New video is up! I hope it's helpful. If you have ideas for other videos I could do, or thoughts about how this is set up, please let me know!
-J
Today I'm thinking about the good and the bad about ADHD.
-J
New video is up! I hope you get something out of it.
-J
This week I wrote about medication. Check it out!
Any Patreon posts I link here are Public, so you should be able to read them no problem.
-J
Executive Dysfunction in ADHD
Yes, I’m still on this train. I’m absolutely certain that executive dysfunction is the main issue with ADHD. Since I first wrote about this, I’ve been exploring it all more fully, and I’m having more ideas and so on. So, let’s revisit this concept. Pinnable image for this post with a picture of a person whose head and shoulders are pixellating and flying away. Or maybe the pixels are coming…
Time for Terrific Tuesday! Head over to Patreon to share the things you're proud of accomplishing this week! You don't have to be a member to see or comment on the post, it's Public.
Also, I finished filming that video yesterday so I'm going to start editing it today. Hoping to have it up on YouTube on Thursday, and the companion blog post will go up on Wednesday!
-J
That video I mentioned last Tuesday? I might actually be able to finish filming it this afternoon! (I can't film when Kid is around, so I'm stuck with when he has class meetings--online school--and have to stop recording when he emerges from his room.)
-J
Watch this space for a YouTube video later this week!
Also, if you have questions about ADHD please ask! I'd love to get back to helping people here.
-J
Anonymous asked:
I don’t want to self diagnose but I am pretty sure I do have adhd just based on what I know about it and the fact that multiple of my friends with adhd have said it’s likely I do have it
the primary reason I don’t want to self diagnose is because I won’t know if I’m actually correct or not and I don’t think people would take me seriously
Sent October 1, 2024
I'm sorry I didn't see this sooner, but I'm glad I'm here now! :)
First of all, self-diagnosis is absolutely valid. Most of us who get diagnosed as adolescents or adults basically have to do that in order to get a formal diagnosis!
The main practical problem with self-diagnosis is that it doesn't actually grant you any legal protections or supports. You don't qualify for accommodations at work or school, and disability discrimination legislation doesn't really apply.
I always say that if you're going to self-diagnose, try to state it as "I think I might have ADHD" rather than "I have ADHD"; the latter will cause people to assume that you have a formal diagnosis, while the former is more accurate and you can be confident knowing that you haven't accidentally misrepresented yourself.
Thing is, there are loads of reasons why a formal diagnosis isn't an option for you right now, and that is 100% okay! You may also benefit from others taking your ADHD symptoms into account, which is where the self-diagnosis can be helpful.
For example, years and years before I was diagnosed, I would do puzzle books during university lectures. I was listening to the lecture and taking notes, but I was also doing Sudoku (back when it was called Number Place in North American puzzle books). Some other students thought it was really rude of me to do that, but for me it was important to keep part of my brain engaged in the puzzles since otherwise I'd miss half the lecture due to daydreaming. If I'd known then what I know now, I could have explained why I needed to do the puzzle books during class, even without a formal diagnosis.
If you want to feel more confident about your self-diagnosis, check out our post on it as it includes all the info you need to do a good job!
Followers, what do you think about self-diagnosis?
-J
Anonymous asked:
The reason I realised I might have adhd was my brother, he's so clearly autistic so I did research to make sure.
When I brought it up with my mother she told me to not tell him.
I finally got my diagnosis after 3 years of trying to get it, of going deeper and deeper into it.
Idk, I never hated it? I never hated my adhd. Back in 2020 I was a more active person? In terms of doing the things I liked and doing art.
Now I'm slow, tired, fatigued.
And that happened after I took meds. Apparently ritalin prozac and anxiety meds aren't supposed to be taken together, Idk what my therapist was thinking.
She told me to get anxiety meds for my stimming, cause I stim cause I'm nervous. But I KNOW that I don't. I stim when I'm excited, or when I can't focus.
When I'm anxious, when I'm angry I go stiff a a rock, I get focused sharp, because I have to be, it's a defense mechanism.
I don't hate adhd I don't hate meds inheritly either. But I hate how my meds made me a zombie, that I was forced to go on them so I could achieve this academic goal.
Maybe if I lived in a place with better mental healthcare I wouldn't be dealing with the effects of bad medication and my worsening depression.
I'm slightly better now, but my executive function got fucked. I can't just, do the things I like anymore. I feel less feelings than I did before.
I don't hate myself I just, I guess I'm in a hurry to heal from everything when I'm still living with the people that abused and continue to abuse me emotionally.
Specially my abelist mother who keeps saying adhd and autism aren't a disability, and they're just a quirk like her being left handed.
My dad has finally came to the realisation that he probably has adhd like me.
I'm a uni student now and living in a dorm away from my family has helped me regain that control I had and live a healthier life. But I'm back now over the summer and I can feel myself going back to my old ways the more I stay at my family home.
