[kc5jck]

In my case I think that I let things pile up because I’m thinking that I have too much to do to take the three of four minutes to put away the tools, clothes, wash the dish, etc.  It’s the misconception that the task is not that important and it will prevent me from accomplishing other things.  (Like wasting hours surfing the internet.)

When I realized that it doesn’t take long to do these small tasks and that any time saved by not doing them will only be wasted, truly wasted, that I have gotten better.  Now I take one or two minutes putting away tools instead of twenty to thirty minutes looking for them the next time I need them.

For me, it’s simply a change in the way I think of time management.

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[kc5jck]

My thoughts exactly.

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[kc5jck]

Well, I guess I like to continue to do things in a way that has never worked.

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[kc5jck]

I really don’t want to seem insensitive, but being fired from a job doesn’t shipwreck a career.

Here’s a thought, write a book about what it is like to have ADHD, all the clueless stupid things that one with undiagnosed ADHD does, and the spectrum of feelings of sadness, regret, and grief that is invariably associated with the diagnosis.

Really, people out there who don’t have it, don’t have a clue how it feels realize that your life and potential has been wasted and sabotaged by ADHD.

You’re right, you can’t change the past, and it doesn’t seem to hurt any less, but you’ll get over it, mostly, and move on.  The sooner you can do so, and drop the baggage, the better.

Sorry you’re in the boat, but we’re happy to make room for you.

By the way, you’re still a journalists, just one that is presently unemployed.  🙂

 

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[kc5jck]

Larynxa is right again.  (or else she and I are both wrong.)  Don’t give up on writing if it is your dream.  There are other jobs .  .  .  and there is always self employment.

The best careers and jobs for anyone, ADHD or not is one they really like.

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[kc5jck]

As far as making notes about how your meds are working, get feedback from you husband as well.  Often the person with ADHD isn’t the best judge on how they are performing “externally.”

I’ve seen people post that they thought their meds quit working so they stopped taking them for a day or two.  Comments from coworkers and others indicated that they had noticed an immediate change.

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[kc5jck]

I looked up “divergent thinking” in Wikipedia and agree with Larynxa that it is more of a difference, I would say a good difference.  What you describe,  “I could focus on certain things I liked, such as reading books” sounds more like hyperfocussing which is the ADHD trait of being unable to shift your attention when you should.

I would say, after reading Wiki, that divergent thinking is something I commonly do when approaching a problem.  That is, I think of several different solutions or approaches to a problem, then pick the best and go from there.  Perhaps it is because of my math/computer science background, or perhaps it is the reason for my choosing math/computer science in school.  I think you should count it a definite plus, as long as you don’t get eaten while considering your options.  🙂

If you were “diagnosed” with “divergent thinking”, I suspect the person doing so didn’t really know what they were doing.  Not surprising if this took place 10-15 years ago or more since much of the information and knowledge about ADHD at that time was lacking in fact as we know today.

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[kc5jck]

One of the results of having ADHD is a poor working memory.  Anything you want or need to remember has to get past it, which means it has to be refreshed several times.  This means you need to be reminded several times or perhaps write it down.

Poor working memory is also true upon reaching “advanced middle age.”  So at this point if one hasn’t got you, the other one will.  More likely, they are working in tandem.  So you are trying your best, it’s not your fault, and you shouldn’t feel guilty.

Think about exactly what problems you are having in this area and figure out some strategy to help compensate.  For instance, I use timers and alarms on my iPhone.  (Even if there was enough string in the world, I don’t have enough fingers.)

Another result of ADHD is getting interested in doing something else before you proof read posts to make sure they make sense.  I’m talking about my last three paragraphs.  🙂  Good luck, hope this makes some sense and is helpful.

 

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[kc5jck]

” I have the hardest time finding things in a place that was organized by someone else, and yet I can find what I need in a snap in my own junk heap.”

I’m the same way.

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[kc5jck]

I copied the following off PsychCentral, things anyone who has been on this site knows ( or did know, or has heard and forgotten), but it’s good to have a list.

5 Tips To Surviving A Life With ADHD
        By Kelly Babcock        

How I did it … so far

I may have mentioned this before, I have ADHD. And though I’ve only known that for six years (I was diagnosed five years ago), I’ve had it most of my life.

I have an interesting view of my life, yet not a terribly unique one (there are many people my age just finding out about their ADHD). My view of my life is one where I have memories of life as a confused person thinking I was just like everyone else.

Now, as I look back, I see the effects of ADHD and the intricate ways in which I rationalized, ignored and denied those effects.

I’m not completely done inventorying the ADHD dimensions of my life or reconciling them with memories, but I’m well started. It’s like discovering the history you learned was wrong.

But I learned, or was taught ways to deal with my personal idiosyncrasies. I’m sharing them with you so that you can decide if they might make a difference in your life. Or, if you already use any of these methods, you might feel less unique, more comfortable about them, knowing you share them with me … or maybe not.

