Also an ADHDer here. My current model of things is that Dopamine broadly signals messages like "you're going the right way, keep going".
Insufficient dopamine and you end up being really open to needing frequent positive feedback to follow through on a plan. Leading to either:
1) Distractibility -- greater task-switching in the face of frustration or negative emotions.
2) Hyperfocus -- lower task-switching in the face of frequent rewards (like from a video game or novel or programming with test-driven-development).
And then there's a bunch of other mood impacts from the life-impacts of that. For example: Emotional sensitivity due to memories of people being disappointed in you.
Insufficient dopamine and you end up being really open to needing frequent positive feedback to follow through on a plan. Leading to either:
1) Distractibility -- greater task-switching in the face of frustration or negative emotions.
2) Hyperfocus -- lower task-switching in the face of frequent rewards (like from a video game or novel or programming with test-driven-development).
And then there's a bunch of other mood impacts from the life-impacts of that. For example: Emotional sensitivity due to memories of people being disappointed in you.