I’m going through some thing very similar, my sister went through the process and said ‘hey have you considered it you might be adhd’.
I started with rejecting the idea, then another friend got diagnosed and said ‘hmmm I think you should consider what your sister said’.
But with time and learning about adhd from a different perspective, not from my teacher perspective, I’ve started to connect with it some more.
I’ve even started dipping my toe in asking friends ‘so I’m exploring adhd’ and one even replied ‘I thought you already knew’.
Like yourself it’s more for tools for my toolbox, things that I thought was clumsiness or my dyslexia but weren’t responding to the tools I’ve been told should work are starting to have some answers.
I feel similar to yourself in that I don’t know where I sit with it all, my brain is bonkers and it seems not everyone is like that. But I’ve also noticed a lot of friends getting diagnosed lately, are we ‘weird’ thinkers attracted to each other? Or is there something more to unpick.
yes that's exactly it - it's for tools for my toolbox. I know that for others it is much more life impacting. I think for me it's all of those things - perhaps I do gravitate to others who think in a similar way, many creatives seem to? It is also quite well documented how 'under the radar' it has been for women in particular and the lid is finally being lifted. I also do think that the relentlessness of modern life is becoming ever more unmanageable, and the impact of trauma events is only just starting to be revealed. It's fascinating - so much to unpick!
I agree with you, all of your points I think have importance as we unpick adhd. Then I suppose the question arrises about creatives, are they more likely to be neurodivergent due to the way they think or that the creative world is more accepting of different thinking? Or is it a chicken and the egg situation where both is true! I know my personal adhd journey is only just starting, and I look forward to hearing more about yours 💗
I think it's both! I was chatting to someone about this earlier - and is it on the rise because we talk about it more, or because it is on the rise, or all of the above? And like you, my journey is only just starting x
Absolutely! And are we noticing symptoms because we’re more educated on adhd or are they actually adhd? I’m saying this as someone not yet diagnosed by a professional and clearly not quite accepting the label 😆 but also accepting it enough to be discussing it. I think I’m not very good at being part of a trend, it makes me rebellious!
Really enjoyed reading this..... I've been thinking a lot about these things recently.... and the feeling of scatter. "Are we bombarded with so much relentless ‘noise’ that our brains cannot manage it, and hence they scatter?" .... Love the in/out-box throwback, too. (That first photo you used is so fantastic in context.)
Thank you - it's such an interesting debate, and one I've been having with quite a few people. We are not alone in questioning this, and I do not know the answers but it's definitely time to start asking those questions!! 💕
A truly excellent and insightful read! I'm on a real path of discovery of who I truly am, and whilst I'm not looking (or hoping) for a diagnosis of any kind, it is comforting to read how we can spend so much of our lives believing we are "normal" only for the words of one person to open an absolute can of worms in terms of our psychological make-up!
Aah thank you so much - and yes - that’s exactly it!!! The psychologist can of worms! I don’t know the answers, and am not looking for absolutes either, but it’s just so interesting to explore. I’m so glad you liked it ❤️
I was diagnosed autistic and adhd at 52. I think I struggle more with the ADHD part of it. I am an expert level masker but it is almost impossible to mask a catastrophic lack of executive function. 😆
Oh I love this comment - although I wish you did not have to be an expert level masker!! Catastrophic lack of executive function - brilliant. I relate!!! Sometimes I'm absolutely on fire, but the fire gets out of control pretty quickly... I hope the diagnosis has helped bring you some understanding and ways of being supported. Much love xx
Make just sitting down and reading a book a SPECIAL PART OF your day!! Then you will be able to come to our book club which you now don’t give yourself time for!
I see a huge overlap between trauma and attention issues in my clinical practice - mediated by a dysregulated nervous system. Personally I think we over-diagnose ADHD and that for many people learning how to down-regulate is key. Interestingly there is also a huge overlap between trauma, nervous system dysregulation and auto-immune disease. Either way, I hope you find the answers you seek and I always enjoy your writing and sharing 😊
Thank you Vicki - this is really interesting. I don’t even really want a diagnosis as such, but I would love to learn how to down-regulate. My CFS ‘treatment’ focused on learning about dysregulation of the nervous system - it’s not something I have quite mastered yet...
Yes it's been a long slow (and ongoing) journey for me too in my healing from auto-immune disease. Deb Dana's work is great, and I've got a lot from restorative yoga and yoga nidra. I plan to write more about this on my page over time 😊
Far too many tabs open in our brains.
You are a lovely nutter!
takes one to know one?! 🤣💕
I’m going through some thing very similar, my sister went through the process and said ‘hey have you considered it you might be adhd’.
