ADHD Meaning / Glossary
the language, decodedRSD, executive function, masking, body doubling, AuDHD… ADHD comes with its own vocabulary. Here's what it all actually means — filter by type or search for a word.
26 terms
The brain’s management system — planning, starting, organizing, remembering, and self-control. Executive function difficulties are central to how ADHD is usually described, though ADHD isn’t reducible to them: many people with ADHD score normally on executive-function tests.
When those management skills don't fire reliably — the gap between knowing what to do and being able to actually do it.
The mental sticky-note that holds information while you use it. In ADHD it's often smaller and leakier, so things slip away mid-task.
A brain chemical tied to motivation and reward. ADHD involves differences in how the brain uses it, which shapes interest and drive.
An umbrella term for brains that work differently from the typical pattern — including ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and others.
Describes people whose brains develop and work in the way society tends to treat as the default or standard.
Difficulty sensing the passage of time — why deadlines sneak up and "just five minutes" can quietly become an hour.
Intense, absorbed focus on something engaging, sometimes for hours — the surprising flip side of distractibility.
An all-consuming, often temporary obsession with a topic, hobby, show, or person.
An intense, painful reaction to perceived rejection or criticism. Not an official diagnosis, but widely described in ADHD.
Big, fast-moving emotions that are hard to dial back down — a core part of the ADHD experience for many people.
Feeling frozen and unable to start, even on something small or important. Closely tied to overwhelm and initiation difficulty.
Consciously hiding ADHD traits to appear "normal." It's exhausting — and a big reason so many people go undiagnosed for years.
Self-stimulating movements or sounds — tapping, fidgeting, humming — that can help with focus or self-regulation.
When sights, sounds, or sensations become too much to filter, leading to stress, irritability, or shutdown.
A casual community use of the term: "out of sight, out of mind." Things you can't see can drop entirely off your radar.
Staying up late to reclaim personal time, even knowing you'll pay for it tomorrow — a pattern many with ADHD recognize.
Doing a task alongside another person — in the room or on a call — to borrow focus and accountability.
A pre-made list of healthy, satisfying activities to reach for instead of mindless stimulation.
External supports — lists, timers, routines — that prop up skills while they're still developing.
Getting tasks and reminders out of your head and into a trusted system, to spare overworked working memory.
The American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual. The current edition is the DSM-5-TR (text revision, 2022), which left the ADHD criteria unchanged. Much of the world instead uses the WHO’s ICD-11, where ADHD is code 6A05.
Another condition present alongside ADHD — such as anxiety or depression. Very common. See co-occurring conditions.
An informal term for being both autistic and having ADHD — a common and distinctive overlap. See the AuDHD page.
The two broad categories of ADHD medication. We keep this general — specifics are a conversation for a qualified prescriber.
Using substances or behaviors to manage symptoms without professional guidance — common in undiagnosed ADHD, and risky.
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