Annual review and planning the year ahead, 2012 A year in the zoo

[Robbo]

How was your year?, got some high points? low points?

Just writing this part so I remember to do it. I found a 6 page letter I wrote to my doctor while still in the waiting room after an appointment with one of the social workers I had to see before seeing the psychologist. The social workers were mental health social workers with all the letters after there names… I needed to get a lot off my angry ranting chest because they were idiots from my perspective. That was a year ago. Hand written, I hope I can read it.

It’s a little bit of a bummer to see how much has not changed. I know if I look hard enough I’ll find real progress in my elf.

More later. Must sleep now.

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[Patte Rosebank]

Speaking of year-end reviews…

Have you ever gotten one of those “Here are all the amazing things our amazing family did this year!” letters from someone on your Christmas card list?

Lynne Truss (author of “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves”) has received many of these letters.  Finally, she was inspired to write several potential replies, any one of which would put a stop to any future letters…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20810452

 

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[MarieAngell]

How was my year, indeed? One thing I learned right  at the end of 2012 is that I should keep a bit of a record of what I’m doing so that I can recall what I’ve done in the past year.

This was a year of some good progress for me and my family, especially in regard to figuring out some of the finer points of ADHD and acquiring some better coping strategies. More work to be done, but still, all in all, progress!

Some setbacks in that I was so busy trying to figure out the finer points of ADHD and acquire better coping skills and just the many details of life to many of the things I actually enjoy doing. But I came to the end of the year with a renewed sense of hope and focus (using the term “focus” in an ADD sort of way).

@Robbo, how long ago were you diagnosed with ADHD? I’m just over 2 years into a diagnosis and it’s no joke about it being a process. A year ago, I think I would have said I was no better, maybe even worse off, in evaluating the year. I was very discouraged that I hadn’t managed my life better and I was having a lot of frustrations with healthcare providers for my kid and a lot of extraneous family troubles that had to be dealt with.

In the High Five section, you sounded like you were proud of some things. In my limited experience, those successes build.  OMG, am I really saying, “Success breeds success”? So sorry, but some cliches are true.

I’ve really learned in this past year there will be slipups too, but the slipups don’t usually eat at me the way they once did, because I’ve proven to myself I can get back on track.

So, yeah, maybe you haven’t made much progress (although I bet you’ve made more than you think), but now you know where you stand.

The question is: Where do we go from here? What’s the next thing we want to conquer?

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[Robbo]

About 15 months, not a very thorough one. But I’m deep into the solution. I’m going back for some more research into my cranial apparatus. I’m gonna try at least. It’s really hard to get time with a psychiatrist for folks medical/medcare. I’ll need some endurance. And encouragement. I’ll get it here too. Cool huh?.

Plain old self restraint is really high on my list of tricks to pull off this year. I haven’t been all that tricky lately, huh? Don’t answer that…

I had a friend who was diagnosed with rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Got really pissed off at me when I said “I sometimes have those symptoms”. This winter has been especially difficult for me. Extreme stress due to a lot of rejection at church, and just in general socially. I don’t blame God, Christians, or Jesus for that. It’s just human nature to reject people we don’t understand or relate to. I’m just as guilty, and know I need to give myself a break. So I’m giving the people in my life a break too. My physical health has been absolutely horrible the last few months. This is a very empathetic place, so I try not to talk about the frailties of my human body etc. It really hurts when people we care about suffer. Why would I wan to make that pain happen?.

I’m making it to my doctors appointments on time though. Telling the whole truth, etc. We only get back what we put in for the most part. It’s also true that I have experienced a vast amount of grace and about an extra gazzilian million chances at having a decent life.

Taking my time. That’s what I’ll do this year. It’s mine after all.

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[shutterbug55]

When I read this, I couldn’t stop laughing. I have a self-assessment and peer review to do this weekend, and I have been putting it off.

I have a difficult time talking about my accomplishments because they seem so insignificant in comparison to other people. “I kept this job for over a year.” If only they could understand how big that is for me. It represents a huge change/improvement for me, but meaningless to anyone without ADD. Another one for me would be “In this last year, I did not make any mistakes that cost the company customers.”

Obviously, those statements will never get onto the review, but they and many like them are floating around in my head. It makes writing resumes, doing interviews, and networking difficult as well.

I am missing my right leg from the knee down, and when I tell people I walked a 2 miles, I get the “That is great!” or “How exciting!” in that sing-song tone of voice people use on old people and children. I had some work done on my leg and my prosthetic, so walking 2 miles doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as it used to and I have been working up to it for a while now.

I finally got statements and examples into my review that I think will not produce those sing-song responses.

I hate reviews.

 

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[Amy]

This year went better for our household.  In 2010, my father-in-law died.  And then in 2011, my mother & grandmother died.  We were just trying to get through 2012 without anything major happening.

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[Patte Rosebank]

I just had an appointment with my ADHD specialist.  Since I started going there, I’ve lost 10 lbs.—5 lbs. per month!

My ADHD specialist and I are very happy with my weight loss, and with the improvement in my blood pressure, and that I was able to make this past Christmas much better than previous ones (until the big crash & burn at the very end).

Slow & steady.  If I can keep going at this rate, I’ll be able to lose 60 lbs. in a year.

*If* I can keep going at this rate.

