Comment by LocalH | Hacker News Reader

Comment by LocalH | Hacker News Reader

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I propose we either call it "Focus Control Disorder" or where the context would be appropriate, "dopamine dysfunction". If someone is unable to function and it turns out they had a vitamin D or potassium deficiency, we don't call it "sunlight rejection disorder" or "bananaphobia", ya know? The very name of ADHD is ableist, it defines neurodivergent life in neurotypical terms (in this context, "neurotypical" merely means one has a brain that typically generates the proper amount of dopamine to function in modern society).

This is totally a problem with the manufactured society we have created as humans. I'm absolutely certain that when we lived off this earth more naturally, the traits that have become disadvantages were originally communal strengths. My personal hypothesis is that ADHD is a series of traits that evolved to make wonderful hunters. The ability for the slightest noise/motion to grab our attention, the hyperfocus on things that do grab our attention, the ability to make connections extremely fast in a fractal manner, all of these traits would be a huge advantage when hunting prey to feed your social group or to protect your group from predators.

The prefrontal cortex mediates executive function and working memory. It sends signals into the center of the brain which in turn reciprocated through dopamine neurons. Methylphenidate blocks the reuptake and breakdown of dopamine by MAO. Amphetamine stimulates the receptors on the other brain cells dendritic surface that dopamine stimulates. The middle of the brain then tells the front which tasks to focus on, what items to keep in working memory, and which emotions and behaviors to suppress. Working memory. Executive function. Emotional regulation. Because of a faulty d2 receptor, adhd brains do not respond to dopamine stimulation like neurotypical ones. They in turn fail to sufficiently signal the front of the brain which controls this higher brain function. It is unfortunate that the disease is called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder because it takes focus away from task salience--keeping on track and holding the steps to accomplish complex behavior i.e. The front of the brain. It also results in time blindness or the inability to evoke future potentials against closer consequences resulting in playing vidya instead of doing homework because the consequences are improperly measured by the front of your brain. Stimulants increase dopamine and acetylcholine. Coaching helps maintain task salience. Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches ways to externalize your executive functions and life skills and requires medical therapy in order to be successful. It is best to regard this as executive function disorder and stay away from attention as attention is often misinterpreted or lacks proper context.

Seems snap-25 also causes issues alongside d2. It helps pop out dopamine bubbles, in layman's terms. Dopamine is made in the nerve cell, then it is released outside the cell by a bubble called a synaptic vessel that basically goes inside out. It crosses the gap between cells and attaches to one of 4 dopamine receptors, the most important of which is d2 for adhd and amphetamine. It is then vacuumed up from that gap between cells by a set of proteins that can be blocked by ritalin, just like zoloft blocks the vacuum for serotonin. It then gets broken down by monoamine oxidase, another potential target for lots of therapies. This stuff is real folks and backed by knockout studies and fMRI scans.

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