Is anyone too familiar with these because I thought there were only 3? And the hyperactivity one isn't in the 6 either. It seems the 3 type system is used for diagnosis while the 6 type is based more heavily on science... Does anyone know of the 6 type one being used outside of brain scans?

ADHD-Predominantly Hyperactive-impulsive means that the inattention symptoms aren't there or are barely there, so there wouldn't be an attention deficit. The whole name of it seems like an oxymoron.

Why not 6? :D

Are you referring to Dr. Amen's classification of ADHD?

I believe, if he's the one with like overfocused, ring of fire, etc

Dr. Amen is the only one who claims ADD has six subtypes, the only one I am aware of any way.


I personally think three is confusing enough especially for those of us who have it.



ADHD-Predominantly Hyperactive-impulsive means that the inattention symptoms aren't there or are barely there, so there wouldn't be an attention deficit. The whole name of it seems like an oxymoron.


ADD means inability to consciously control your direction of focus or length to time one is able to pay attention to a given stimuli. I believe it to be a stimuli filter valve problem. We can not selective filter some things out while paying attention to others.

In this context the three subtypes make perfect sense. . . . .

Analogy time = adapted from a previous post.

Three people attending a meeting at work, three people are equally bored out of their gourds . . ., . . .

Person 1 - Hyper active me I would have wiggled and squirmed being a distracting to every one if I remained seated . . . when my mind wanders my body tends to go along for the ride thus hyperactive. .. . I must wiggle to pay attention In boring situations I bounce {or get in trouble for talking}. . . . . . if at all possible I leave.

Hyperactive people are most often distracted by external stimuli, we are unable to filter out stuff that are not important to the task at hand and we react to it all. We have no stimuli filer our valve is stuck all the way open.


Person 2 -The more inattentive person would have sat there quietly, they many not even move they would not be a distraction to any one but they would have absolutely no idea what the subject of the meeting was, they may even fall asleep.

Inattentive ADDers are usually distracted by internal stimuli, there own thoughts or day dreams they tend to tune out. There stimuli filter get closed to quickly they filter every thing out.

*Rabbit trail * - Combined ADDer would experience a combination of both and/or alternate between the two. Some times their valve gets stuck open other times it snaps shut. Some times when their mind takes a stroll it take their body with it other time their mind will wander off on it's own.


Person 3 -NTer would have a general idea of the topic and main points. . .


!!!! remember all three people are equally bored !!!!! however all reacted differently. . . .the difference was the ability to control attention simply by deciding to filter out some things while still paying attention to others.

Notation if you are wondering how in the heck attention is controlled by mere decision then you might have ADD! :D


The three sub-types make perfect sense to me so that is what I personally use.

Dr Amen can think what he likes but I simply can not make much sense of his approaches however I will have to admit I haven't really tried very hard to look into it. No one else has been able to repeat his result studies so I do not really pay much attention to his approach.

Dr Amen can think what he likes but I simply can not make much sense of his approaches however I will have to admit I haven't really tried very hard to look into it. No one else has been able to repeat his result studies so I do not really pay much attention to his approach.Ditto for me. I couldn't have said it any better than this. :)

The 6 type classification is not the result of science. It is the brainchild of doctor Amen. As far as I know he is the only practitioner in the world seriously using it.

Me :D


Is anyone too familiar with these because I thought there were only 3? And the hyperactivity one isn't in the 6 either. It seems the 3 type system is used for diagnosis while the 6 type is based more heavily on science... Does anyone know of the 6 type one being used outside of brain scans?

ADHD-Predominantly Hyperactive-impulsive means that the inattention symptoms aren't there or are barely there, so there wouldn't be an attention deficit. The whole name of it seems like an oxymoron.

Why not 6? :D

*Rabbit trail * - Combined ADDer would experience a combination of both and/or alternate between the two. Some times their valve gets stuck open other times it snaps shut. Some times when their mind takes a stroll it take their body with it other time their mind will wander off on it's own.Brilliant! Meadd's analogy of the three types of ADHD merit a sticky.

I think it has merit.

All that other people are doing is giving people multiple labels, instead.

e.g. "Paranoid traits" or "violence prone" + ADHD = his "temporal lobe ADHD", etc.

We know that the more messed up and chronic people's conditions are, the more labels they have.

e.g. "Paranoid traits" or "violence prone" + ADHD = his "temporal lobe ADHD", etc.



ADD = attention difficulties due to faulty stimuli filtering valves . . . . .period.

Violence, paranoid, or bad habits are additional problems which may or may not be a result from the initial attention problems. They deserve consideration unto them selves there for in my opinion they are worthy of the additional labels.

Please do note this is only my opinion and opinions may vary. . .batteries not included.