Free You Mean I'm Not Lazy, Stupid or Crazy?!: The Classic Self-Help Book for Adults With Attention Deficit Disorder by Kate Kelly, Peggy Ramundo Page A

contradictory behaviors can reflect your genuine inability to react quickly and efficiently to situations.
    The Minuscule Mental Fuel Tank
    Unless you happen to be in excellentaerobic health, a frenzied hour-long chase through the park after your escaping GreatDane would probably do you in for the afternoon. If a nap wasn’t warranted, a kick back, put your feet up and read a book break probably would be. You are exhausted!
    This scenario is similar to the daily experiences of an ADDer. Though his body might not dash madly around a park, his thoughts can race aroundhis head. He is mentally tired. A rapidly working brain expends much energy and quickly uses up its daily allotment.

    ADDers tend to process information at a mind-boggling pace and burn out just as quickly. An eight-hour workday can be torturous for someone whose mental energy and productive times simply don’t last long enough. Some have sufficient energy to get through the day but run out of steam when they get home. Families can’t believe that the slug in front of the TV could ever be of any use on the job.For years, they have never seen him move off his couch!
    Many of us think faster and fatigue more quickly than our non ADD peers. Each of us needs to be aware of the impact of cognitive fatigue on our work tempo. Some adults conserve their resources by coasting at work, particularly if their jobs aren’t too demanding. This strategy can backfire. Without a high level of motivation, the ADDer’sjob performance can really suffer. Conversely, the mental fatigue caused by a demanding job can overload his brain’s capacity to function well. The challenge is to conserve his mental energy by working at his own pace and rhythm.
    Shutdown Susceptibility
    What happens when the brain’s capacity to process information is exceeded? It shuts down . Many of us live in terror that we’ll shut down ata critical moment and become useless in a crisis. We may freeze in response to loud noises or unexpected events and feel that we’re in slow motion.
    An ADDer’s overloaded system can make him so tired he can barely move, talk or think. It is as if he is in a temporary coma. He experiences attempts at communication as assaults on his very being. He either ignores the assault or snaps an irritablereply—taking any action is an impossibility.
    An overloaded brain is similar to an overloaded computer system. If you load up the working memory of a computer with excessive data, it might crash, losing data or the functions of the software. Your program will be temporarily useless. With excessive sensory information, the brain can also suffer from overload.
    Even the most efficient, resilientperson can become disorganized under certain conditions. Discoveries in the brains of individuals suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are good examples.
    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a syndrome that can occur following frightening trauma such as war, sexual abuse ornatural disaster. The symptoms include nightmares, flashbacks, substance abuse and an exaggerated startle response.Previously well adjusted people aren’t immune to the disorder—the symptoms can occur in anyone who has experienced severe trauma.
    PTSD is not just a psychological problem. Psychobiological researchers have discovered actual biochemical changes in the brains of people with PTSD. It appears that the massive overload experienced in extreme situations can actually alter the brain.

    Although no one can explain the biochemistry that causes shutdown, we know from experience that it’s troubling for many ADDers. Of course, we aren’t the only people who shut down under demanding situations. The difference is a matter of degree. It takes a fairly low level of stress for the ADD brain to yell “uncle.” And when it happens, it’s definitely not fun!
    This baffling coma of shutdownis troubling but essential for our continued well-being. It is as if our brains must stop the on-slaught so we