Two AuDHD mental health professionals, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, discuss the complexities of impulsivity in ADHD using the DSM-5 criteria. They explore how impulsivity affects relationships and career choices, and share personal experiences. The episode delves into the challenges of inhibiting impulsive behaviors, including real-life examples of struggles and negative consequences. The guests emphasize the importance of diagnosing ADHD based on symptoms before age 12 and across different settings.
ADHD impulsivity traits manifest differently in adults and children, impacting daily life and relationships.
Using DSM-5 criteria is crucial for accurate ADHD diagnosis, highlighting complexity in assessing ADHD in adults.
Deep dives
Impulsivity Traits and Interactions
Impulsivity traits displayed in adults with ADHD, such as blurting out answers, interrupting conversations, and difficulty waiting turn, are discussed. The podcast hosts reflect on their personal experiences with impulsivity, sharing moments of feeling compelled to complete people's sentences and the impact on social interactions and decision -making, such as avoiding long lines at stores.
Inhibition Challenges and Real -World Impacts
The concept of inhibition in ADHD is explored through a cognitive assessment illustrating difficulties in stopping actions once initiated. The hosts relate inhibition challenges to personal experiences, like impulsivity leading to past gambling addiction and misdiagnoses. The darker side of impulsivity is acknowledged, linking it to substance abuse, risky behaviors, and potential misinterpretations like mistaking ADHD traits for other conditions.
ADHD Diagnosis Criteria and Implications
Key diagnostic criteria for ADHD, including symptom onset before age 12 and trait manifestation in multiple settings, are outlined. The challenge of remembering childhood experiences and the impact of masking behaviors on diagnosis accuracy are addressed. The requirement of trait interference with quality of life and exclusions of other disorders for diagnosis validation are explained, highlighting the complexity of assessing ADHD in adults seeking diagnosis.
ADHD often brings unique challenges with impulsive behaviors which can make everyday interactions and tasks more complex. In an attempt to better understand the ways ADHD can present in daily life, this episode uses the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria as a framework for discussion—this is not an endorsement of the DSM-5.
In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, discuss the intricate dynamics of impulsivity in ADHD, blending personal experiences with clinical insights.
Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:
Explore the differences and connections between impulsivity and hyperactivity in the DSM-5, and understand how these traits can manifest differently in adults versus children.
Gain a deeper understanding of how impulsivity can impact various aspects of life, from relationships to career choices, and hear about ways to channel this energy positively.
Understand how the DSM-5 criteria is used to determine an ADHD diagnosis.
As you listen, you might find parts of these criteria and stories that resonate with your own life, whether you have ADHD or simply face similar struggles. We encourage you to stay curious about your own experiences and continue exploring these important topics.
DISCLAIMER: We're using the DSM-5 criteria as a framework for this conversation, but this is not our endorsement of the DSM-5.