ADHD Symptoms: From Task Paralysis to the "Dopamine Chase"

Have you ever listened to the same song 40 times in a row, only to never want to hear it again? Have you started a brand-new hobby on Monday with total excitement, only to abandon it by Friday? Maybe you’ve spent years struggling to manage your money, battling intense mood swings, or feeling like school and the education system were never built for the way you think.

If this sounds familiar, you aren’t "flaky," and you certainly aren’t broken. You likely have an ADHD brain.

My name is Cian Walsh, I am both an "ADHDer" and an ADHD Coach based in Ireland. I understand the unique challenges of navigating life in Dublin and beyond with a neurodivergent brain.

In Ireland, more and more adults are finally getting a late diagnosis. I know this journey intimately because like many adults in Ireland who are late diagnosed with ADHD.

I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 30. That moment changed everything. I became an ADHD Coach at age 31, and since founding Root Type Coaching, I have helped adults across Ireland and abroad navigate their diagnosis and build a life that actually works for them.

Common ADHD Symptoms: The Daily Struggle

ADHD is more than just difficulty focusing; it is a disorder of self-regulation.

●      Task Paralysis: This is the physical "freeze." You know what you need to do, but your brain cannot initiate the first step. You stay stuck on the sofa, feeling your

anxiety rise, unable to move.

●      Low Frustration Tolerance: A core symptom. Small triggers—like a slow website or losing your keys—can cause an immediate spike of anger. For the ADHD brain, "minor" inconveniences feel like major catastrophes.

●      Mood Swings (High Highs & Low Lows): You may experience periods of intense euphoria followed by a sudden "crash" into a low mood. These fluctuations can make life feel like an emotional rollercoaster.

●      Education & School Struggles: Many adults look back and realize they were never "bad students," but simply lacked the dopamine-rich environment an ADHD brain needs to thrive in traditional education.

The Lesser-Known Symptoms: The Hidden ADHD Experience

These are the traits that often lead to the most shame, yet they are extremely common for the ADHD community.

1. Bingeing for Dopamine

Because the ADHD brain is chronically low on dopamine, it looks for "quick wins." This often leads to binge eating (especially sugar) for a quick hit of stimulation. This results in weight gain and a cycle of further frustration.

2. The "Music Loop"

Have you ever found a song and played it on repeat for hundreds of times? This is your brain "milking" the song for dopamine. You’ll listen until you literally can't stand it anymore, then drop it instantly once the dopamine hit stops.

3. "Hobby Hopping" and Unfinished Projects

People with ADHD are famous for "collecting hobbies." You might buy all the equipment for a new craft, only to lose interest three weeks later. Similarly, you might start ten books or five different series and never finish them. When the "novelty" wears off, the dopamine disappears.

4. The "ADHD Tax" (Money & Debt)

Impulsivity leads to impulse spending, forgotten subscriptions, and missing bill deadlines. This "ADHD Tax" results in debt cycles and financial planning struggles that feel impossible to break without a strategy.

5. The Caffeine Paradox

Many with ADHD find that caffeine makes them feel calm, relaxed, or even sleepy. While others use coffee to wake up, for us, it often "levels out" the brain and slows down racing thoughts.

6. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" Relationships

Due to struggles with Object Permanence, if a friend isn’t in your immediate environment, you may simply forget to reach out. It’s not a lack of love; it’s a working memory glitch.

7. ADHD & The Complexity of Grief

Grief hits the ADHD brain differently. Because of emotional dysregulation, the pain can be more "jagged" and intense, or you may experience a sudden "detachment" only for the emotions to resurface later with overwhelming force.

Why Work with an ADHD Coach in Dublin?

Living with a late diagnosis in a world built for "linear" thinkers is exhausting. But once you understand that your struggles aren't "character flaws," you can start building systems that work.

As an ADHD Coach based in Ireland, I work with clients at Root Type Coaching to:

●      Break out of Task Paralysis and "Hobby Hopping." ● Manage Dopamine-seeking behaviors like binge eating.

●      Navigate the Emotional Highs and Lows of a late diagnosis.

●      Solve the "ADHD Tax" with practical, shame-free money management.

Take Control of Your ADHD Journey

You don't have to navigate the frustration, the debt, or the "low lows" alone. I’ve

been where you are, and I know the way out.