After I got my ADHD diagnosis I was put on a waiting list for a support group in my area. I had an intake meeting with a psychologist who'll be leading the group yesterday. I was asked a lot of questions about ADHD, how it affects me, possible treatments, my self-esteem, coping strategies. Needless to say I was mentally exhausted afterwards. I allowed myself to rest and process it all once I got home. The meeting felt good and I look forward to meeting other people in the same situation. ADHD manifests differently in each person.
Here's a non exhaustive list of what it means for me:
- I'd rather have written instructions; oral instructions are more difficult for me to process
- My thoughts often race at a thousand miles per hour which leads to intense mental fatigue
- Planning meetings or outings can be a challenge for me
- I hate being late, so I tend to arrive everywhere a long time in advance
- It can be hard for me to fall asleep at night because my mind is so active
- I often can't find my stuff, because I forget where I left it
- I often start doing one thing and then in the middle I think of something else I must do and forget about my first activity
- I hate leaving things unfinished, so I get cross with myself for the above
- I tend to hyperfocus on things I really like and forget that I must eat and/or drink from time to time
- I have to get up and move a lot
- If an activity is not interesting to me, I often can't focus
- I talk a lot
Over the years I've built in some coping mechanisms. People are often not aware of the symptoms mentioned above, because I've become very good at hiding them. Hiding isn't the best way to deal with ADHD, so I'm hoping the support group will teach me some healthier strategies. To be continued...
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