antipelargy:

Adhd is only doing activities that give you the most stimulation while using the least amount of mental energy.

Adhd brain needs much more stimulation than is normal just to feel normal (normal is in quotes). Positive stimulation leads to dopamine, and our dopamine receptors are shit, so we need extra dopamine for it to be effective. We are like addicts to dopamine - we need more to feel the “high” and we need it constantly or we crash. (This also happens to brains with trauma or long term depression or anxiety (which this is why ppl with adhd are more likely to get depression and anxiety). Having adhd and mental illness is Dopamine Need^2) So adhd brain tells you, “we Need stimulation All The Time or we will Die.”

But adhd brain also needs more mental energy. Bc of executive dysfunction, it takes more mental energy to concentrate on tasks and switch between them. So most tasks take a lot of energy, which is Draining, even when they’re enjoyable. Doing things that aren’t enjoyable is Extra Hard, bc it’s lots of mental energy with no pleasant stimulation, therefore no dopamine, no immediate reward. (If something’s not immediately rewarding adhd brain goes “nope not worth it,” even if it’s important or will have a big reward later.)

So what does adhd brain do? Seeks out activities with high stimulation/dopamine/immediate reward and low energy cost. And what fits the bill for this? Digital technology and entertainment. Internet, social media, video games, tv, just a screen are super stimulating and costs little mental energy.

And that’s why technology is so addicting for your adhd brain. That’s why you can’t tear yourself away from the tv when you need to do chores. That’s why you play a stupid game on your phone when you need to do homework. Thats why you stay up til 3 am watching youtube when you need to get up at 7 am. That’s why you keep scrolling through social media when you’re begging your brain to let you do something else, to just get up and be productive, but you feel paralyzed and frustrated and want to scream at yourself.

TLDR: adhd brain is literally addicted to positive stimulation and dopamine, but everything takes more mental energy, so it looks for tasks with high stimulation and low energy cost. Digital technology tends to be answer to this, so adhd brain gets addicted to that, leaving you feeling trapped by it.