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So... I& #39;m 39 years old.
Got straight As at school.
Run my own business.
Pick up new skills ridiculously quickly.
From the outside it seems like I won the brain lottery.
Yesterday I was formally diagnosed with ADHD.
Got straight As at school.
Run my own business.
Pick up new skills ridiculously quickly.
From the outside it seems like I won the brain lottery.
Yesterday I was formally diagnosed with ADHD.
I have a BSc in Psychology but we only studied the typical male, mainly hyperactive, symptoms.
I never even considered that I might have anything like ADHD until a friend ( @TheAlbionGirl) tweeted about her diagnosis early this year and alarm bells started going off in my head.
I never even considered that I might have anything like ADHD until a friend ( @TheAlbionGirl) tweeted about her diagnosis early this year and alarm bells started going off in my head.
So I did research. A LOT of research (of course - the joys of hyperfocusing! 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤣" title="Lachend auf dem Boden rollen" aria-label="Emoji: Lachend auf dem Boden rollen">). And it turns out that ADHD wasn& #39;t quite what I thought it was.
It also turns out that, far from being a bad thing, a lot of my ADHD symptoms have steered my life, my relationships and my career.
It also turns out that, far from being a bad thing, a lot of my ADHD symptoms have steered my life, my relationships and my career.
In being forced to deal with an undiagnosed issue I& #39;ve basically weaponised my ability to hyperfocus.
It& #39;s what makes me great at my job... but I& #39;ve also been hyperfocusing all day every day because I can& #39;t filter out stimuli. No wonder I& #39;m exhausted! No wonder I love silence!
It& #39;s what makes me great at my job... but I& #39;ve also been hyperfocusing all day every day because I can& #39;t filter out stimuli. No wonder I& #39;m exhausted! No wonder I love silence!
But this year symptoms I& #39;ve had all my life (that I put down to & #39;me being weird& #39;) became so overwhelming that I broke down. Now I know why:
I& #39;d been unknowingly self-medicating with nicotine, caffeine and learning. Quitting smoking + lockdown + stress = no more yummy dopamine.
I& #39;d been unknowingly self-medicating with nicotine, caffeine and learning. Quitting smoking + lockdown + stress = no more yummy dopamine.
I don& #39;t know where I& #39;ll go from here.
I& #39;d never want to lose my ADHD superpowers that give me my passion for learning and make me good at my job...
...but I& #39;m looking forward to not feeling so overwhelmed.
Fingers crossed medication will help.
I& #39;d never want to lose my ADHD superpowers that give me my passion for learning and make me good at my job...
...but I& #39;m looking forward to not feeling so overwhelmed.
Fingers crossed medication will help.
Whatever happens, I now know the name of the monster I& #39;ve been fighting. I& #39;ve been learning to work with my brain rather than against it and life& #39;s already improved immeasurably!
ADHD isn& #39;t a monster I& #39;ll ever kill... but it& #39;s definitely one I& #39;m looking forward to taming.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙂" title="Leicht lächelndes Gesicht" aria-label="Emoji: Leicht lächelndes Gesicht">
ADHD isn& #39;t a monster I& #39;ll ever kill... but it& #39;s definitely one I& #39;m looking forward to taming.
