Your ADHDictionary: 26 key terms about neurodiversity explained --[Reported by Umva mag]

ADHD is thought to affect between 3% and 10% of the population, but despite reports lambasting it as the latest TikTok fad, it’s still chronically underdiagnosed.

There are a number of other myths surrounding neurodiversity, from ‘only boys have ADHD’ to ‘people with ADHD are just lazy’.

In reality though, it’s a serious biological disorder which impacts the brain (and therefore behaviour) of those across age groups, genders and intelligence levels, with a range of symptoms that present differently depending on the person.

Many of these misconceptions stem from a lack of understanding about ADHD – and it’s normal not to be an expert if you don’t have the condition, or to find it all a bit confusing regardless.

However, learning about what life is like for people with the condition ensures you can best support those around you. You may even spot some signs in yourself, or find helpful new ways to describe issues you experience day-to-day.

So to give you an insight into ADHD minds, we’ve spoken to professionals to create a glossary of the most important terms on the topic; an ADHDictionary, if you will.

ADHD

‘Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour,’ BACP Therapist, Mark Redwood, tells Metro.

‘People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse. It’s a lifelong condition, which affects both males and females, and is thought to be caused by differences in the brain.’

Executive function/dysfunction

Dr Selina Warlow, psychologist specialising in ADHD and Autism at The Nook Clinic explains: ‘Executive function is a set of cognitive processes and mental skills. It includes working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life.

‘Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and regulate emotions, among other things.’

Neurodivergent/neurotypical

‘Neurodivergent refers to individuals whose brains function differently from what is considered typical, encompassing ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more,’ Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic tells Metro. ‘Neurotypical describes those without these neurological differences.’

According to Dr Warlow, these terms are especially vital in allowing people to speak about diagnoses ‘in a way that does not frame it as a problem or an illness.’

Dopamine hypothesis of ADHD

‘Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which plays a role in regulating the brain’s reward system, and it is believed that some of the symptoms of ADHD are caused by low dopamine availability,’ says Mark.

‘It is thought that common ADHD behaviours, such as seeking out stimulation, may in fact be a means of increasing the brain’s supply of dopamine.’ 

Masking

Dr Touroni says: ‘Masking is when someone with ADHD hides or suppresses their symptoms to fit societal expectations. This can be exhausting and emotionally draining, as it often means hiding true feelings and behaviours.

‘It’s important to be aware of masking, as it can lead to burnout and negatively impact mental health.’

BACP masking campaign

‘According to BACP’s 2024 Mindometer survey, 57% of therapists report that they often see clients masking their ADHD traits,’ says Mark.

So, this ADHD Awareness Month, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) has launched ‘Unmasking ADHD through therapy’, a campaign highlighting how therapy can help navigate the emotional challenges of a recent diagnosis and masking.

This includes emotive portraits and a short film of individuals with ADHD which represent the burden of masking, and the relief felt from taking it off through therapy.

Hyperfocus/hypofocus

‘Hyperfocus is the tendency to focus intensely on one thing, whereas hypofocus is a state of limited or low concentration,’ BACP Therapist, Stefan Walters, tells Metro.

‘People with ADHD tend to have an “interest focused” nervous system (explained below), rather than a “priority focused” one, so they may hyperfocus on something they are passionate about, while struggling to complete other tasks which fail to provide a dopamine hit.’

‘These fluctuating states are central to the ADHD experience,’ adds Dr Touroni.

Working memory

‘Working memory involves the ability to keep information active in
your mind for a short time to be able to use it for further processing,’ says Dr Warlow.

Dr Touroni continues: ‘Many people with ADHD struggle with this, which can make tasks like following instructions or remembering details more challenging.

‘Working memory difficulties are a key reason behind some of the organisational struggles often seen with ADHD.’

