70: ADHD Executive Dysfunction Isn't Permanent and Here's Why

You know exactly what you should be doing, and you still can't make yourself start. If you're an adult with ADHD who's tired of being told your executive function is just "how your brain is," this episode is for you.

I make the case that ADHD executive dysfunction is not fixed at the level you're experiencing it right now. The reason it feels concrete is that your nervous system is stuck in fight or flight, and that state pulls blood flow away from the exact part of your brain that runs working memory, task initiation, planning, and follow-through. I cover what ADHD executive dysfunction actually is and why researchers call it the core deficit, how ADHD fight or flight and survival mode make every symptom look worse than your true baseline, why drilling one executive function skill at a time doesn't create lasting change, why ADHD paralysis has nothing to do with laziness, and two things you can start doing today to move out of survival mode.

00:00 – Why ADHD Executive Dysfunction Isn't What You Think

02:04 – The Brain's Management System and What Goes Wrong

03:29 – The Narrative That Keeps ADHDers Stuck

05:15 – Fight or Flight and the Missing Piece of ADHD Advice

07:03 – What ADHD Survival Mode Looks Like Day to Day

17:23 – Two Shifts You Can Start Today

ADHD executive dysfunction changes when you're out of fight or flight. Join my free call on August 5th at 5pm Mountain to go deeper. https://www.jennafree.com/adhdcall

Check out the show notes and other resources at https://jennafree.com/blog/adhd-executive-dysfunction-isnt-permanent

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