Last week I was diagnosed with ADHD. At first I thought, huh? That's not me. However, as the doc explained her reasons and began to explain some things, I realized it was me. It presents itself in some unique ways as an adult which will all be fine, it's just learning to train my brain in a new way.
ADHD is usually reserved for labeling kids with behavior problems - those who can't focus in class, do poorly in school, and have a hard time at home. This was not me. I excelled in school. I could focus mostly, but I was smart and didn't get into trouble. In my reading about ADHD this week, I learned that often kids with ADHD develop hyper focus, a coping mechanism to tune out all other things and focus on what needed to be done. This was too my benefit in college - I could do homework sitting in the music building with 100 different instruments practicing around me.
The other things that come along with adult ADHD, depression, anxiety, the inability to turn your brain off, especially at night, all of these come with a challenge. I can learn to beat these things. Lists, organization, and setting a time limit on tasks can help me to do the most I can.
Now, back to doing three different things at once.
Jim has ADHD too, ever since he was a kid. I get the hyper focus thing. He can do that for sure. On the other hand he amazes me with how he notices ever detail around him at times such as every car on our street and who comes and goes.
ReplyDeleteI've been told that I appear to have ADD but two psychs have told m that mine is a form of OCD. I'm not checking locks or washing my hands 100 times a day, but if I get something in my mind I'm worried or trying to decide about, it's all I can think about, which makes it hard to pay attention.
Jim also has depression even though he takes medicine for ADHD and depression and anxiety, but he's way better than h was without it. Me? I'm a disaster without medication. (and sometime with it. LOL )
Hope you are able to work with it and feel better. I've read som people call ADHD a super power. LOL