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Living with Adult ADHD

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." ~ Thomas Alva Edison Having lived most of their lives with the inconsistency, unpredictability and undependability of life with ADHD, it is incredibly common for adults with ADHD to view themselves as “failures”.  Because the executive function of their brain is not always fully activated, it is in fact normal for them to fail at least sometimes, if not frequently.  Beginning in early adolescence, these typical failures can become a permanent obstacle to future successes for those with ADHD as it undermines their confidence and willingness to take future chances.
“The most important relationship you will ever have is the one you have with yourself.” Author unknown Each year, Valentine’s Day seems to draw attention to the notion that love is indeed a mystery.  For some, it is a day looked forward to eagerly as they await their chance to acknowledge or be acknowledged by those they love.  However, for many people with adult ADHD, their own inner struggle with poor self-worth, lack of self-acceptance and low self-esteem, limits their full appreciation of the abundant love from those around them and for themselves.
People with ADHD are often eager to explore all the possibilities of better managing their ADHD challenges.   Even though studies show that medication is up to 70-80% effective in reducing the core symptoms of ADHD (inattention, impulsivity and distractibility), there is no “magic pill” that alleviates all the struggles or cures ADHD.  The impact of ADHD is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and most ADHD medications wear off within 4-12 hours. That leaves many hours in the day that often require alternative ways of coping with and managing ADHD symptoms.
ADHD runs in families.  It is a genetic disorder and a family affair.  If you are an adult with ADHD, it is highly likely that another relative of yours will have ADHD.  For many adults, this other someone is a grandchild.
ADHD affects conservatively about 5-8% of the world’s population. With the world’s population being around 7 billion…that’s a lot of people struggling with inattention, impulsivity or distractibility! Since math has never been my best academic subject, comprehending such a number has always been a bit hard for me. I guess it means that if I’m sitting in a room of 30 people, at least two or three of those people have a creative, overly active, easily distractible brain just like mine. Or when my child struggles in school, I know I am not alone, because approximately 200 other students/families are struggling with the same academic, homework, discipline and family chaos that me, my child and my family are experiencing.
“Starting your own business is like riding a roller coaster. There are highs and lows and every turn you take is another twist. The lows are really low, but the highs can be really high. You have to be strong, keep your stomach tight, and ride along with the roller coaster that you started.” ~ Lindsay Manseau Did you know that adults with ADHD are 300% more likely to be entrepreneurs? With the current economy, more and more people are deciding to create their own success by venturing into entrepreneurial business.
I’m a good goal setter. I see it as a way to challenge myself and keep things interesting. A bit like playing a game and figuring out which hoops I need to jump through to get to the prize. Sometimes I stick to these new resolutions…too often I don’t. I always have the best intentions, but I confess I haven’t always gone past this initial phase into taking the steps needed for success. This year I made a promise that it would be different. This time, I’d reach the prize.
A lot of the holidays are not very ADD-friendly. It seems there are more deadlines to be met, expectations to reach, and a lot more chaos to filter out. Even still, there are many things I truly enjoy about the holidays and really fit with my spontaneous, live in the moment, out of the box thinking ADHD brain style.
If you are an adult newly diagnosed with ADHD, it’s assumed you have been struggling with some level of distractibility, impulsivity and even hyperactivity. These key ADHD symptoms are what help specify and diagnosis the disorder. Less acknowledged, discussed or even know about, are the common inner feelings of anger, grief, shame, isolation and even hope that adults with ADHD experience.
As an ADHD Life Coach, I get to meet the most amazing people.  Last week, I went to the annual CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder)  conference for ADHD in Orlando.  Just imagine 1000 plus people with ADHD together in Disneyworld!   Each with such awesome qualities as creativity, resourcefulness, charm, perseverance, intelligence, able to talk a lot, good problem solvers,