Turn up the radio – I don’t know about you, but I can’t concentrate in an attentional vacuum. I need distraction to keep me focused. Odd, I know. Counter intuitive? Certainly. But that’s me. You too?
Could I get extra bacon with my bacon? – I discovered early in life that protein makes me more able to concentrate. I’ve read that there are reasons for this, but I don’t remember what they were … I probably forgot the extra protein the day I read them. I know it works though. Don’t get me wrong, I know I need fiber, and the vitamins that veggies deliver, but protein makes things clear.
Lists belong on this list – I have a pretty sharp mind. It comes up with brilliant ideas at an average of ten per minute. That may be a slight exaggeration, but sometimes it feels like that. And if I don’t write them down, they’re gone. I can’t think them up again, I’m too busy thinking up other brilliant ideas. Also, I need to keep track of things I need to do, things I want to do, things I need, things I want, just things. So I use lists. I do wish there was a master list of the lists and their locations though. I should make one of those. I’ll just put that on my to do list now …
Take the hard trail – I know that if I take the easy way, I’ll get bored and wander off the path. If I challenge myself, I’m far more likely to stick to the job. This applies to choosing tasks, vocations, hobbies, projects, what to make for dinner, etc. “Be adventurous!” is my motto, and so far, whenever I’ve adhered to that motto, I’ve been rewarded.
Apologize for inappropriate behavior … once – I never waste time with repeated apologies. I’m never really sorry anyway. Not in the way people think I am. I’m sorry in a more important way. I never mean to hurt anyone, so my apology is that they were hurt. Usually I’ve said something that could be taken two ways and the more obscure way is the way I meant it. The blatantly obvious way that they saw, but I could not, until I am slapped in the face with its obviousness, I am always oblivious to. I’m sorry you didn’t get what I was actually saying, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings, I’m not sorry that I did it on purpose, because I didn’t. Now, I’m going to move on. Are you coming with me, or staying here in the land of the offended to brood?

So that’s my five big tips for surviving with ADHD. Maybe I’ll list some more some day. I’ll just put that on my “to do list.” If I’ve had my protein and the radio is on, I may get to it. If not, I’m sorry.

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[kc5jck]

Perhaps it’s because all the other people chattering away inside (and outside) my head have all gone to bed and I can finally work undisturbed.   .  .  .  or being a cat person, maybe it’s the cat in me.

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[kc5jck]

Apparently, ADHD doesn’t affect IQ.  There are some really sharp people on the site, some of whom have gone on to be successful business owners, doctors, lawyers, etc.  Unfortunately, ADHD does severely impact the ability to “cash in” on one’s brain power.  It’s as if after ADHD shaves off about 20-30 IQ points, you work with what’s left.  Mildly retarded for those with average IQ to above average for those with “genius” IQs.  All perform below their potential, particularly when undiagnosed and untreated.

The more I learned about ADHD and reflected upon my life’s choices, the more I could see how ADHD had impacted my life.  The diagnosis also explained a lot to me about myself.

Be thankful that you found out at 33 instead of 63.  Even without an official diagnosis and medication, there is a lot you can do by educating yourself about ADHD and putting in place strategies to help compensate for your symptoms.

I could write more, but it’s late now and last night I got distracted on ancestry.com until 2 am.  That happens a lot that I stay up too late and then get up at 7-8 am, thinking maybe I’ll take a nap in the afternoon, but I usually get busy with something and next thing, “surf’s up” on the web.

Occasionally I think I’ll go in and throw the breakers on everything but the refrigerator just so I could sit in the dark and do nothing.  But then there’s that pesky old iPhone.

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[kc5jck]

Tick . . . tick . . . tick

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[kc5jck]

Well, my cat Gilligan, mentioned above, returned from his last mission after being gone for 18 days.  He got back sometime between about 2 and 7 am.  He’s settling back into his old routine after a can of cat food.

My daughter will be back through here in a few days.  She disappeared about the same time Gilligan did.  While we don’t know where Gilligan went or what he did, daughter calls occasionally to clue us in.

It was rather early, so I didn’t catch all of what she was saying, but it sounded really interesting.  Something about piloting her C17 during aerial refueling and having to break off because of clouds and another AR on the same track and seeing strobes flashing out in the clouds from the other ships on which she had no visual.  She mentioned St. Elmo’s fire and it like being inside one of those lightning balls at Radio Shack you put your hand on.   She also mentioned something about thunderstorms and lightning.  She usually comes out with some pretty exciting stuff when we talk.

Anyway, tomorrow she takes her check ride to be an Aircraft Commander for the C17.  She would rather be doing aerobatics in the T38.  We wish her luck, not that she needs it.  She is really good at what she does.  No ADD in that one.  😉

 

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[kc5jck]

Before I leave the house, I do a “pre-flight.”  Keys, knife – right pocket.  Wallet money – left pocket.  Cell phone – back pocket.   Do this before take off and upon landing.

Brownies go in the oven or water to boil – set timer on phone and return to back pocket.

Someone borrows knife – watch them like a border collie until you get it back.  Return to front right pocket.

I still have a problem with laying tools down in random places.  I’ll be working on something and walk in the house carrying some item and randomly lay it down somewhere on the way to the kitchen, get distracted and half hour later can’t find it.  I’m trying to be more conscience of doing this.  Perhaps a backpack would help.  I could just pitch whatever in the backpack.  When it gets full, go return things to their proper place.  Sounds like a good idea!  Someone try it and report back on how well it works.

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