Finally Freak'n Focused!

[Anonymous]

Hello all. Just found the site last night and with reading through I see soooo much of what I’ve gone through in my life reflected here… you’re my kinda people!

So the cliff notes version of my story is that I’m 34, have had a frustrating life achieving mediocrity when I’ve always been told “Shane could do so much more if he applied himself” OR “Shane gets by with the least amount of work possible”. last year I was finally told I was ad/hd. Yea it fit. I was put on 18mg concerta and was left at that(mostly my doing there).

Recently I left my looking for a refill of my med to the last minute only to find out my Doc was no longer even in the country… So I ended up going 2 weeks without. Then there was trouble. I tail spun quickly. Work went from ok to hell. i found myself sitting there in the middle of the day feeling dazed and disoriented. I work as a Sr, Technical Service agent for an internet company and it can get very fast paced and distracting.

One of my things is I don’t feel time like most people do. I have no concept of it. I’ve always said “Eh… time… it’s all relative…” Well. my employer doesn’t see it that way and has given me my “Final warning” because I’m not adhering to my break and lunch times. Basically taking too long, coming back late. I don’t mean to. I really don’t. I’m at the point now of having my wife pick me up a stopwatch today that I’m literally going to wear around my neck. Yes. I’m going to feel like a special need kid.. you know the ones that wear a book of pictures and words around their neck… but like them I need it.

Anyway a good thing came out of this though…It finally got me focused on ad/hd and got me reading… I’m at the stage of seeing the pieces all fit looking back and feeling what allot of you must have felt. Angry, sad, relieved, disappointed… But! I have a (now) understanding wife and a 4 year old son that are my life. She’s done some reading on ad/hd and sees the pieces fit too. No matter how differently my life could have been I can’t change that now.

So. That’s me. Fresh to the funny farm even though I’ve been here all along. I look forward to moving forward. I have to say,Patrick and Rick….. Thanks! This couldn’t be a better site. It fits me to a tee. Rick I actually met you at a Sci-fi convention in Halifax NS. You were playing Rock’em Sock’em robots with Nigel Bennett at one point…

REPORT ABUSE

[Patte Rosebank]

Since it’s clear that your ADHD is affecting your work—particularly now that you’ve gotten a “Final Warning” for a behaviour which is directly caused by your medical condition (which, in some jurisdictions, is considered a disability)—you need to get a letter from your doctor, certifying that you do, indeed, have this condition, and that time management is a very real problem because of it. You should show this to your employer’s HR department. This will prove that you are not being deliberately irresponsible; you’re trying your best, but your medical condition is making things difficult. Explain to them how you ended up being off your medication for a long time, and the effects of this. And what you are doing to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Don’t just come to them with the problems; bring the possible solutions too.

Before meeting with HR, look into the legal implications of your situation, but keep them to yourself, unless push comes to shove.

If you live in a jurisdiction that considers ADHD a disability, your employer would be violating the Human Rights Code by punishing you, instead of working with you to implement the necessary supports to accommodate you. If that’s the case, then you can ask the Human Rights Commission to intervene on your behalf. If you don’t live in such a jurisdiction, things are trickier. You may have to ask for help from CADDAC, CAMH, or your provincial mental health association, to educate your employer about your ADHD. But there’s nothing, legally, to force your employer to make accommodations for it.

However, the first thing you should do is GET THAT STOPWATCH / TIMER, AND USE IT! Timers watch the time for you, so you can focus on doing what you need to do, in the time that you have to do it. They also tell you when it’s time to switch to another task.

I use timers a lot. Knowing that I don’t need to worry about the time, takes away a lot of the pressure. And it keeps me on time for appointments. Most of the time…

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Oh I’m all over that lol. Talked with my Manager first thing this morning and she appreciates that I’m putting an effort into it and letting her know. I’m going to pick up the stop watch today and a few other tools for my cubicle at work to help.

I’m seeing the Doc again next week so I’ll have the forms and such for him to fill out then. last thing I want to do is get fired in the middle of the summer lol

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts