Thanks for the post. I was actually thinking about making a poll recently to see if thereās a pattern between being neurodivergent and having more difficulty with subliminals.
First I want to say in no way shape or form do I expect subclubs subliminals to ācureā me of ADHD. Definitely donāt want to give that impression.
ADHD is still a VERY new emerging area of research. Itās possible years down the road they get everything wrong. But with the latest research itās becoming more and more clear that itās not the typical representations a lot of us have come to think of as ADHD.
I got diagnosed at the height of the pandemic. I understand peopleās reservation to be given a label or feel it will form their identity. But if you do have ADHD, itās there whether you believe it or not. I had similar thoughts but looking back on my life there was a lot of dysfunction in my life not caught by my parents or they thought Iād grow out of it. I exhibited texbook ADHD symptoms all throughout my life without realizing I had it, so itās not really a limiting belief or something Iāve held onto. You only make it your identity if you lean on it too much, but in my case itās better than my perpetual feelings of being a failure. At least with ADHD I have something there and can understand why my life unfolded the way it did.
As for how subliminals are processed differently. A lot of that comes down to the fact that the prefrontal cortex does not operate as well in ADHD individuals. We always say the most important thing with these subs is action. But unfortunately thatās the thing ADHD brains have issues with the most, execution, follow through, planning etc. On top of that those with ADHD are typically NOT good with emotions. They can have trouble identifying, managing, or expressing them. This can mean reconciliation is a more frustrating experience because it takes center stage in the life. They donāt have as strong of an ability in neurotypical individuals to āput it asideā, thatās why often in my journals youāll see me caught in thought spirals or loops, I get sucked into those emotional states and then if thereās compounding stress in my life I become even more poor at managing it. This can make me look incompetent or like Iām wallowing, but the reality is Iām dealing with a dysfunction of my brain.
So that being said hereās some things Iāve found that help process the subs better.
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Lower volume. I donāt like being told what to do. Whether thatās an inborn trait or a result of emotional experiences over the years Iām not sure. But subliminals at louder volume are more āforcefulā which I donāt respond well to.
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A lot less loops. Iām talking 1 or 2 week. An excessive amount of loops for an ADHD brain seems to be a lot different than a neurotypical one.
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Sleep. Sleep is so important for ADHD brains. The irony is that most people with ADHD have terrible sleeping habits.
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Balancing every day stress and subliminal input. What I mean by this is if you have a lot going on in your life and you feel overwhelmed, chucking a sublminal loop on top of that can end badly sometimes. Most of the time the stress and overwhelm from ADHD comes from falling behind, procrastinating, being unable to cognitively handle the tasks at hand, etc. Throwing more processing and task oriented stuff onto that can be bad. Those with ADHD tend to be routinely stuck in the planning or preparing stage towards action. Itās never a deficit of knowledge or awareness, but purely a lacking in the follow through. So sometimes a loop isnāt needed because it would just serve as another thing taking up resources in the mind.
Thatās about all I have unfortunately. I do think these sublminals are beneficial for everyone. Itās just a matter of getting the input right and having it calibrated correctly for the type of mind. Something I recognize is not easy to do at all. But I think it did warrant a discussion so anyone else struggling doesnāt suffer extensively over trying to integrate and inefficient listening strategy.
