Question: I tried going through all the questions but couldn’t make it to the end to see if this was already asked! 
  Thanks for al your wonderful answers! 
  
  Most people relate to the distraction aspect of ADHD, and while I do get distracted, I find my biggest struggle to be the inability to switch between tasks. I always thought this was related to adhd, but don’t see many people talk about it. Can the inability to switch between tasks be just as relevant to ADHD and inability to focus?
Answer:  One effect of ADHD is to dysregulate the reward system, which is the brain system that controls how we respond to rewarding or punishing events.  People vary in the degree to which their behavior is controlled by distant rewards (e.g., if I study a lot, I'll get a good job a few years from now) vs. immediate rewards (e.g., when playing a video game, one is frequently rewarded). For many people with ADHD, immediate rewards are very potent and can lead to hyperfocus on, for example, a hobby.   The opposite of hyperfocus is mind wandering when we jump from one thought/activity to another.  That occurs when no rewards are sufficient to have us focus on a goal oriented task.   Boredom occurs when the rewardingness of an activity starts out high and then gets smaller.  One reason that happens is that as one get more involved in an activity, the challenges required to complete the activity increase, which makes it less rewarding.   Sticking to an activity becomes easier if we can convince  and reminding ourselves that the long-term benefit is worth the effort.
content: Q: I tried going through all the questions but couldn’t make it to the end to see if this was already asked! 
  Thanks for al your wonderful answers! 
  
  Most people relate to the distraction aspect of ADHD, and while I do get distracted, I find my biggest struggle to be the inability to switch between tasks. I always thought this was related to adhd, but don’t see many people talk about it. Can the inability to switch between tasks be just as relevant to ADHD and inability to focus?
   Ans:  One effect of ADHD is to dysregulate the reward system, which is the brain system that controls how we respond to rewarding or punishing events.  People vary in the degree to which their behavior is controlled by distant rewards (e.g., if I study a lot, I'll get a good job a few years from now) vs. immediate rewards (e.g., when playing a video game, one is frequently rewarded). For many people with ADHD, immediate rewards are very potent and can lead to hyperfocus on, for example, a hobby.   The opposite of hyperfocus is mind wandering when we jump from one thought/activity to another.  That occurs when no rewards are sufficient to have us focus on a goal oriented task.   Boredom occurs when the rewardingness of an activity starts out high and then gets smaller.  One reason that happens is that as one get more involved in an activity, the challenges required to complete the activity increase, which makes it less rewarding.   Sticking to an activity becomes easier if we can convince  and reminding ourselves that the long-term benefit is worth the effort.