I understand the energy of stimulant medications may help *inattentive type* ADHD people to focus: but how would they help someone who is already *hyperactive*?
It sounds counter-intuitive : ELI5?
In: 8
The way I describe stimulants for my ADHD is that they’re like high octane gas for my brain.
Your prefrontal cortex, which is at the front of your brain, regulates what’s known as “executive functions”. It’s the sensible, logical processing part of your brain and it helps manage your control.
Think of ADHD as your prefrontal cortex being like a faucet that’s clogged up. All these brain inputs are trying to flow through the prefrontal cortex, but it’s not able to process everything effectively, resulting in sputtering, ie. impulsive behaviors, hyperactivity, speaking out of turn, inattentiveness, all these things we associate with ADHD. Your brain is processing, trying to get everything out, but your prefrontal cortex can’t keep up with it and regulate it.
As the “high octane gas”, stimulants help kickstart that prefrontal cortex into the right speed. It brings it in sync with the rest of the brain, so that there are no “knocks and pings” and crazy ADHD things. Suddenly the faucet is unclogged and things can flow normally.
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