KlayNB: the mods of r/ExplainLikeImFive decided this question was not good enough for them, after I put a lot of work into answering it, and I didn't want my work to go to waste, so here you go.
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I have ADHD and this happens to me. To ELI5 it... did you ever have one of those cheap usb charging cords that's a little bit worn out, so you have to twist and bend it just right or else it stops charging? That happens in my brain (the charging chemical is called "dopamine") and if things aren't exactly right, it doesn't charge correctly.
Without dopamine, I'm not able to get the signal from my mind to my body. I can say to myself "ok, time to stand up! let's go pick up a dish and wash it!" and nothing will happen, the signal doesn't reach my body.
When I'm under external pressure, sometimes my brain will get a burst of adrenaline, which is like plugging the weak cable into a much stronger power source until it starts sparking. This will get me charged and able to move again, but it also wears me out a ton afterwards.
The purpose of ADHD medicine and therapy is to repair the weak cable to my brain (dopamine uptake drugs), and to help me be more energy efficient so I can go longer on one charge (mindfulness exercises).
#eli5 #answer #adhd #neurospicy
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I have ADHD and this happens to me. To ELI5 it... did you ever have one of those cheap usb charging cords that's a little bit worn out, so you have to twist and bend it just right or else it stops charging? That happens in my brain (the charging chemical is called "dopamine") and if things aren't exactly right, it doesn't charge correctly.
Without dopamine, I'm not able to get the signal from my mind to my body. I can say to myself "ok, time to stand up! let's go pick up a dish and wash it!" and nothing will happen, the signal doesn't reach my body.
When I'm under external pressure, sometimes my brain will get a burst of adrenaline, which is like plugging the weak cable into a much stronger power source until it starts sparking. This will get me charged and able to move again, but it also wears me out a ton afterwards.
The purpose of ADHD medicine and therapy is to repair the weak cable to my brain (dopamine uptake drugs), and to help me be more energy efficient so I can go longer on one charge (mindfulness exercises).
#eli5 #answer #adhd #neurospicy