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I’ve been talking to a lot of people lately about ADHD. It seems like more & more people are wondering if they have ADHD & want to know how I cope w mine. So I wanna do a quick thread to share what I know. I am not an expert so I can only share from my experience & what I’ve read
For me because I have inattentive type ADHD (what we commonly think of as ADD bc the physical component isn’t as obvious) my main struggle is with what’s called executive function. This is a set of cognitive processes that we use to help us manage everyday life. A nice graphic:
But other things can cause problems with executive function as well, like burnout, anxiety, and depression. In other words, A LOT of people are struggling with these process right now because pandemic + politics + crappy human rights and all that those entail
So if you’ve only started having issues with this in the last year or so, chances are you don’t have ADHD. HOWEVER, I am not a dr, and if you think you do, you should talk to your dr about it. Your primary care dr (at least if you’re in the US) should be able to do a screening...
...and tell you what your next steps are. You do not automatically have to start meds, and in fact, not everyone with ADHD does take meds. I still haven’t found any that work for me. Again, that’s a convo for your dr.
But you can do a quick screening yourself online. This one is anonymous, doesn’t require you to sign up for anything, focuses on adults, gives instant results, and is very similar to the initial screening I took w my dr https://psychology-tools.com/test/adult-adhd-self-report-scale
Please remember that scoring high on this is not the same as a diagnosis (there are other nuances and criteria for an official diagnosis). But it can help you decide if you want to bring it up with your dr or take other action.
If you find you do have ADHD, there are some fabulous accounts to follow here on Twitter. My favorite here is @blkgirllostkeys. Her blog is also amazing, and she does ADHD coaching and is just an all-around fabulous human.
I have a list of accounts I follow for ADHD talk you can access here. I’m still vetting/getting to know some of these so please please please let me know if you see anything problematic. https://twitter.com/i/lists/1097867006186057732
There are some hashtags too, but I always forget about them 
#ADHD #adhdtwitter #neurodiversesquad are some of my favorites
Other resources I recommend or are on my list to check out:
Driven to Distraction
The Smart But Scattered Guide to Success
Help for Women With ADHD
#ADHD #adhdtwitter #neurodiversesquad are some of my favorites Other resources I recommend or are on my list to check out:
Driven to Distraction
The Smart But Scattered Guide to Success
Help for Women With ADHD
Resources cont
Women W ADD by Sari Solden
fabulous YouTube channel
https://youtube.com/c/HowtoADHD
There are also some great accounts on IG:
adhdactually
adhd_couple
danidonovan
These people are pretty much on all SM, but this is where I follow them
Women W ADD by Sari Solden
fabulous YouTube channel
https://youtube.com/c/HowtoADHD
There are also some great accounts on IG:
adhdactually
adhd_couple
danidonovan
These people are pretty much on all SM, but this is where I follow them
All that being said, even if you don’t have ADHD, you might still be having problems w executive function. Like I said above, these problems can also come from other mental health issues too. So if you can, I do recommend talking to a dr to rule out/get treatment for those
But in conjunction w that, strategies used to help people w ADHD/other ND can help others struggling w executive functions. Those strategies vary person to person, but there can be a lot of overlap. Here’s a good place to start https://weillcornellbrainandspine.org/crisis-executive-functioning-during-pandemic
A few things are v important on top of this.
- give yourself more time to plan & process info
- know that it isn’t about willpower or motivation. You have both of those, or you wouldn’t be upset about not getting things done
- give yourself more time to plan & process info
- know that it isn’t about willpower or motivation. You have both of those, or you wouldn’t be upset about not getting things done
-try to give yourself the grace you give others who are struggling. A little acceptance goes a long way
- let yourself feel good w every small accomplishment. It boosts brain chemicals that help w all this
- let yourself feel good w every small accomplishment. It boosts brain chemicals that help w all this
And of course, find your people. Talking to others w similar problems can help you normalize your experiences and feel less alone. I’ve found that there’s no substitute for community
I’d love to start a group DM for creatives to share strategies & vent
If you’re interested, let me know.
Let me be clear up front: I will not tolerate any harassment, not only for ND people but for any marginalized group. If that’s an issue, this isn’t the place for you
If you’re interested, let me know.
Let me be clear up front: I will not tolerate any harassment, not only for ND people but for any marginalized group. If that’s an issue, this isn’t the place for you
I’m always happy to talk more about what specifically I do or help you work out next steps for you. I’ve been v lucky to have some amazing people help me, and I wanna pay it forward when I can.
