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If you have #ADHD & are struggling please know you’re not alone. This week on @Overview, we're talking about living w/ ADHD & Anxiety during the pandemic & many the stigmas & misconceptions that making things worse.
https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/playback/vod/GMO_00000000363814_01/e887f62b-a900-3f69-b717-6fdebfd058f2
If you have #ADHD & are struggling please know you’re not alone. This week on @Overview, we're talking about living w/ ADHD & Anxiety during the pandemic & many the stigmas & misconceptions that making things worse.
https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/playback/vod/GMO_00000000363814_01/e887f62b-a900-3f69-b717-6fdebfd058f2
I was diagnosed w/ ADHD when I was 7. And in so many ways it’s been a blessing. I love my energy, the hyper-focus, the calm I feel in chaos, the ability to & feel emotions so intensely. It’s allowed me to to see the world differently be in a constant state of wonder.(2)
But realizing all that has been a long, difficult journey so figured I’d share some of my own struggles as well as the resources from @HowtoADHD because Jessica's channel has been a game-changer for me.(3)
First off, #ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a dumb description. It implies a deficit in attention & always hyper people. ADHD is a spectrum, & what we all have in common isn’t that we can’t pay attention. It’s that we have trouble controlling our attention.(4)
There are amazing analogies out there, like trying to watch 6 TV’s at once when someone else controls the remote. Or like driving a race car on city streets and spinning out whenever you try to turn.
My favorite is from my little brother who says, it’s like being in a forest full of distractions where you keep losing the trail… & when you finally find it, you’ll lock on so hard, you’ll follow it off a cliff. (5)
It gets confusing because it looks like a contradiction. Someone bouncing off the walls distracted & fidgeting. Then, they'll focus so hard for hours at a time, they forget about food, sleep or their loved ones? I THOUGHT THEY COULDN’T PAY ATTENTION? (6)
Turns out, both extreme states are the results of our problem with neurotransmitters like DOPAMINE & norepinephrine. If dopamine sounds familiar, it’s because it’s overhyped as the “pleasure chemical.” In reality, it also helps us learn through reward & motivation. (7)
Bottom line… because #ADHD brains have chronically low levels of dopamine… we have to overload ourselves just to feel it’s effects…(8) Here is a really good Valentines Day description from @HowtoADHD
Now, way back in our nomadic days, that kind of high-twitch brain wiring, might have been a benefit for an entire tribe, leading others in hunts or defending against invaders. But in the modern world, ADHD & it’s impulsivity create a constant struggle.(9) https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14100-did-hyperactivity-evolve-as-a-survival-aid-for-nomads/
Just a small list of negatives... We're more likely to lose things, make rash decisions, speed more, die in car crashes, get divorced, get fired, have trouble w/ finances, organization, & we're more susceptible to substance abuse, depression & suicide.(10) https://chadd.org/attention-article/adhd-self-harm-and-suicide/
A lot of those problems stem from our dopamine starved brains seeking stuff out that will allow us to feel, think & learn closer to the way others take for granted. Dopamine isn’t just some pleasure thing. It’s allows you to regulate emotional responses. (11)
Then there is the ADHD superpower HYPER-FOCUS.
Like, right now, I’m furiously locked into this thread, & breaking away is super disconcerting & almost painful. When honed & controlled it can supercharge your productivity. But when unchecked it can feel like this.(12)
Like, right now, I’m furiously locked into this thread, & breaking away is super disconcerting & almost painful. When honed & controlled it can supercharge your productivity. But when unchecked it can feel like this.(12)
There are a lot of really effective ways to thrive with ADHD. Cognitive therapy, exercise, post it notes everywhere! New experiences, crazy deadlines, the right profession, gamification, Jessica’s million tips on @HowtoADHD . Check out her TedTalk! (13)
But really, you can’t have a conversation about #ADHD without at least talking about medication.
Quick warning, my choices and perspective don’t reflect a “right” or “wrong” way to do things. I believe everyone should do what works for best for them. (14)
Quick warning, my choices and perspective don’t reflect a “right” or “wrong” way to do things. I believe everyone should do what works for best for them. (14)
Some of my earliest #ADHD memories came from elementary school & these mortifying moments when class would be interrupted by a message over the intercom loudly broadcasting “Gadi please come to the nurses office… You forgot to take your medication.” (15)
I’m still not sure if it was an attempt to shame me into remembering to take them, or just the way they did things back then…But all of it would be made worse during recess when kids would laugh & call me weird & take turns asking me if I remembered to take my medicine.(16)
I wish, I could have understood that I wasn’t alone. That up to 16+ million Americans have #ADHD. That it's ok to have a different operating system & it didn’t mean I was dumb. I’m pretty sure my mom tried to explain it. But all I remember is being embarrassed & frustrated. (17)
And when the medication worked & allowed me to have control over what I choose what to focus on, I was even more angry that I needed it & wasn't like everyone else. (18)
Growing up, I also started to realize there were times I didn’t need it. I’d do fine if under intense deadlines, caught in a crisis or doing something I loved… which often made me question whether all of my struggles came from just not trying hard enough. (19)
We hear those words all our lives... JUST TRY HARDER! WHY CAN”T YOU DO THAT? IT SHOULDN’T BE THAT HARD. TRY HARDER. (20)