Hyperactive and impulsive/inattentive/combined ADHD subtypes

Stefan says: ‘There are various subtypes of ADHD, each with its own core set of symptoms:

• ‘Hyperactive-impulsive ADHD is characterised by impulsive decision making and high energy.
• ‘Inattentive ADHD is characterised by distractibility and low ability to concentrate.
• ‘Combined is a mixture of all of these symptoms.

‘However, they all share the common traits of emotional dysregulation and dopamine-seeking behaviours.’

Hypersensitivity

‘It is common for people with ADHD to be more sensitive to both physical and emotional stimuli,’ says Mark.

‘This can enable the person to have more intense experiences for instance listening to music, but it can also cause sensory overload, leading to burnout and meltdown. It can also make dealing with emotions more difficult and can lead to the person experiencing rejection sensitivity (detailed below).’

Stimuli can include the likes of noise, light, or texture, but certain social or work situations may also be triggers within hypersensitivity.

Object permanence

Stefan shares: ‘Object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible, heard, or touched.

‘We tend to develop this awareness throughout childhood. However, due to issues with working memory, people with ADHD can experience an “out of sight out of mind” approach to things, and often forget tasks, people, or objects they are not in direct contact with.’

Rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)

BACP psychotherapist, Heidi Soholt, tells Metro: ‘This is a heightened sensitivity to perceived rejection, thought to stem from impaired emotional regulation and lived experiences of feeling “different” and rejected as a neurodivergent individual.

‘Feeling rejected can be particularly triggering for people with ADHD, who may require extra support and time to recover.’

Body doubling

‘People with ADHD experience challenges with mental tasks linked to executive function areas in the brain, and this can lead to challenges with staying on task, focusing and motivation,’ says Heidi.

‘Body doubling involves “buddying-up” and working alongside another person, who can help make tasks more fun, while encouraging and modelling how to achieve focus and calm attention.’   

Time blindness

‘Time blindness is the inability to accurately perceive the passage of time,’ says Dr Touroni. ‘Those with ADHD often find it difficult to estimate how long tasks will take or to plan ahead. This can lead to missed deadlines or being late, impacting both personal and professional lives.’

Heidi adds: ‘Another aspect of time blindness is feeling “stuck in the present”, which has been linked to impulsive behaviours such as gaming addictions and compulsive social media use.’

ADHD ‘waiting mode’

Dr Selina: ‘“Waiting mode” is a term used for the phenomenon in which
those with ADHD may struggle to do anything productive in the hours or days leading up to an important appointment or event,’ says Dr Warlow.

Heidi says many people with ADHD describe this state as a ‘limbo of inaction’, and it can ‘make it very challenging to effectively use time on tasks or projects preceding an appointment, often leading to anxiety, shame and guilt.’ 

Stimming

‘Stimming involves repeated movements and/or sounds, including humming, rocking and tapping,’ says Heidi.

‘It is believed to be connected to self-soothing and to help with focus, and these behaviours tend to be more severe and frequent for people with ADHD – sometimes becoming problematic in social environments such as work or school.’

Perfection/task/decision paralysis

‘ADHD paralysis occurs when a person with ADHD feels overwhelmed by their environment or situation, resulting in a brain “freeze” that limits their functionality,’ says Dr Warlow. ‘For example, never starting a project, having an idea, but never putting it down on paper. Or, making notes, but never turning your notes into a final product.’

BACP Therapist, Dee Johnson, says this is ‘very common’ among her clients, and often causes intense anxiety, with the associated freeze response ‘driven by a real visceral sense of fear that “it” has to be absolutely perfect.’

She tells Metro: ‘It’s very overwhelming, as you’re having so many ideas, you start to overthink everything (even variables that would not normally be relevant), get more upset that you will get it wrong, get overwhelmed, and then the disorganisation gets worse – adding to the fear of really messing up and failing. It’s a mentally exhausting way to be.’

Auditory processing disorder

Dr Warlow highlights that this is nothing to do with impaired hearing, more a ‘difficulty processing sounds in the brain’ that causes someone to hear speech sounds but not perceive their meaning.

