Ever been called “lazy” even though you can spend hours building something brilliant when it grabs your attention? In this episode, I walk through why that disconnect is basically the signature of ADHD—and why ADHD isn’t really an attention deficit so much as an attention regulation problem.

I’ll break down what’s happening in the brain using a simple (and weirdly accurate) framework: the “Task Positive Network” (the boss that tries to get work done) versus the “Default Mode Network” (the chatterbox that daydreams, worries, and notices squirrels). For an ADHD brain, that office management system glitches—so you’re trying to do the worksheet while the radio is blaring inside your head. Then I’ll explain the “Lego paradox”: why dopamine can flip you into hyperfocus when something is interesting, and why boring tasks can feel physically painful.

We’ll also talk about why ADHD diagnoses have risen, why girls and adults have been historically missed, and what medication actually does (think: cognitive eyeglasses—not a personality eraser). But the heart of this episode is the practical part: the ADHD Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)—a four-phase system I use to “engineer” an ADHD-friendly life with less shame and more structure. I’ll introduce the one-time setup, the daily boot sequence, and the crucial If/Then logic tree—so when you drift, freeze, or overwhelm hits, you’re not relying on willpower… you’re following a script that works with your brain.Dr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/

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