ADHD presents with paradoxical traits, meaning it can manifest as seemingly contradictory behaviors, meaning a lifetime of constantly trying to balance these opposing forces:

ADHD is a confusing, contradictory concept.

June Silny: “Most ADHD traits reflect two extremes on a single continuum. For example, it’s impossible for me to focus on something boring or tedious, but I can zone in and lose half a day doing something I love. When I fall into this hyperfocus, I don’t hear phones ringing, I don’t feel hunger pangs, and I don’t make trips to the restroom. My sparked brain is excited and in love with the joy of being in the moment. In a split second, I can jump from restless distraction to extreme hyperfocus.”

However, if you have both Autism and ADHD (AuDHD), then this becomes an almost impossible existence, as some Autistic traits are contradictory to the ADHD contradictions, but this post focuses on ‘just’ the ADHD contradictions

Some Simplified ADHD Contradictions:

• Too loud. Too quiet.
• Too lazy. Too driven.
• Too slow. Too fast.
• Too early. Too late.
• Too focused. Too distracted.
• Too sensitive. Too insensitive.
• Too hot; too cold.
• Too stimulated. Too subdued.
• Too crowded. Too lonely.
• Too overwhelmed. Too bored.
• Too tired. Too wired.
• Too organised. Too chaotic.
• Too much masking. Too little masking.
• Too much dopamine. Too little dopamine
• Too much to do; too drained to do any of it.

June Silny: These contradictions highlight the complexity of ADHD and emphasize the importance of understanding the individual’s unique experiences and challenges. It’s crucial to remember that ADHD is not a simple deficit of attention or hyperactivity, but rather a neurodevelopmental condition that can manifest in a wide range of ways,