Idk,
Is this cptsd? Idk what it is.
Is it bad to say I love my adhd? Usually at least. When there's no one breathing down my neck not letting me do my own thing, when I don't get pulled into random places and have a choice to stay. And say no.
I guess things will get worse before they get better....
Sent August 18, 2024
There's definitely a lot to unpack here. I'm sorry you're struggling so much right now. I will do my best to offer suggestions and reassurance, as always.
It makes sense that your brother is autistic and you have ADHD; both are highly heritable, and seem to be related in some way. So it also makes sense that your dad has now realized he probably has ADHD!
I have a feeling this is going to be long, so have a cut.
Volume 3 of the ADHD mini e-books is out, though it’s not been pushed through to all outlets quite yet. This one is about school, just in time for back to school!
Anonymous asked:
hi, sorry in advance if this isn't the kind of thing you are open to getting in your inbox, but i just don't know what to do with my feelings. i really hate my adhd. i spent my youth cruising through school and high achiever programs, being told i was going places, and nowadays i am nothing short of completely useless. i'm early in diagnosis to where i'm just starting with medication (15mg of ritalin twice a day at this stage) and haven't effects yet. it's already clear that the dose i'm going to need will be embarrassingly high.
ever since i told my friends, it's obvious that the diagnosis came out of left field for them and that they see me differently. i keep catching them giving me sympathetic looks after zoning out, fiddling with something, or presenting some other stereotypical symptom. i tried mentioning to them how i'm not getting results out of meds yet as a means of whinging since it is making me anxious and a little impatient, and their response was completely uninformed medical advice about how i should be taking them. they're also all talking about how they all probably have adhd too since we 'tend to glom together'. they're all straight-A students with no symptoms or functional issues, so i find this a little condescending. i might be imagining how they've starting talking down to me/talking slower. the diagnosis made me feel stupid enough without them acting like this, and now i just feel like a human joke.
i don't really know what the point of what i'm writing is anymore, but i'm struggling to get any assignments in, failing all my tests, my friends treat me different, my parents are unabashedly disappointed, the meds are taking too long to work, i'm lazy, dysfunctional, getting dumber every day, and my head is too fucking loud to keep living in.
i'm sick of how trying to have a thought feels like being a sentient pile of spaghetti wading through tar, and of not being able to read if my brain decides a particular paragraph is not to its liking, of not remembering anything, of struggling and not even being able to remember and articulate what with, and all the other bullshit. i probably just have to wait this out while we figure out meds, but i'm sorry for using this inbox to vent because i think that's what i'm doing as i can't really go to my friends. feel absolutely no pressure to respond, i might have just needed to wright this down and see it sent off somewhere. any advice is welcome if you have it though, lol.
Sent August 16, 2024
Oof, I'm so sorry you're feeling this way. There's a lot here, so I'm going to try and go through it a bit at a time and tackle everything as I go.
First, this is absolutely the kind of thing I'm here to try and help with. No worries at all on that.
Second, this is a long one, so I'm putting in a cut.
Anonymous asked:
I didn’t get diagnosed until my 30s, in part bc my intelligence and anxiety masked a lot of symptoms. This can also make a lot of symptoms “flipped” from what you typically hear. For instance I was never late bc I was always around an hour to a half hour early to everything. Or I remember in school I’d often do the assignment that they were going to assign at the end of class DURING class so that way I didn’t have to take anything home. I hated losing things so I kept all my class information in one binder with to do assignments in the front and completed in the back with my notes for all classes in between bc that way I only had one thing to keep track of. The thing is that I had systems for everything, things that neurotypical people didn’t need systems for.
That is all to say that if you think you may have ADHD, intelligence is not a factor in ADHD and can be present across the intelligence spectrum. School performances are not always reliable indicators, especially for girls who tend to be better at masking.
One piece of advice I’d give when speaking to your doctor is to say that a friend/relative thinks that you have ADHD but you wanted to get a professional opinion. Research has actually shown this method tends to get doctors to take it more seriously then when people “self diagnose.”
Sent August 14, 2024
This is some excellent information, thank you for sharing!
-J
WHY IS hypersexuality a thing with adhd
August 12, 2024
Quick reasons I've gathered from people who like sex:
- It's fun.
- Dopamine release.
- Helps you feel closer to the person you're hyperfocused on.
- Dopamine.
- Risky behaviour is exciting.
- Did I mention dopamine?
Followers, any other thoughts on this one? I'm afraid I don't have any ideas for how to stop if you want to stop.
