The Forums › Forums › Emotional Journey › Is It Just Me? › It only took me 47 years to figure out why! › Re: It only took me 47 years to figure out why!
Gmanlive
I’m 59, diagnosed last year. I can see how my life could have been far different without ADHD. I can’t say that it would have been better or worse without ADHD, just different. As a Christian, I believe that God gave me what I needed to live the life He had planned, not that I did, but He provided me with all I needed to do so. Without ADHD, I would be a different person. I am not perfect, there are things I would change, but I like who I am.
Upon being diagnosed as an adult of 30, 40, or more years old, one might imagine that if diagnosed earlier, that a “successful” treatment would have ensued, followed by a “successful” career, and a “successful” marriage, etc. etc. Kids would not have ADHD, the dog would not piss on the rug and goosegrass would not encroach into the yard. New Year’s resolutions would be kept and the beach body could be claimed as one stayed focused on one’s workout routine. How often does that happen, ADHD or not?
I think things would be different but not necessarily better. There would still be responsibilities and problems, different perhaps and perhaps more onerous. And regardless, one always reaches a point of assessment and wonders about choices made and time spent. There is no intrinsically right or wrong answer.
I think that most people would find that if they really examined what they wanted in life, it could be had with a lot less pain and heartbreak than is commonly experienced. People too often look externally rather than internally to set goals and measure their success.
Don’t beat yourself up over the past. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t measure your success by the standards of others. Try always to make the best decision with the information available. Sleep well.
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