reward,” Fox explains. “Treating oneself to something pleasurable soon after a dull work might be beneficial (such as taking a break, eating something good, or playing a game).”
Making it enjoyable
Household tasks may not be intrinsically enjoyable, but Fox claims that you can fool your brain into believing otherwise.
“Playfulness may mislead the brain into enduring the tiresome job,” he says. “Making a game out of something that is ordinarily repetitive, seeing how quickly you can do it and then breaking that record, or challenging a buddy may all make the job a little more bearable.”
Let us review.
ADHD paralysis refers to the overwhelm-shutdown process that may occur while living with ADHD.
When there are too many things occurring or too many emotions piling up, you may “freeze” as a stress response.
It’s common for anybody to feel overwhelmed, but if you have ADHD, your brain wiring may make these sensations more probable.
You may prevent ADHD paralysis in the future by breaking things down, recording your successes, and making work enjoyable.
