Mm-hmm.

And like little pieces here and there are called risk factor genes.

And those come together, and that is what we think, from where we are in research, is what is creating, uh, ADHD, if you will, genetically.

Um, and what we know from the research is there is definitely an effect within executive functioning.

We also know that, uh, state regulation, so how our nervous system regulates itself within, you know, arousal and calm and all of those types of functioning, there's also areas of deficits there or, uh, effects there.

We know that there is potentially an effect of dopamine regulation.

So it's not about having low dopamine, it's our dopamine signaling and, uh, receptors struggle to like keep going, if you will.

How can people begin to approach this framework in their day-to-day life?

What I want to follow up there is how do you know that the novelty's diminished versus this is a bad relationship for me?

I think that has to do with how you feel outside of that specific feeling of restlessness or boredom, if you will.

Um, if there's good conversations, if there is safe feelings within your engagement, if you can think about why you started engaging with this person and you start to light up again, that might be an indication that it's more of an environmental system issue.

But if you are feeling distressed, if you are struggling to feel safe in the relationship, uh, you're constantly feeling more irritable, that might be indications that something might be off here in the relationship.

Um, but even that can look so different.

You know, you could feel irritability-ness, but the reason you're feeling that is because you're not comfortable with the idea all of a sudden feeling that there's no stimulation.

You don't even know what it is.

So let's talk about the difference between the two.

However, I have met with many, many patients who did self-diagnose, and they were correct.

I think that there is such value and strength for somebody to be able to self-diagnose themselves depending on their experience, but for a lot of people, they're not gonna be able to go get that help, that support to get the actual diagnosis.

And not for nothing, some people may have the means and insurance, but they might find a crappy provider that doesn't actually provide them a full assessment, and they may even still diagnose them as ADHD, but they didn't give them all of the variables and the assessments around executive functioning, uh, the psycho, um, the background of their lives, the trauma assessment, all the variables that go into it.

So I definitely agree with you, for sure.

Uh, I think when we think of it from a medical realm, yeah, not valid because you didn't go through the proper channels to do it.

But I do think it's important that people still know that it's okay to self-diagnose, but make sure [laughs] this is the caveat, you're self-diagnosing with accurate information.

How can I explain to them what is happening in my brain and be able to ask them for the help I need?"

This is a really heartfelt question, and also really hard because if your partner doesn't believe that your struggles are ADHD, I think the first part is asking why.

That's why I thought I wasn't kinky.

I know.

Kinky can be anything and everything.

So I'm going to give you an example.

About four years ago, A while ago, I was just on the couch with my son, who at the time was, I think, around, like, two or so.

Like, he was younger.

And he accidentally scratched my arm.

I wasn't even going to