I’VE treated at least a few hundred people with at tention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The symp toms included lack of attention to detail, trouble listening, difficulty organizing tasks, a tendency to lose things, fidgeting and interrupting others.

But each of these people had lived through painful or confusing life events that left them reluctant to focus on those events. Whether it was conflict in their homes, deep questions about their self-

esteem or anxieties about performing in school or at work, they all were exerting effort to avoid thinking about troubling things.

I believe that the habit of running from emotional pain can trigger changes in people that make “turning away” their way of life. Not thinking about their problems leads to not thinking about what’s being said to them. Not thinking about the loss of loved ones or about their own mortality fuels the need to interrupt others and to fidget.

Medications can control symptoms of ADHD and keep those with the “disorder” on the move — without the temptation to examine their lives.

If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, ask yourself this one question: If it’s true that my ADHD is linked to the avoidance of thinking about past or present trouble in my life, what specific trouble was that? It’s just one step, but you’ll be on your way to paying attention.

Keith Ablow, MD, is a psychiatrist, Fox News Chan nel contributor and founder of livingthetruth.com. Contact him at info@keithablow.com.