Hamster Wheel Brain

Like most people, I like to relax and unwind at the end of the day. Jen does, too. So we watch TV together before bed, and I sometimes work on my Jumbles. That's as far as my brain is willing to go. Jen's brain, on the other hand, continues to run full speed ahead.

The other night, in the middle of Law & Order, she turned to me and asked, "Have you ever thought about how the structure of our solar system is a lot like the structure of an atom? For all we know, the planets could be electrons and the sun could be a nucleus."

I didn’t bother to consider her question. Instead I replied, "Little hamster's still running up there, huh?"

She finds this hilarious. But seriously, I picture a little hamster running on a wheel inside her brain, constantly churning out random ideas.

This is why a lot of ADDers have trouble falling asleep at night, especially if they don't take time to relax before bed. They suffer from Hamster Wheel Brain (HWB), more commonly referred to as racing thoughts.

The best thing you can do, as the partner of someone with HWB, is to be a calming presence. Keep your energy low and encourage your partner to join you in relaxing activities. Eventually the little hamster will take a break from the wheel.

 

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Comments

[Pann]

I have HWB too. It can be fun, when you have the energy for it, but at times it's just so overwhelming.

The funny thing is that in my marriage, I'm supposed to be the one who doesn't have ADD.

I am starting to see ADD as another set of characteristics that are a continuum, a spectrum, rather than a simple you have it or you don't.

Does this seem likely to you, too?

[Nancy Lord]

I too have HWB. Sometimes I want to scream - the thoughts bounce and race like a pinball game..and it happens all day long. Overwhelming sometimes doesn't even start to describe it. I'm 52 and it seems to be getting worse. The only time it doesn't happen is during my 'hyperfocus' times. That's a welcome break.