ADHD

[Mind Maverick]

To be clear, I am not proclaiming that it is not a thing. I was also diagnosed in childhood, fwiw, and placed on medication. I vaguely remember feeling too sleepy on it (?), and thus I discontinued. I think I probably qualify for an executive functioning "disorder", as these issues are persistent throughout my life. What I am attempting to say is more along the lines of "we are pathologizing variations in personality structure because these square pegs do not fit into these round holes that we have so carefully carved out for society".

I do think there's more to it than that but to some extent I still agree. Certainly ADHD brains are different, and of course they have things they're better at than the things their ADHD impacts, but considering the "round pegs also fit into the square holes" so to speak, it seems more like a disorder to me still. It's not as if people with ADHD have any significantly greater abilities than average in other areas, so all I see is having a weakness in specific areas. On the other hand, those strengths that are there should be embraced...therefore...

We don't fit in because the majority doesn't want us to be this way. It's not because we are "wrong". Put us in a different type of environment and we will thrive, at our own pace according to our own rules.

This. So much this. Now we're getting into what taught me to love diversity and see people as different rather than "unintelligent" when they're not good at their jobs or something. It's why I will rarely say people are "stupid," saving for a few times I've regrettably strayed from this because of anger or frustration (not "you are stupid," I don't really do that, but "humans are stupid" or "that person not present is stupid," etc.), but I'm back to where I decided I want to be on that now. The experience of being different like that has taught me a lot of patience, understanding, and empathy toward others. I spent way too long being a fish judged by squirrels for my ability to climb trees while nobody noticed I can swim.

 

[Schrödinger's Name]

This is what being on a hyperfixation train ride is like.

 

[Schrödinger's Name]

I wonder if it's a typical ADHD thing to not hear someone SHOUT your name multiple times... But somehow hearing your carbonated drink sprinkle, at the other side of the room- tHroUgh YoUr HeAdPhOneS. And then of course, not being able to block the noise out and getting immensely annoyed by the sound of your soda.

 

[Saturnal Snowqueen]

This is a general thread on ADD/ADHD. I'll pose some questions to get started but feel free to share anything you would like on this topic and your personal relationship with it.

Whichever variation you have, what have been your personal challenges with it? How did you manage those challenges? Have you come up with any coping mechanisms or strategies to better work with and manage your symptoms?

If there is at all any silver lining to being "blessed" with this animal, where do you find it to be? How has this altered your experience and perception of it upon making this realization?

Do do you feel it owns you or that you own it? If you find yourself in the category of feeling like you own ADHD and not the other way around, what strategies have you used to get you to that level?

*Oddball MBTI related question thrown in for fun :

There is a perception out there held by some, understandably, that ADHD is essentially Ne, or vice versa. That is, if you see someone either with ADHD or Ne high in their stacking and proficiency (I'd imagine the ENPs appear as the ADHD type, and the INPs appear as the ADD types) then the two are interchange.

So, the questions that follows are: Have you mistyped yourself or others, to your knowledge, due to the sometimes similar outward behaviors between the diagnosis and the function? Do you think there is some relationship between the two?

I was just diagnosed last month, and it was an absolute relief. I've had many struggles, silly and serious. The earliest memory I have of ADHD was perhaps drawing fae on my papers-which I suppose neurotypical kids could do as well, but I did it ALL. THE. TIME. I was testing well, so ADHD wasn't really a struggle yet that I could realize. However, I remember my mom and I having a conflict-I never wanted to clean my room, and so my mom told me to clean this first, then this and what not, and I was like nghhh. It wasn't even that I didn't feel like cleaning my room at that point, I just wanted to be able to bounce around and do what I wanted. And then, middle school. I had a messy locker, which isn't ADHD exclusively, however, I constantly forgot homework cause I could not just focus for crap. I got good grades in 7th grade, but even then while I mostly did good on my own merit I kinda BSed myself through a science fair project(didn't actually do the experiment ahaa-). Then in high school, as I lost interest in lockers, a messy locker became a messy backpack. I had some good grades and even got an A in honors English, but a lot of the time I couldn't focus on assignments because my mind was other places or I needed to be moving. And if I wasn't immediately good at something, didn't get that immediate satisfaction, heck if that was finished. I would watch everyone else focus peacefully on their assignments, and I felt like a floating head cause I just couldn't. I remember bawling in front of a professor because I got a shockingly low score on a test and her class was the hardest to concentrate on. And then, I flunked college. Having jobs and being involved in type communities is helping me get over the guilt, but even at work I've made stupid mistakes that I'm surprised I haven't gotten fired for. Having customers pay for the wrong order. Forgetting to add certain things or take off certain things. Turning a cheeseburger pizza with no onion into an onion pizza. At my new grocery job I've pressed the wrong buttons all the time and forgot to scan things(like I'll check the eggs and then forget to scan them as I check). These buttons have costed money, and I always worried I'll get fired. I also space out when talking to people, and it just makes relationships awkward cause it makes me really question my kinship with them.

Silver lining? I guess I enjoy music more than the average person, as apparently listening to the same song over and over again is a stim. My family used to call me out on it, and it was actually kinda hurtful-but also I'm the one who blasted it over the loud speaker. But also, I do like music don't get me wrong, but sometimes music feels like more of a need than something I enjoy because of this.

Does it own me or do I own it? I don't know what to say really. I kinda define myself on it, but I grew up thinking these were "quirks" for the most part. So it's a bit hard to change that mindset. But I do take medication for it now, it's not a miracle maker but it does help. I also try to give myself changes of environment to calm myself down, which generally works well.

And yes, I type as a high Ne user-INFP. I don't think it's a mistype-I've considered other types in the past, but my confidence is in Fi-Ne-Si-Te as a stacking. Is there a correlation? Mmm, probably, as Ne does not like being tied down. Then again, neither does Se, either Pe function really. But J types can have ADHD as well, they have their preferences and just can't execute them the same way. It's not type discriminatory for sure.

 

[Marcel]

I can only watch tiktok for hours without being distracted, but it can be short videos. I have already taken various pills, given up caffeine, and established a regime, but this disease interferes with my life so much that I can't stand it. At work, management does not understand the peculiarities of my nervous system and they think I'm just unproductive, but I can't control it... Stress at work makes me even more distracted and I don't know what to do anymore.

 

[KurtCobain]

My ADHD is very severe, doesn't respond to medication, and has made me the subject of lots of abuse in my life. I just wish I could make people understand that my neurodiversity is not a choice.