Until I knew that I qualified as ADHD I struggled. The limits it put on me were invisible. I knew I was screwing up. But not always. I was inconsistent, but not consistently. Even my unreliability was unreliable.
Now, looking back, I’ve had a kind of epiphany and it has to do with structure, habits, organization…
Recently diagnosed with ADHD? I want to offer three ‘truths’ you should know. Had I been told these things 17 years ago, when I was first diagnosed, I would have avoided a lot of upset and frustration. And I’m big on avoiding upset and frustration.
I have been thinking about the abuse and misuse of ADHD medication. And here I’m referring to the official, approved, doctor prescribed, legally obtained medications, stimulant and otherwise. Like 99% of people with ADD who eventually try medication, I was reluctant to rely on a ‘crutch.’ I was worried I’d become addicted, that it would kill my creativity, turn me into a hop-head…
<![CDATA[By Rick Green, A few months ago I blogged about those dark moments, when things would overwhelm me, and I […]
By Rick Green,
“Oh, everyone thinks they have ADD nowadays. It’s over-diagnosed. It’s the internet. And cell phones. And everyone’s trying to do 9 things at once. Fifty years ago there was no such thing as ADHD.”
Comments like that used to set me off on a rant, “Actually, no. Everyone does not have ADHD! Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is driven by genes. It runs in families. It’s highly heritable. And it’s usually there at birth. Or even before! In fact, one doctor in our film, ADD & Loving It?! who has four sons…”
By Rick Green
Which aspect of your ADHD do you dislike the most? Which trait, or if you prefer, ‘symptom’, does the most damage?
It’s a valuable question to ask. For several reasons.
One payoff for identifying the trait that undermines you the most? It requires you to focus, and you won’t drown in good intentions, trying to manage every symptom at once. (A recipe for overwhelm as I found out after when first diagnosed.)
Another payoff? Mastering the bugaboo that most sabotages you…
By Rick Green,
I’ve mentioned recently that at my lowest moments, despairing, I thought, “I wish I’d never been diagnosed.”
That’s not true, of course. Having an explanation for some of my challenges, an explanation that I can work with, has been hugely helpful.
My despair wasn’t about being diagnosed. It was that, “I tried to make changes. I tried to follow an organizing system. And I failed. Again. For a while I had hope that things were transforming! But obviously it didn’t last. And once again I’ve failed.”
I didn’t try hard enough to break my old habits… Which I also know is not true.
In fact, you cannot break old habits. You can’t just tough-it-out. You can’t just try harder.
By Rick Green,
Don’t you love when someone explains a complicated idea in a way that makes it instantly clear? That sudden, “Aha! I get it.” It instantly makes sense.
This morning a friend of ours had to escort her mom to see a new therapist. Mom is struggling with anxiety. And she was upset. Our friend was confused, “I would have thought she’d be happy and excited. New hope.” But my wife, Ava, pointed out, “When someone is struggling with anxiety, any kind of change is stressful. Uncertainty feeds the anxiety.”
The friend got it, instantly, “Ah… Of course.”…
An eventful week! And it’s not over.
On Tuesday I went to Queens Park, the seat of government for the province of Ontario, where I had lunch with the Speaker, the Hon. Dave Levac. Mark Tishman, from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care joined us as well. Very moving conversation.
For me, it renewed the hope that we can keep doing what we are doing at TotallyADD.com. Because at the moment the future is by no means guaranteed. Many ADHD organizations are struggling. Some have had to close down. This week we were sad to hear that ADD Resources in Seattle is no more.
BY RICK GREEN
Last year we took a poll during one of our webinars. We asked: “What are the biggest issues you want us to address?” Number one? Procrastination. No surprise. And we’ve been working on a Procrastination video for a while now. (Insert your own procrastination joke here.) Second issue? The tornado of emotions that erupt when you, or a loved one, receives the ADHD diagnosis. We’ve been asking a lot of experts about this furious funnel of feelings that can send an already racing mind into a tailspin. And, man oh man, do we have some stories to tell…