Working on evolutionary biology and psychology, and I came across a paper on the evolutionary context of what we now call “ADHD”.
In my graduate course on Animals & Society, we’re learning about how people are born with an affinity for animals and natural history. This got me thinking about how ADHD peeps tend to gravitate toward other ADHD peeps, and end up making even more ADHD peeps.
For at least one million years, human beings existed as hunter-gatherers. One milion years! That is about 95% of our total existence on planet Earth. 😮 So for the majority of our species’ existence, we lived in small groups of 50 or less, we shared resources, responsibilities, hunted and farmed together.
Our physical and psychological traits adapted for that kind of communal, natural living, not for the kind of existence we’re experiencing today. Things like sitting still, focusing on one or two things for long periods of time, and emotional homeostasis are VERY modern requirements of human beings. It’s no wonder there are so many of us with these ancient brains who are struggling to exist in modern society.
And while some people with ADHD have symptoms that significantly interfere with their everyday functioning, I wonder what kind of peace and wellness we might experience if humans returned to a more natural lifestyle.
I mean, I know we can’t go backwards, but I do wonder how we might nudge the pendulum toward the middle a bit so more people can grow their own food, move their bodies more, change the way they learn (looking at you, post-war American education system), and enjoy meaningful relationships with their family, friends, neighbors, and their animals. -HGH