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[Robbo]

<<<<<<“”that sing-song tone of voice people use on old people and children””>>> Oh crap that voice, it destroys disabled people just like freaking nitroglycerin. I can sometimes see it in my dang email. Thanks for saying that. Can I punch a hole in my walls now to show how I feel? How about ninety seven million hundred holes???? that dang sing song voice makes me feel a a child. That’s why I wrote such a childish number. You don’t think I actually think that way do you?

I’ll click on this thread again when It get’s close to the bottom of our pages, just to torture all the folks that don’t want to find something they’re proud of. Something they deserve a pat on the back for. We have the back patting corner for that, but it’s getting old and I’ve talked too much on it. “-)

Made you guys cry. That sucks huh?

Some time soon I’ll actually finish writing something like a rear end review. But I’m afraid I’ll end up with a dang book. I’m not ready to write the book of my life. I’m too busy making sure it’s a best seller.

This got me thinking so I clicked on edit. For now it’s better to let me keep thinking I can only click on edit one time. Yep, I’ve got this thing that bad.

I came back because I realized that one of the smartest, and most humble people around here only writes about two lines in his messages on our forum. But he packs more wisdom in every one of them that many of us will ever EVER have. I take that back, it’s more possible than that.

He’s the only person I’ve ever asked to be my friend in this forum. The bosses said I have a premium membership, but I still. can’t figure out how to invite someone to be my friend here. And either does he. Guess we have to wait until Jimi gets off his butt and sets that up.

love, peace. bewilderment.

R

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[Robbo]

Big *If*, huh? Good job you guys!!!!.

(off topic but I’m a little freaked out so I want to ask a question before I forget it) In that thread about not being able to sleep at night, and not being able to get outa bed in the morning because we feel like we’re waking up from aneshesia… ***takes a breath*** AHHH,  better. Well I wasn’t able to click on edit more than once, just like now, And I checked too Jimi!! lol. But one of my posts on that thread had three notes under it that said I edited it three times. I saw that Jimi!!! you lil bugger man.

love, peace, bewilderment. (my mantra)…………

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[Robbo]

It’ snot sad. Don’t cry.

Ok, go ahead.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqwNsO1-r30

PS it’s not “A year in review” it’s a rear end view from the zoo.

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[Robbo]

Interesting topic. I can’t really relate, at all. Really…. um. Honest lol

Heck you guys, I’m just about the coolest cuke I’ve ever known. “A cuke”… that’s even my nickname!. ***grin*** hey, don’t laugh. I’m on to something here. Or maybe you guys are. Oh I know. You’re on drugS!! ***crowd scream yes!!*** really?, what kind? ohhh ADHD drugs. Okay. (me too)

This reminds me of a great video. This link may only work for a month or so. That’s the way youtube works. Give it a shot though. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoF_a0-7xVQ k, now remember you guys. Mike AIN’T MY NAME… don’t call me dat.

I’m cutting back though, on the wellbutrin… instead of taking drugs for ADHD I’ve decide to listen to music much more lately. So far it’s working out fairly well. Accept for the talking to people, and meeting with people, and actually when I listen to people I still get upset. Lot’s of times I try to just read what people say…

Well crap you guys. I still get upset… I think maybe I’ve got this ADD thing. Ya think? I think I’m “a patient” like when Mr. Soprano was talking to that beautiful Italian lady psychiatrist. I’m “a patient” ohhhh crap!!,. a fate worse than death… I can’t really say for sure that this is a fate worse than death. but I can tell you that I’ve been very close to death many a time in this lifetime alone. So far, as far as I know. This is the only life I’ve ever known. And some of it has been pretty dang dark and dreary. Full of fear and nausia…. upset stomochs and belly aches galore, that’s what most of my life has been. In 8th grade I was deep into puberty and that’s when the belly aches and upset stomach problems really started to hit. And oh Lord did they hit. I was a dang nervous wreck!.

Mostly I was angry though. Angry because I was forced to live in a world that I just could not Effing Stomach!. ALL YOU HUMAN BEINGS JUST PLAIN PISSED ME OFF!. I mean really bad pissed me off you guys. That’s why when I went to scout camp and we all got to play games like “king of the hill” well, crap… I just got up at the top and pushed down everyone that came within striking distance of me. A few of them really got clobbered in the process too. That’s when they started callen me “muscles” Well, crap you guys. That got boring… real boring playing king of the hill all alone.

Real lonely.
Sad.

Did I break yer heart yet?…
DGMS
R-

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[Patte Rosebank]

Ah, @Robbo, you can keep changing your name and your photo, but you’re still Robbo to us—one of the most colourful characters around here!

Hey, if the Wellbutrin is working for you, stick with it, and listen to music & do other stuff to help it work better.  No shame in taking the meds if you need them…any more than there’s shame in me taking diabetes meds ’cause I need them.

But stick with the music too.  If it feels good, do it!

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[Robbo]

Hi! “to whom it may concern”

I bet you’re wondering what the heck I was talking about on the very last post of this thread?

You’re not from around here are ya pal?

Well, if you take a look at this thread  http://totallyaddconnect.com/forums/topic/easily-angeredoverly-frustrated/#post-118990  ukay… click on it… gooood. That should esplain everything to ya pal.

If you still don’t get it. Start again from the top. Read a lil bit slower this time.

Very good.

Still don’t get it?

Just go to youtube and run a search for Jim Hendrix music. Then look for a song called “have you ever been experienced” or something very similar. You may find a clue or two, or four.

And just ignore my friend Larry. I’m not sure what the heck she’s talking about.

We really need to bring back that edit feature. Huh?

yep

 

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