I’ve been quiet about ADHD for the first 18 days. I’d been determined that the next ADHD post I shared would be a positive one, alas that isn’t to be the case – or maybe it is.
I attended a great business lunch today, without ADHD meds. My ears 👂 are still ringing, thanks to ADHD, and my brain feels like a car with an overheated engine – I’m fairly sure I could fry an egg 🍳 on my forehead. If I had any attention span at all for Canva I could create a rather amusing pic complete with egg on face to go with the post.
At the event I had another person who said “I’ve been following you on Linkedin, it’s great to see you raising awareness, keep it up” so here we go.
My mental health is awful right now 🥴 , it’s tricky to see the positives and get over the ADHDers finest imposter syndrome that gives you the additional kick when you’re already down. I was about to launch a book and website for blogging both called “She Who Dares Wynnes” but now I feel like I’m not winning at anything.
How did I get here when I’d been doing so well for months? Well, I’m like the Delia Smith of ADHD….
✅ take some significant overworking,
✅ add in a poor diet, too much screen time, no natural light,
❌ remove exercise and the great outdoors – all the excuses,
✅ add some significant hyperfocus, too much empathy
✅ finally some physical health worries, waiting for results (we don’t do patient in either definition)
Bingo! Us ADHDers have a rather annoying tendency to lose sight of our values and self-destruct 💥. The next thing you know instead of being “on it” we’re struggling to get out of bed in the morning 😴 . Let’s not mention the insomnia….
There is a positive though, my first bout of depression since ADHD diagnosis meant I went searching for answers. It turns out that up to 80% of ADHDers also live with bouts of depression and anxiety – so not having it is the exception not the norm.
Coupled with the science 👩🔬 behind the ADHD brain, this revelation has opened my eyes to the difficulty level of the challenge of using wellbeing techniques alone to win against the dark clouds ☁️circling overhead.
Around 50% of ADHDers see an improvement in their mental health using stimulants – but this isn’t working for me right now. So antidepressants it is for a bit, or maybe long term? But you know what, I’ve spent years spouting to people “if you had a vitamin deficiency you’d take a tablet – it’s the same thing, it’s a dopamine deficiency”. I thought I meant it – I do now.
A few days into the meds and I’m already sleeping again, my head is clearing, I’m starting to feel like myself and my creative brain is returning. And there it is – my positive, there’s always one.
I’ve a few days off now, away, with no responsibilities. Time to regroup and go again – but focused on some challenges I can win, rather than those I’m set to fail! 😍