I started with rejecting the idea, then another friend got diagnosed and said ‘hmmm I think you should consider what your sister said’.
But with time and learning about adhd from a different perspective, not from my teacher perspective, I’ve started to connect with it some more.
I’ve even started dipping my toe in asking friends ‘so I’m exploring adhd’ and one even replied ‘I thought you already knew’.
Like yourself it’s more for tools for my toolbox, things that I thought was clumsiness or my dyslexia but weren’t responding to the tools I’ve been told should work are starting to have some answers.
I feel similar to yourself in that I don’t know where I sit with it all, my brain is bonkers and it seems not everyone is like that. But I’ve also noticed a lot of friends getting diagnosed lately, are we ‘weird’ thinkers attracted to each other? Or is there something more to unpick.
yes that's exactly it - it's for tools for my toolbox. I know that for others it is much more life impacting. I think for me it's all of those things - perhaps I do gravitate to others who think in a similar way, many creatives seem to? It is also quite well documented how 'under the radar' it has been for women in particular and the lid is finally being lifted. I also do think that the relentlessness of modern life is becoming ever more unmanageable, and the impact of trauma events is only just starting to be revealed. It's fascinating - so much to unpick!
I agree with you, all of your points I think have importance as we unpick adhd. Then I suppose the question arrises about creatives, are they more likely to be neurodivergent due to the way they think or that the creative world is more accepting of different thinking? Or is it a chicken and the egg situation where both is true! I know my personal adhd journey is only just starting, and I look forward to hearing more about yours 💗
I think it's both! I was chatting to someone about this earlier - and is it on the rise because we talk about it more, or because it is on the rise, or all of the above? And like you, my journey is only just starting x
Absolutely! And are we noticing symptoms because we’re more educated on adhd or are they actually adhd? I’m saying this as someone not yet diagnosed by a professional and clearly not quite accepting the label 😆 but also accepting it enough to be discussing it. I think I’m not very good at being part of a trend, it makes me rebellious!
Haha i love a bit of rebellion!!
Really enjoyed reading this..... I've been thinking a lot about these things recently.... and the feeling of scatter. "Are we bombarded with so much relentless ‘noise’ that our brains cannot manage it, and hence they scatter?" .... Love the in/out-box throwback, too. (That first photo you used is so fantastic in context.)
Thank you - it's such an interesting debate, and one I've been having with quite a few people. We are not alone in questioning this, and I do not know the answers but it's definitely time to start asking those questions!! 💕
A truly excellent and insightful read! I'm on a real path of discovery of who I truly am, and whilst I'm not looking (or hoping) for a diagnosis of any kind, it is comforting to read how we can spend so much of our lives believing we are "normal" only for the words of one person to open an absolute can of worms in terms of our psychological make-up!
Aah thank you so much - and yes - that’s exactly it!!! The psychologist can of worms! I don’t know the answers, and am not looking for absolutes either, but it’s just so interesting to explore. I’m so glad you liked it ❤️
I was diagnosed autistic and adhd at 52. I think I struggle more with the ADHD part of it. I am an expert level masker but it is almost impossible to mask a catastrophic lack of executive function. 😆
Oh I love this comment - although I wish you did not have to be an expert level masker!! Catastrophic lack of executive function - brilliant. I relate!!! Sometimes I'm absolutely on fire, but the fire gets out of control pretty quickly... I hope the diagnosis has helped bring you some understanding and ways of being supported. Much love xx
Make just sitting down and reading a book a SPECIAL PART OF your day!! Then you will be able to come to our book club which you now don’t give yourself time for!
Did you read the piece??!! If only my brain allowed that!! 😍
Of course I read it! If your body sits down with a book -what can your brain do except absorb it?!!
Haha mum….if only I could explain 🤣🤣🤣
I see a huge overlap between trauma and attention issues in my clinical practice - mediated by a dysregulated nervous system. Personally I think we over-diagnose ADHD and that for many people learning how to down-regulate is key. Interestingly there is also a huge overlap between trauma, nervous system dysregulation and auto-immune disease. Either way, I hope you find the answers you seek and I always enjoy your writing and sharing 😊
Thank you Vicki - this is really interesting. I don’t even really want a diagnosis as such, but I would love to learn how to down-regulate. My CFS ‘treatment’ focused on learning about dysregulation of the nervous system - it’s not something I have quite mastered yet...
Yes it's been a long slow (and ongoing) journey for me too in my healing from auto-immune disease. Deb Dana's work is great, and I've got a lot from restorative yoga and yoga nidra. I plan to write more about this on my page over time 😊
I look forward to reading your perspectives. I'm still working out my strategies...💕