Anyone notice there seems to be a very high number of professional cuddler that have adhd? I have it myself as well. Just thought it is an interesting observation and wondering the connection.
I haven’t noticed that but I wonder if it has something to do with the calming affects of cuddling. People with ADHD have a lot of racing thoughts and high energy and cuddling allows rest.
I am a bit fidgety, so when I cuddle i do tend to have hands etc in motion a good deal of time. Just an fyi in case it's an issue for anyone who is reading this lol. Most people seem to love it though...
Interesting observation. I’ve heard that people that are slightly autistic may hate to cuddle, so I can see the reverse being true about those who are ADHD.
That's probably just a funny coincidence but would be interesting if there was some sort of connection. Then again, I too have adhd... Makes ya wonder lol
I have ADHD as well. Idk, I didn’t get into it thinking about it so I’m not sure about correlation.
I was one of the first wave of youngsters given Ritalin in the 1960s when there was a higher bar to get prescribed it. While it was first approved by the FDA in the 1950s, the 60s was when it was first introduced to children for what was then called hyperkinetic activity or in laymen’s terms—hyperactive children.
They really had no idea what they were doing with it back then and I was prescribed large doses three times a day. We lived in LA at the time and my mom took me to some highly peculiar treatments to do exercises like picking out letters attached to a fast spinning ball and walking forwards and backwards on a four inch beam. The idea was retrain your mind to focus. Of course that doesn’t work because true cases of ADHD are not a matter of focus. It is neurological and chemical. And before anyone judges my mom—I would get up in the middle of classes and try and teach up front with the teacher or go out in the halls and scream. I picked fights out of nervous energy and the only way she could keep me in school without being expelled was paying for a Lutheran school who needed the money. We are talking about Kindergarten and first grade.
The Ritalin worked but doctors left me on it during puberty which they now know is a huge no-no. I acted criminally—violence, theft and truancy mostly—until one military doctor finally asked at the age of 17 why I was still on massive doses of Ritalin. Once off, I had withdrawals and got worse but then a year later I stopped feeling the urge to act out and went the other direction—withdrawn, quiet and antisocial. It took a few years to even that out. I had amphetamine withdrawals and psychosis (temporary).
I guess I share this with everyone diagnosed with ADD and ADHD as a cautionary tale—be careful about running for the nearest pill. Many of these substances are nothing more than speed and long term use causes drastic erratic behavior. Discuss in depth the ramifications of long term ADHD meds. They are very real.
There are worse things than a hyperactive cuddle.
I have ADD and find cuddling to help me very much. I hold mostly still during a session and usually keep my legs settled, but my hands are almost always moving, or at least my fingers. I always make sure its ok so I'm not crossing anyone's boundaries though.
I dont think there's a high number of pros specifically @7776789 Its a complex diagnosis and many ppl in general may show related symptoms. Internet hasn't helped with ppls ability to focus either. Anyway, if your pro is unable to relax best get a refund. Lol
I've experienced many cuddlers I've coined as "active cuddlers" which might be similar to what you've experienced. They're rubbing my back maybe slightly too fast but mostly their heart rate gives it away. I bring it to their attention asap. Sometimes walk them through breathing exercises if they're comfortable with it and the rest of the session they've been much more calm/self-aware.
I'm not sure if that pertains to autism or ppl in general as well @MrAdmirer Those on the spectrum tend to be more sensitive to material or audio so I can see why someone being too close may be a problem. That being said I have a 5yr old autistic client for my "day job" as a behavioral therapist. He's a little cuddle bug. Whenever he's tired from working (or from a long tantrum) he climbs right onto my lap and snuggles up 🥰
As someone with ADHD and CPTSD, my mind is most at ease during a good snuggle. I often drift off to such a peaceful rest, with the only downside being time goes by much faster.
@Taco_Weekday the cptsd yes, big issue for me. I can't shut my brain down sometimes.
With a trusted cuddle partner they can sense that and usually running thier fingers through/over my hair and scalp will allow me to finally let go and relax.
Shifting into neutral as one cuddle Motorhead calls it. Found that's about the best description for it.
Look ADHD and CPTSD up in the dictionary, and you’ll see my picture. 🤗🥴
A non insignificant number of the pros who have visited have been ADD or ADHD. It can be a challenge sometimes actually because my spirit animal is a sloth... I have to wait for them to run out of energy lol
Guilty as charged 🤦🏼♀️🤓
As an adhd pro, I’ve noticed the first encounter is the most over stimulating and then subsequent visits are calmer due to a less novel environment/already getting the wiggles of excitement out from meeting a new person. Bless clients who are understanding of the neurotype!
I do not have ADHD but I agree with @KozyKim about the calming effects of cuddling.
In my own case, I can concentrate for hours at a time. I sometimes lose perception of time while and when I look at the clock, 4 or 5 hours have passed in what seemed like a few minutes. My problem is “turning it off”. I have abundant physical energy and a curious mind that is always engaged so cuddling, meditation and “floats” are my only relief and mental relaxation.
It isn’t a coincidence at all. ADHD (CPTSD as well) is a disorder marked by anxiety and the drive to reestablish the body’s normal levels of calming hormones, neurotransmitters, and the like. It makes perfect sense that folks who suffer will seek comfort.
Below is a short quote from an article in ADDitude, which my doc recommends as a resource for people with ADHD who are trying to improve their lives.
- *As you know, one trademark of ADHD is low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine — a chemical released by nerve cells into the brain.
Due to this lack of dopamine, people with ADHD are "chemically wired" to seek more, says John Ratey, M.D., professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Eating carbohydrates (for example) triggers a rush of dopamine in the brain," he says. "It's the drive for the feeling of satiety."*
@MrAdmirer Being that my son has Asperger's, in his case as I don't lump all on the autistic spectrum together😊, he doesn't seem to care much for hugging or cuddling. 😄 He's been that way since he was a baby (he's 14 now), but if I ask him for a hug he'll be accommodating and all. But I know deep down, he genuinely prefer that I don't hug him. And cuddling is something he definitely something he would rather not do. 😊
Ahh! I've found my people! Diagnosed ADD in 1986. My clients all benefit from my disorder. My hands are always in motion. I am constantly petting hair, stroking arms, or rubbing backs. It's really hard to be still and that's perfectly alright with cuddling.
Squirrels unite! 🐿️🐿️🐿️
So relate to the constantly roaming hands and the calming effect of dopamine from the cuddles.
For me, the sensory/tactile input can also become a bit of a hyperfixation - all those variations of textures, temperatures, pressures. But then it'll get too be too much as I'm so sensitive and I'll have to reset my nervous system 😑
It's one of many things that's made me wonder if I may be dual diagnosis as a lot of AuDHD folks I've talked to also have the same sensory processing issues warring with the sensory seeking behavior. It's a constant war back and forth.