I like to play a little game called "is my headache an nausea because I missed my meds? Or didn't sleep enough? Or slept too much? Or didn't eat enough? Or is it... RANDOM STRESS?"
discovering in your 30s that #adhd is why you have had so much trouble with your job, finances, relationships and housekeeping isn't ideal. that's usually when people are building the foundation for stability and security later in life. you've lost a lot of time.
@maloki
this rocks. one of the few gimmick-gadgety things that I would totally use is like a lighter-sized solid object with a toothbrush, a few squeezes of paste, and a thimble of water so I could just brush my teeth as a fidget lol
One of those that is a bit hard to talk about. I am also not sure how to put it into words.
We spent last week doing "the family holiday". This year, just like last, it got to a point where there was a big pile-on @ me due to, well, just me trying to be me.
I was told things like "you seem unempatchetic to the woes of the middle class when you point out the systemic things and how they will be ok more than the poors". I was told a lot more than this. I was told I don't understand what a safe space means (safe space for bigotry etc.)
The same happened the summer before. Similar has happened very often, ever since I was little. This time the icing on the cake was the way my sister looked at me with the "she is autistic" look. Now that they have a handy explainer to why I am "so difficult".
I just ever so slightly tried to unmask. I learned my lesson, again.
There is no point to this rant. Just that it again broke me a bit, the same way it always has. Nobody sees that. #adhd#autism
@I_Like_Books Well said, that rings true. They got on my case so hard and it felt very emotional and dramatic to them, like the defence of something very personally touchy. I wanted to ask them why that is, but didn't want to fuel the flames. Would have turned againts me even more. @gdinwiddie
#ADHD Tip: Break your browser to stay focused while working
Browsers are really a problem because they offer everything in one application. Productive work, distracting social media and entertainment of all sorts. It's hell!
So, if you are having trouble focusing, try breaking your browser by renaming firefox.exe or chrome.exe so that you can't use it anymore. If you need specific information, print it out or write it down.
One of the things I use for Firefox is the add-on LeechBlock. I set up all kinds of block lists and then set it to block me from changing the settings within certain time limits.
It works great for the most part... Except then I pull out my phone and get distracted there as it's harder to setup such a system there.
i'm thankful for my job, and respect my coworkers, and the tasks aren't bad.
meanwhile, my brain wants to either nap, or work on fucking ANYTHING else. Preferably the former followed by the latter.
also, i have no #ADHD drugs. this may be a contributing factor. ... which reminds me i was supposed to scan my insurance card yesterday to help get drugs. ugh. fuck you adhd.
@masukomi if you’re reading this, set an alarm right now to scan your card. Add a note to do it. And turn off snooze options. Sincerely, your now-medicated #adhdauntie ❤️
Medication saved my life and I hope it helps you too.
casually deciding to just concentrate on a dull task for hours is where someone with #ADHD will look at you funny and wonder what you're smoking, because that's just something you do.
@thor i used to live in text chats, but i pretty much never actually directly fraternized with people like you know normal people do with their friends, i just babbled all my thoughts out to no one in particular...
i had a chat group with a few 'friends', attracted together by mutual interests i guess, but it felt weird... like the digital equivalent of being unable to look people in the eyes... we all just posted our own random thoughts...
well i got sick of it and looked for alternatives. found mastodon, a microblog, perfect for me because that's exactly what i do.
but i still struggle with feelings of loneliness from time to time, cause it's all like parasocial, and although i've gotten to know hundreds of people, i don't feel like i've made any new friends whatsoever.
the sun is rising, i need to stop trying to think, i can save it for "tomorrow"
whenever i see #ADHD symptom lists, i'm just like "yup, yup, yup, also yup, all the time, yup, yup..." - lived for 30 years without knowing what was wrong with me - terrible self esteem
the part of the brain that cares that there is a puddle of water on the table and has to wipe it away activated in me a few years ago. no intervention was necessary on my part. just some brain cells coming online out of the blue. this happens with #ADHD a lot. stuff you didn't do like normal people for your entire life suddenly activates when you're like 35...
@thor Yeah, I may have AuDHD and that is why I am getting tested. I am on a low (20mg) dose of extended-release Ritalin, which works OK for me.
There are days where I still can't get my brain into gear, or have anxiety that just paralyzes me.
Overall, it has helped. But what has helped more is just accepting that I don't fit in the "box" of expectations that people have for things. My brain just works differently, and that is OK.
My toxic home owner trait is doing my own lawn mowing once I got annoyed with people bothering me about doing my lawn while I’m working. I have the tools I just forget I have an actual lawn thanks to #adhd
tbqhwy, concentrating on the right thing was always the main problem for me - not paying attention in general. i mean, when do you NOT pay attention to anything? you'd have to be unconscious. your thoughts are also something you can pay attention to over everything else - a.k.a. zoning out. i always saw #ADHD as an attention shifting problem. what are you concentrating on? what are you prioritising? i.e. decision making.
also, they say #ADHD people can be a good fit for freelancing, and this comes with its own set of problems.
if you look at what companies want when hiring contractors, at least in the IT industry, it's very much NOT someone who is curious about exploring this new thing they have never done before.
even more so than with employees, contractors are expected to be highly familiar with the specific task they've been hired to perform.
a company is not willing to invest any training hours into a contractor. he has to hit the ground running. this must be routine for him.
in other words, VERY bad fit for someone with ADHD.
i had a cup of coffee to give myself an energy and concentration boost before leaving for the vet. it's quite stressful to transport an animal through a busy city.
the problem with coffee is that it doesn't make me better at remembering things. might actually worsen that part of my #ADHD symptoms because you become so focused that you forget to concentrate.
@Nomad_Scry i would describe meditation, for example, as being more about concentration than attention. the related concept of mindfulness is about having an awareness of your surroundings. situational awareness. if you have #ADHD, you're prone to not having that, because your mind drifts off.
@thor This makes a lot of sense. When I mentally wander off following a rabbit trail of thoughts, I would have said I was concentrating, but you're right that I'm not being intentional.
apparently, animals can get hyperkinetic disorder / #ADHD too. dogs are fairly intelligent and are capable of highly organised behaviour, so it makes sense that they can have a genetic condition that impairs that ability, analogous to the one found in humans.
the statement "#ADHD isn't real" is only true only in a very narrow sense: when a child's nervous system is maturing a bit slower than other children their age, but they'll catch up eventually.
there's a slight tendency for ADHD to be diagnosed more often in children who are born later in the same year. they're being compared to the older children in their age cohort. if you're 6 years old, 12 months can make a big difference.
it's much easier to diagnose an adult over 25, since the brain has finished developing at that age, or at least should have done so. but at that point, it's a little late to intervene.
Ook mensen met #ADHD kunnen introvert zijn. Dat ik hyper word en een gebrekkige filter in gezelschap, wil niet zeggen dat ik sociale situaties prettig of makkelijk vind. Quite the opposite. Projectie, noemen we dat. #misconcepten#misvattingen
I was going to say my life has “to go into hard mode” in the previous toot, but that’s not accurate.
Meds help, but they’re not magic. They get you closer to on-par with what the average person can do.
Don’t remember where I read a good metaphor where everyone has to hold 100 marbles. Most people have a bag to hold them, and take for granted that “everyone” has one. But I don’t. The meds give me a bag, but there’s a hole in it. You can do a lot better, but things still slip through. #ADHD
