ADHD paralysis is a form of executive dysfunction.
It refers to the difficulty in initiating, continuing, or completing tasks, even when the person understands the urgency and importance, and also has the ability to do the task. ADHD paralysis can be triggered by various factors, including overwhelm, anxiety, or the perceived complexity of a task.
Examples of ADHD paralysis:
- 1. A student with ADHD paralysis might struggle to start a term paper, despite understanding the topic and having the necessary resources, due to feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the project.
- 2. A person might repeatedly forget or delay paying bills, not because they lack the funds or forget that they need to do it, but because they struggle to initiate the task.
- 3. Another person might have difficulty maintaining a clean living space, not due to laziness (which doesn’t even exist by the way, but that’s a story for another time), but because the task of cleaning seems too complex or daunting to start.