Understanding ADHD symptoms such as RSD, hyper-focus, task paralysis

You may have heard attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) referred to as "a superpower", but some describe their symptoms as debilitating — can both be true?

The invisible disability can be hard to understand because symptoms vary among individuals.

We've paired our lived experience as late diagnosed ADHDers with expert advice to unpack this neurological condition.

What is ADHD?

ADHD impacts on the regulation of focus and emotion, linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Counsellor and University of Queensland researcher Kate Witteveen says the ADHD mind isn't underdeveloped, but people can face challenges and delays in certain areas.

Dr Witteveen says there are three ADHD subtypes:

• hyperactive or impulsive, the cliche "wiggly eight-year-old boy who can't sit still and calls out in class",
• inattentive, who have trouble paying attention and can be forgetful, and
• combination, which shares characteristics from both.

Is ADHD hereditary?

People are born with ADHD and they can't grow out of it.

Dr Witteveen says research suggests it's "a very heritable condition".

Kirsten Lightfoot, a certified ADHD coach with a professional credential through the International Coaching Federation, was assessed after her four children were diagnosed.

And for many ADHDers, understanding symptoms can help with self acceptance. 

ADHD symptoms

Problems with executive functioning, planning, prioritisation, time management, memory and emotional regulation are common for ADHDers.

Caitlin Hughes, an accredited mental health social worker who also has ADHD, says symptoms can "bleed out to many different areas of life".

Executive function

Mrs Hughes says ADHD sometimes feels like pushing thoughts through cement, linked to executive functioning challenges. 

People with ADHD are often "told they're lazy or they don't apply themselves" and she says this can lead to internalised shame and grief.

Some go their whole lives without understanding this "key aspect of themselves" or how to support their brain.

"It's quite discouraging when they try their hardest and they're told that's not good enough," Mrs Hughes says.

Impulsive actions

Gold Coast psychiatrist Savio Sardinha specialises in ADHD and says impulsivity is a key symptom considered during diagnosis.

Many ADHDers struggle with impulse control and Mrs Lightfoot says that's because impulsivity can provide a dopamine hit.

"It can be spending impulsively, acting impulsively, speaking without thinking, or comfort eating," she says.

Dr Sardinha warns, without early intervention, impulsivity can spiral into disadvantage.

For example, he says substance abuse is prevalent in young people with ADHD which can lead to unlawful behaviour or relationship fallouts.

Overwhelm and burnout

Some ADHDers feel like their brain is playing multiple radio stations at once, Dr Witteveen's research found, making focus extremely difficult.

She says symptoms "can be really quite physically and emotionally demanding", and Mrs Lightfoot knows neurodivergent people may "end up really angry or anxious".

That's because the ADHD mind is typically very busy — we often feel on edge, overwhelmed and overstimulated.

Dr Sardinha says many people with ADHD embrace masking and cope by imitating neurotypicals, scripting and rehearsing what to say, and overthinking.

Mrs Hughes says masking develops as a survival strategy, but warns hiding your authenticity can lead "to burnout episodes later in life".

Time blindness

Time management can be difficult for people with ADHD.

Mrs Lightfoot says time blindness can show up in a variety of ways, including:

• an inability to see into the future,
• reverse time blindness where we can't tell how long ago something happened,
• task time blindness when we're not sure how long something will take, and
• losing time transitioning between tasks because we misjudge the cumulative total it'll add up to.

She says some also stay up late attempting to "claw back time" or ruminating about wasted opportunities, and 80 per cent of people with ADHD struggle to fall or stay asleep.

Poor self-esteem

Mrs Lightfoot says a 10-year-old with ADHD "has heard more than 20,000 negative comments about their performance than a neurotypical" peer, causing "significant emotional stress".

Dr Witteveen says the neurotypical world can present "mixed messages" for people with ADHD trying to figure out what's appropriate, resulting in "this real fractured sense of self".

She says ADHDers may worry "I'm not enough, or I'm too much", feel hyper-vigilant constantly, and become confused over where to dedicate focus.

Mrs Lightfoot says addressing your "inner critic" can help process that trauma and grief.

RSD

Dr Sardinha says many neurodiverse people seek external validation to confirm they're doing and saying things correctly, and often take that feedback to heart.

Rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), a common ADHD symptom, can make negative feedback feel like a deeply personal attack.

Mrs Lightfoot says RSD may spiral and "feel catastrophic" — negative memories can replay on a loop, sometimes keeping people up at night.

She says ADHD doesn't impact on intelligence, so working to understand RSD can help explain it to loved ones.

Mrs Lightfoot says the majority of adults with ADHD have other co-occurring conditions, with additional symptoms arising from comorbidities such as autism, dyslexia and dysgraphia.

"Secondary disabilities" are common, according to Dr Sardinha, with around 80 per cent of ADHD kids experiencing anxiety and depression.

There's often overlap between conditions, yet some ADHD symptoms seem to contradict one another.

What is hyper-focus?

Dr Witteveen says we can "really zone in" on certain tasks to the exclusion of everything else while hyper-focusing, making ADHD seem paradoxical.

"Although it may be very common for people with ADHD to be quite distractible, have trouble focusing — it's equally common for them to have the opposite experience," she says.

Hyper-focus is sometimes described as an ADHD superpower, but it isn't as simple as flicking a switch.

Mrs Lightfoot says we may forget to eat or use the bathroom for hours while in this "all-encompassing" flow state.

What is task paralysis?

If hyper-focus is completely locking in, task paralysis — described as extreme procrastination — is the opposite.

Mrs Lightfoot says ADHDers may doomscroll on our phones or stare out windows, but task paralysis can also look like "procrasti-activity, doing all the other less important things on the list".

Dr Witteveen says it's "this experience of, 'I just can't get started until there's some kind of external imperative' such as, the deadline is due", which triggers an adrenal response.

Mrs Lightfoot suggests adding interest to tasks — watching TV while folding laundry stimulates the mind and physical movement may also help with hyperactivity.

Do I need an ADHD diagnosis?

Dr Sardinha says some neurodivergent people may not want a diagnosis, but for those who do can then access treatment.

Mrs Lightfoot says "medication is not the only answer" and Dr Witteveen agrees it "doesn't give you superpowers", but many find it beneficial.

If this invisible disability is detracting from your quality of life, Dr Sardinha says medical supports are available across Australia.

This article was commissioned as part of the ABC's 2025 coverage of International Day of People with Disability.

Mark du Potiers is a visual artist based in Brisbane — he has Australian, Hong Konger, and Chinese heritage and was diagnosed with ADHD in his 30s.