-J
Anonymous asked:
hi…i recently discovered that there is a very high chance i have ADHD. after doing lots of research, i brought this up to my therapist, who also has ADHD. she had me do a screening, told me she’d noticed the signs awhile back & believes i have it; however, she is not authorized to give an actual diagnosis. later, i talked to my doctor about it to see if it would be worth seeking one & what my options were. she told me that to get a diagnosis i’d have to see a psychiatrist, which would take at least a year because of wait times. but she asked if, for the time being, i’d like to be prescribed a 7-day supply of 15 mg adderall to see if it helped. ive done an okay job managing symptoms throughout my life, but some of them have really taken a toll on me, especially emotional dysregulation, so i thought it was worth a shot.
but im on day 3 of the pills and i don’t feel any different. ive looked all over reddit & see people saying that it kicks in instantly, but i haven’t felt that at all.
is this normal? should i be concerned that’s something’s not working right? could this be a sign that i dont have ADHD? and in that case am i harming myself by taking this medication?
sorry to dump this here. im just extremely new to this & i dont know what i should be expecting.
Sent August 5, 2024
Okay, first of all, a medication trial is not a reliable diagnostic strategy. Different meds work for different people, and it can take time to find the right dose. So don't worry about that.
Not feeling any different isn't a sign that the medication isn't working. It's possible that things are different but you aren't noticing because the changes are subtle. It's also possible that the dose is wrong and you need a higher one or even a lower one. Or you need a different medication. In particular, if your biggest issue is emotional dysregulation, guanfacine (brand name Intuniv) can be very helpful for that.
I think it's worth getting on the wait list for the full assessment, but also talk to your doctor about trying something else in the meantime.
Followers, what are your experiences with medication just after diagnosis? Can you offer any advice here?
-J
Anonymous asked:
Hello, I know you haven't posted in a while so I understand if you don't reply to this, but I could definitely use some advice.
I haven't gotten round to getting tested for ADHD, but I have a lot of the symptoms. I really struggle to sit still, I often blurt things out and interrupt people, I can't seem to remember basically anything, I get way too emotional over small things, and more.
The thing is, these symptoms seem to be getting progressively worse. I will hear something and then completely forget what I heard minutes after, forget what I'm talking about mid conversation, haven't gone to sleep on time because I've been pacing in my room and throwing a bouncy ball and eventually scrolling on my phone in bed because I can't get to sleep, I'm late a lot more than usual (I have to go out tomorrow and I'm hoping I'll get up on time, alarms don't work).
But the biggest thing is this: I keep stopping and starting things. I have loads of sideblogs I haven't posted on for days because I started them with huge passion and then either got bored or forgot about them (or both.) I've been thinking about starting a new ask blog, but at the same time I know I won't come back to it.
Do you have any advice for how to manage this?
Sent August 1, 2024
It sounds like things are cascading, which can be super overwhelming.
I always start with what I call The Big Four: diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. If any one of these is out of whack, everything gets harder. This is true for non-ADHDers as well, but for us it’s more important because of how our brains work.
So, first, think about how you’ve been eating lately. Are you getting enough protein? Brains run on glucose, so carbs are also necessary, but aiming for whole grains and the like is better for long-term functioning. Are you eating *enough*? As in, do you forget to eat meals? Do you snack a lot, and if you do, are you going for quick sugar hits?
Next up is exercise. Regular movement is important. Taking active breaks when you get distracted can help to reset your brain so you can focus again when you come back. Exercise also adds endorphins, which boost your mood and can help increase energy and focus for longer. These effects build up over time, so you won’t see results right away, but if you can make it happen there will be benefits!
As for sleep, you’ve noted that you’re struggling to fall asleep. That’s a really common thing for ADHDers, and we have loads of suggestions here to help. Some of the best ideas I’ve seen include listening to podcasts or watching ASMR videos, white noise machines or a fan, reading a book (not an e-book unless your e-reader doesn’t use blue light), or doing some kind of a puzzle book in bed.
Stress can be really hard to manage, especially if anything else is off since that adds to your stress. The best way to handle this is to have a set time each day where you do something fun and relaxing.
You may find that this doesn’t quite hit the spot. So I have a couple more things to look into.
First, it’s pretty normal for us to run into problems when our responsibilities increase. More responsibility means more load on our executive functions, so things start falling apart a bit as we struggle to find a way to make everything happen. Change is hard!
Second, our age and hormones can have an impact on things. If you menstruate, estrogen levels have a huge impact on functioning. It is a very important part of the brain’s glucose delivery system, so when estrogen is low so is glucose. (There are other ways glucose gets to the brain, estrogen is just the most efficient.)
As for age, when you hit certain ages (early childhood and puberty are best known) your brain makes a ton of new connections, and that can make a lot of things harder that weren’t before. This is because your brain is dedicating itself to other things, and often those “lost” skills return once it’s done with the stage.
So think about all of these things and consider whether one or more might be affecting you. Once you know what’s going on, it will be easier to figure out how to deal with it.
Followers, do you have any ideas for managing these issues? Please share!
-J