Thursday’s racing thoughts

[jennifer331]

Got a question and a theory that just hit me....

Do any of you guys feel that you are very intuitive, sensitive, or empathetic.

In a way that you use the energy you feel to read a person, place, or situation more than any other resource available to you?

I do, I am wondering if this is a skill that was over developed in me because of my difficulty or inability to do other executive tasks that would yield similar results by neurotypical peeps. Like a blind person with an heightened sense of smell. its a survival mechanism.

I have heard that adhd people referred to indigo children. So there must be a significant number of us who identify as empaths.

But is it simply Darwinisms survival of the fittest playing out??

I need to survive, I can’t do what normal people do, so my brai/body created a work around. Idk. Just thinking out loud

Also, I started taking adderal 20 mg two times a day. It messed me up. Made all my symptoms worse, including markedly decreased self esteem, increased anxiety and feelings of self hurting- that seemed normal af. Also I lost my ability to feel people or read situations. I lost my empathetic super power, until the med wore off. Then it all retuned to normal.

I felt like a fish out of water. The 25 mg two times a day was hit or miss in helping with focus, the 20 mg knocked me the f out. Figurative speaking.

Can any one else relate. Thanks

[Mark_in_Wales_CVA]

Hi Jenifer, yes, I do get this sensation. I think it partly comes from the fact that our neuro-chemicals are working about 1,000,000 times faster than others and therefore we are 'seeing' peoples reactions to things and we are analysing it so much quicker. And over time this develops into a sensitivity - for some its an 'over' sensitivity and for others its a 'hyper' sensitivity. I.e. for some people it's a super-power and for others it's a bit of a curse - some it's a combination of both. On the Darwinism, there was a good TEDx talk I saw where a man (George Cicci ADHD Your Superpower Tedx WVU) was discussing how ADHD as a gene has been 'positively' selected over time, since the people that had them in pre-history were the ones that were the first ones running out of the cave to kill some giant prey and in modern times those with ADHD who are creative/expressive/entrepreneurial are perhaps also more popular as a life partner. And I suspect that with so many things in ADHD, the sensitivity can perhaps be turned from the negative to the positive. I am yet to be medicated, so can't say how it's affected me. But hope that you are able to try maybe a different med and that it helps. All the best!

[Daisies4days]

I 100% can relate with you! I was diagnosed in my late 20’s with adult adhd and I’m now 30yrs old and although I’m not as confused as before as to why EVERYTHING around me has always felt “amplified” in regards to all five senses. Also including empathy towards others of course that’s almost like my 6th sense if there was one.

I just read an article this morning on Pinterest about “indigo” children and it was an interesting read. I wonder though are there more theories out there geared towards adults and what does having these “super powers” look like for us not just children, especially if those like me who grew up never knowing that there were other people just like me who also were experiencing a heightened sense of absolutely everything that surrounded you at every minute of every day.

[zonarosso]

For me, empath, intuit, HSP (highly sensitive person). It took many years (I'm 63) and more societal awareness of these traits for me to understand why I am the way I am. It was a huge relief to understand that these things can be positives if I was aware of the reactions I'd built up to how they made me feel mentally and physically. At last I knew I was not crazy, but not 'normal'. They are superpowers for sure. The hard part for me is not getting overwhelmed by others needs (energy vampires) and paying attention to my energy levels. High empathy leads to naturally helping other people which can hard to regulate. I am married to someone very similar and that is a godsend. For me anxiety is the main problem. That's when the ADHD scrambled brain shows up that requires attention to control. If I keep at my meditation practice up It is controllable without medication. As I've aged my brain has naturally slowed down. So no, you're definitely not alone! And I fit the Indigo mold also. Good Luck on your journey