ADHD and the Way our Brain is Wired

ADHD and the Way our Brain is Wired

So the other night, I couldn’t sleep and it was because bizarrely, my brain was on a loop as to why, in the UK, people say “Happy Christmas” and not “Merry Christmas” .  This then went into “Happy Christmas and Happy New Year” doesn’t sound right.  But “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” does.

Important to note that this looping happened well after Christmas and New Year so why I even went down this rabbit warren really looks hard to fathom!

Of course, alongside all this mental chatter, was accompanied by self-chastising as to why I had not noticed this before.  “Surely this has been around for years – why have I not noticed this before?” “Am I so unaware as to not notice this important greeting during the festive period?", etc. etc.

Of course, logically, I can explain it, but in the moment when it is happening it is incredibly frustrating and took some digging into the old AHD toolkit to quieten my mind so that I could go to sleep.

The answer lies in the way our brain is wired.

The Default Mode Network (or DMN) is a large network encompassing several regions of the brain.  It is a fairly new term and was coined only in the 2000’s after extensive research.

The DMN is active  when a person is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at wakeful rest, such as during day-dreaming or mind-wandering.   Other times that the DMN is active include when the individual is thinking about others, thinking about themselves, remembering the past, and planning for the future. The DMN creates a coherent "internal narrative" control about the sense of self.

The DMN, for someone who is neurotypical, would work in tandem with the Task Positive Network (or TPN).

The TPN is a set of brain regions that are activated when people are focusing on a goal-oriented task. The TPN is involved in a number of executive functions, including: Decision-making, Problem-solving, Planning, Controlling action, and Focusing attention. It’s goal is to achieve the task at hand, and is not concerned with any sense of self as it is focused on task accomplishment.

The DMN and TPN act in synchronicity and like switches when one is active the other is inactive and visa-versa.   This creates a healthy balance and is vital for optimum mental functioning.

However, for someone with ADHD, the switch is defective and the DMN is permanently on, even when the TPN is active which can lead to the DMN and the TPN – who should be working in concert – working against each other.

This then can lead to internal turmoil, inner dialogue, lack of focus or concentration on a task and rumination.

Dr Edward Halliwell, a leading expert on ADHD describes, perfectly how the brain operates in these moments:

“The hippocampus, the seat of memory, is an active part of the DMN, sending up memories of embarrassing situations we’ve caused or been part of, humiliating moments we can’t forget. The medial prefrontal cortex, another part of the DMN, projects the repetition of these horrible moments into the future, while the amygdala kicks in with more negative feelings.” 24 June 2021

Now that we know what causes it, how do we manage it when it happens?

1. Most importantly recognise it for what it is, ie: the DMN not becoming inactive and accept this and not fight against it.
2. If it is preventing you from sleeping, get out of bed and don’t continue tossing and turning as this won’t help.
3. More importantly, don’t automatically reach for the phone/IPad/remote control. Stay without any external stimulation (except perhaps some music as that is statistically proven to assist with overactive minds)
4. Keep a journal to hand and jot down how you’re feeling – just release it all without giving it too much thought.
5. If tasks that need to be done keep on popping up, write them down in your notebook/journal so that you can get to them in the morning.
6. Usually walking around in the stillness of the house, in low lighting helps to start stilling the mind.
7. Have a cup of herbal tea.
8. Start focussing on your breathing. My preferred method is once I’ve made a cup of tea, I sit down on a comfy chair in a room only lit by outside lights and then whilst I’m sipping  my tea, I slowly start breathing.  There are a myriad of choices but usually inhaling through your nose on the count of 4, holding for a count of 5 and exhaling for a count of 6 starts to quieten your mind and bring about restfulness.  But find the breathing technique that works for you.

I usually find this works for me and then I can go back to bed and will start daydreaming about less intrusive things which will naturally lead into sleep.