Beyond the scope of a checking account, money and I have never been on speaking terms. I suspect attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is making me bad with money. When others speak of investing, 401(k)s, or, frankly, even savings, I feel the desperate desire for a Rosetta Stone to help me translate. I took four years of French… Continue reading Does ADHD Make You Bad with Money?
Category: HealthyPlace
I Abused Alcohol Because of ADHD
Impulsivity is a hallmark of my attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This impulsivity manifests in different ways: sometimes it means buying electric pianos from Germany; sometimes it means relocating from Ireland to North America; and, for many years, it meant flirting with the boundaries of outright alcoholism. I Used Alcohol as a Crutch Until I permanently stopped drinking in… Continue reading I Abused Alcohol Because of ADHD
Learning to Slow Down with Adult ADHD
Throughout my life, I’ve never felt like I could simply enjoy a moment. Each one felt rushed and incomplete. A new episode of a TV show? I’d watch it while I did my homework. I’d play video games while I listened to a podcast. I’d scramble to write something at the last moment, just before… Continue reading Learning to Slow Down with Adult ADHD
ADHD, the Paradox of Choice, and My Solution for It
Our always-connected world means learning new skills is a mere click away. However, this is a double-edged sword for me, thanks to adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD and the Paradox of Choice I’m not that old, but I still remember the early-’90s thrill of watching the teacher load an encyclopedia CD into a computer for the very… Continue reading ADHD, the Paradox of Choice, and My Solution for It
How Technology Can Help with ADHD
Technology is no doubt distracting. Our phones are constantly buzzing with notifications, and apps are vying for our attention so they can increase their revenue from advertisers. Shows are increasingly binge-worthy, video games have evolved to the graphical fidelity of live-action films, and the endless sea of content gets larger and larger each day. For… Continue reading How Technology Can Help with ADHD
Why I Never Tell My Children to Stop Crying
Parenting is always a divisive topic. Every generation thinks it has found the trick to child-rearing, and every new parent vows to avoid the mistakes their own parents made in raising them. Attitudes towards discipline, attachment, nutrition, education, and play are constantly evolving, but one thing that never seems to change is the idea that crying is… Continue reading Why I Never Tell My Children to Stop Crying
Understanding the Iceberg Theory of Behavior
The iceberg theory is a frequently cited model of behavior which states that a person’s behavior can only be properly understood in the context of the factors that caused it. What a person does is “the tip of the iceberg”– what we don’t see are the emotional, social, cultural, and other factors that lie beneath the… Continue reading Understanding the Iceberg Theory of Behavior
Writing About ADHD Is Therapeutic
I don’t often plan these blog posts ahead of time. Normally, I just sit down a couple of hours before posting, open Docs, and have a think about what aspect of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) I’m going to write about that day. This system isn’t a function of poor task management (with which I have plenty of experience);… Continue reading Writing About ADHD Is Therapeutic
My ADHD Forced Me to Listen Actively
In my experience, adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) creates strong impulsivity. For me, that means buying unnecessary items, diving into uncertain situations without proper consideration, and being a poor conversationalist. Active Listening Helps My ADHD A number of years ago, I learned to listen actively. That’s because I was sick of blowing up at people during arguments and not giving them… Continue reading My ADHD Forced Me to Listen Actively