Hi there. So today I'm going to talk about the topic of impulsivity in what will be the first of perhaps several audios I'm likely to record on it, as it's a hugely prevalent problem associated with ADHD, in particular, people with the hyperactivity subtype. Impulsivity describes a tendency to react to stimuli quickly and without much thought. It can lead to a variety of ramifications for people ranging from harmless, quirky idiosyncratic behaviours to unplanned, risky or even dangerous behaviours. It can lead to action without forethought and decreased sensitivity to immediate or long term consequences. Impulsivity refers to acting without thinking first, research indicates that impulsivity in a person who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, as a child is highly likely to continue to experience these difficulties in adulthood.People with symptoms of impulsivity are often impatient. Turn-taking is a minor but incredibly common drawback to ADHD. And this can be widely misunderstood by others. For many with ADHD, this is about grounding. So for example, if I interrupt you, I'm not necessarily doing it to be rude, although it could be perceived as rude. A, you probably aren't talking fast enough for me and I'm losing the thread or I'm losing connection to the conversation. But B, if I interrupt or talk over you, I'm probably trying to ground myself in the room, trying to anchor myself in the conversation so I don't lose the thread, you know, consequentially to this many struggle in larger groups. Personally, I find larger group zoom calls or meetings really difficult. You know, again, this could easily be considered by others and misunderstood by others as egocentricity or selfishness. That one might need to be talking a lot in the conversation or in a larger group.But, you know, ironically, it's actually because I might respect you that I don't want to seem disinterested in what you're saying or in your presence. So for me, there's an irony about that, for example, if I'm cutting you off mid-flow, is because I respect you enough to want to stay present in our conversation. I hope that makes sense. Without the anchoring, one can appear disinterested. And this might feed rejection fears that we have, or might lead to further anxieties. Due to impulsivity researchers have previously found people with the condition are much more likely to commit crimes for example. And according to the charity ADHD action in the UK, an estimated 30% of our adult prisoners have ADHD. It has also been suggested widely that those figures are actually likely to be much higher for people with undiagnosed ADHD in prisons, I find that rather interesting as well.So clearly, impulsivity is an issue. If you add into that shame and guilt cycles around impulsive behaviours, you know, day to day, then it can be really debilitating for some people. Conversely, there may be many who engage in unhealthy impulsive behaviours, which form a part of their impulsivity and they've got no wish to change them. I feel that's really important to say too, I think it would be easy just to associate impulsivity with negative consequences, and that's absolutely not what I'm trying to say here. So according to recent studies, several theories have been established to refine the condition of impulsivity. Some believe it to be more rooted in behavioural difficulties, while others see it as a cognitive problem, IE the thought process is what leads to the behaviour with limited time spent on consideration of the consequences of said behaviour. That of course is very chicken and egg isn't it? What came first? That's an age-old discourse amongst CBT therapists regarding the relationship between thought and action and action influencing thought.There are undoubtedly biopsychosocial influences on impulsivity as well. There's been some suggestion in research fields that people with higher impulsivity are more prone to having lower levels of dopamine in their body, which might explain how impulsive rewards or driving behaviours are increased as a means of compensation. We're trying to increase our dopamine by engaging in these activities. Though definitions vary, impulsivity is most often defined as unplanned responses to stimuli, with little or no thought given to consequences. As I've already mentioned, not all impulsivity is bad. Personally, as a part of my own journey to accept myself as an authentically flawed human being. I wouldn't trade my impulsivity for anything. That said, perhaps it's easy for me to say that because I'm not committing crimes, and hopefully, not being too harmful with this aspect of my condition.For others, this is the main consequence of their condition. I guess we're all different and affected in our own ways. I guess it comes down to asking yourself the question, Is my impulsivity functional or dysfunctional? What am I happy with and would not trade? And that's I guess, about working you towards some acceptance of your condition. And what would I like to change because it causes me problems or causes others problems or harm? In our next audio on impulsivity, I'll offer some tips and techniques hopefully to help you break down the behaviour and hopefully reduce it.