‘I had a client explain it a bit like hearing a full orchestra all tuning up loudly at the same time,’ adds Dee. ‘They cannot distinguish any separate instrument in that moment, it’s just a huge overwhelming noise.’

Associative/divergent thinking

‘Associative or divergent thinking refers to the ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas and think outside the box,’ says Dr Touroni. ‘This creativity is often a strength of people with ADHD, allowing for innovative problem-solving, though it can sometimes make it harder to stay on task.’

Information dumping

Despite potential negative connotations of this term, many neurodivergent people will use this to describe their own behaviour.

Dee describes information dumping as, ‘when a person will verbally (or through writing/text) outpour in a very highly detailed, enthusiastic manner about a specific subject or event’ they’re passionate about.

It’s not to do with hyperactivity, and is actually quite a compliment to be the recipient of this, as she says it ‘will often be with a person that they can connect with in a more interpersonal way.’

Productive procrastination

‘Productive procrastination is when someone with ADHD avoids one task by engaging in another productive activity,’ Dr Touroni explains. ‘While it can help manage the urge to delay important work, it doesn’t always address priority tasks, and understanding this behaviour can help with more effective time management.’

According to Dee, the reasoning we avoid certain tasks may be that it seems’too much, too difficult, boring, uncomfortable, or too “adulty”,’ and switching to something which isn’t necessarily as urgent offers a sense of accomplishment ‘that can give a bit of a confidence boost.’

Sensory overload/sensory seeking

BACP therapist, Nicola Vanlint, tells Metro: Sensory overload refers to when a person with ADHD becomes overwhelmed by too much sensory input, such as loud noises, bright lights, or crowded spaces. Because people with ADHD often have difficulty filtering stimuli, they can feel bombarded by their surroundings, leading to stress, anxiety, or discomfort.

‘Sensory Seeking, on the other hand, describes the craving for stimulation. People with ADHD may actively seek out intense sensory experiences to stay engaged and focused, as they might feel understimulated otherwise.’

Understimulation fatigue

‘This occurs when a person with ADHD experiences mental exhaustion from a lack of engagement or stimulation,’ says Nicola. ‘If they aren’t sufficiently interested or challenged by their environment or tasks, their brain might struggle to stay focused, leading to a sense of boredom or fatigue, even without physical activity.’

Demand avoidance

As Nicola explains, demand avoidance ‘refers to a resistance or avoidance of demands, tasks, or expectations.’

She continues: ‘For people with ADHD, certain tasks – especially those that seem overwhelming, tedious, or uninteresting – can cause stress or anxiety. This can lead to procrastination or outright avoidance of these tasks, even when the consequences of not doing them are understood.’

Interest-based nervous system

‘People with ADHD often have an interest-driven attention system, meaning they can hyperfocus on tasks or activities that are engaging, but struggle to focus on things that don’t hold their interest,’ says Nicola.

‘Unlike a neurotypical brain that can manage tasks based on priority or deadlines, individuals with ADHD are more motivated by personal interest and emotional connection to tasks.’

Default mode network (DMN)

Nicola says: ‘The DMN is a network of brain regions that is active when the brain is at rest and not focused on the external environment (like daydreaming or mind-wandering).

‘In individuals with ADHD, this network can be more active, making it harder to shift from a resting state to a focused, task-oriented state. This contributes to challenges with sustained attention and can cause frequent mind-wandering.’

ADHD burnout

‘ADHD burnout is a term used to describe the overwhelming mental and physical exhaustion that can occur when people with the condition become overextended or overstressed,’ says Dr Warlow. ‘It happens when the demands of daily life, work, or personal responsibilities outstrip their coping mechanisms, often due to the unique challenges ADHD brings.’

Mark adds: ‘The high emotional and cognitive demands of masking is a strong risk factor for experiencing burnout. ADHD burnout can also be cyclical, where in between the crashes, the person has a period of hyperfocus, which despite often being highly productive, may mean the person can lose track of other things.’ 

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