Yay, it's ADHD: reason #4
Many people find getting the diagnosis is really helpful. In this blog series I’m taking you through some common responses I hear from my clients. Maybe one resonates with you particularly, maybe they all do. Here’s Reason 4:
Ha! Now the weird stuff I do makes sense!
Everyone I know with ADHD (yes, literally every one of them) has worked out coping strategies for themselves prior to getting a diagnosis. From a neurotypical perspective, these strategies may look odd or seem to make no sense. But they *do* make sense!
I’ve seen a range of brilliant strategies that come under this umbrella. Here are some examples:
Playing computer games for 15 minutes before starting work (what parent would recommend that to their teenager? Yep, none). This works because it engages the brain and increases the arousal in the brain to the level needed to be productive at work.
Drawing circles around the pans in the kitchen cupboard so you know which one goes where. This helps with ‘space blindness’ – when you don’t recognise what’s missing at first glance.
Being on time always, even when it really doesn’t matter. This might seem a little over eager, but it works because it removes the need to consider the importance of the occasion, reducing the bandwidth necessary to manage life.
Never putting away the guitar. I know people who simply forgot about hobbies because there was no visual reminder. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ is a real thing with ADHD, and not always putting things away can supply that visual aid.
Writing the same list every so often, but in a different colour. Once a strategy, a list, or a reminder becomes familiar, it blends into the background. This is, again, about visual aids. ADHD brains do well on new and exciting stuff. So remaking your list in a different colour helps the brain to notice it is there.
Some of these might sound familiar to you, and no doubt have your own quirky ways to make life work. Trust your brain to help you figure this out and don’t discount a strategy you’re drawn to because it seems weird. There is probably a very good reason why your brain wants to use it.
So now what?
Well, now you know you’re dealing with ADHD you can start using the strategies you already have more consciously - as well as find out what else works for you.
There are excellent resources out there, so you’re not going it alone – books, magazines, YouTube videos. You don’t have to find your way through that all by yourself.
And if you want more experienced, tailored support, ADHD coaching will give you a dedicated space and a bunch of support to figure out what’s next - tailored for you specifically. Because there is no one size fits all, or even fits-most. So together we can work out what managing ADHD looks like for you. I’ve got a lot of experience, but you know you best. We’ll put that together, together, and I’ll help you stay on track.
Sounds good? Contact me for a free 30 minute session to get started.
Curious about the other reasons? They are here:
Reason 2: Phew, now I can start figuring out what actually works for me.
Reason 3: OMG I can stop doing what doesn’t work.
Reason 5: Now I know how to explain what I need.
Reason 6: Now I can figure out what’s me, and what’s ADHD.
Reason 7: Oh, now my family makes sense!
Here’s a link back to the main article if you want to read about the flipside – because that can be very real too.
