October is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) awareness month, and I want to share some soft skills ADHD has helped me develop. I know that for many people having ADHD is everything but a superpower and a gift. Because ADHD is a spectrum disorder, it affects everyone differently and to varying degrees. Some people would trade their ADHD in… Continue reading Soft Skills from ADHD that Are Often Forgotten
Tag: ADHD
When Bipolar Disorder Gets Mistaken for ADHD
My attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis should have been a bipolar disorder diagnosis. I’ve thought I lived with ADHD for 14 years. Here’s my story. Cyclothymic disorder alongside billing code “F34.O” was written at the bottom of my patient discharge summary—but to me, it was nonsense. You see, I’d come to my primary care physician’s office that… Continue reading When Bipolar Disorder Gets Mistaken for ADHD
Introduction to Austin Harvey, Author of ‘Living with Adult ADHD’
I’m Austin Harvey, a screenwriter, author, blogger, musician, and new addition to the Living with Adult ADHD blog at HealthyPlace. I was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in February of 2021, at age 24, but no matter what year it is, hindsight is 20/20. In other words, my diagnosis explained a lot. I used to procrastinate on all my… Continue reading Introduction to Austin Harvey, Author of ‘Living with Adult ADHD’
Why Analysis Paralysis Is Common for People with ADHD
I’m an overthinker. I always have been. Even minute things like what color shirt I’m going to wear or which book I want to read have caused me to waste hours of my life. My inability to reach a decision has gotten better as I’ve become a better planner and figured out an organizational system that makes sense for me.… Continue reading Why Analysis Paralysis Is Common for People with ADHD
My Undiagnosed ADHD Made Relationships Extremely Difficult
When I was undiagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and I’d gotten into arguments with romantic partners, I regularly found myself unable to form a coherent sentence. I wanted to say so many things, but trying to transfer those thoughts from my head to my mouth left me feeling like I’d eaten a too-large spoonful of mashed potatoes… Continue reading My Undiagnosed ADHD Made Relationships Extremely Difficult
Introduction to Michael Thomas Kincella, New Author of Living with Adult ADHD
Hi, I’m Michael Thomas Kincella, and I’m the new co-author of Living with Adult ADHD. I’m a freelance writer living and working in Glasgow, originally from Ireland. More importantly, I’m a freelance writer living and working in Glasgow dealing with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), diagnosed a few years ago at the ripe old age of 32. Michael Thomas… Continue reading Introduction to Michael Thomas Kincella, New Author of Living with Adult ADHD
Feeling More at Home in Chaotic Environments with ADHD
I’ve tried making morning routines for myself to focus, following classic self-help tips: meditation, yoga, going for a run first thing in the morning, ensuring I get eight hours of sleep, etc. None of it stuck. More importantly, none of it helped. I never felt more productive or focused on my work. I never felt like it contributed to my… Continue reading Feeling More at Home in Chaotic Environments with ADHD
I Moved to Canada on a Whim Thanks to ADHD Impulsivity
Dictionary.com defines impulsivity as “the quality of being easily swayed by emotional or involuntary urges or by momentary desire, without weighing them rationally.”1 Up until my diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), impulsivity was my life’s mantra. My Impulsivity and ADHD When ADHD impulsivity re-emerged in 2017, I was easily swayed. So easily swayed, in fact, that I… Continue reading I Moved to Canada on a Whim Thanks to ADHD Impulsivity
ADHD Overstimulation Gave Me a Panic Attack at a Festival
Even before I was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or knew the symptom of ADHD overstimulation could result in a dramatic panic attack,1 I’d been nervous about attending my first music festival. The festival was one month after my college graduation, and life had, for lack of a better word, been weird. My roommates at the time bought tickets… Continue reading ADHD Overstimulation Gave Me a Panic Attack at a Festival
My ADHD Makes Multitasking Impossible
In the last blog post, we looked at how my attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) led me across the Atlantic Ocean on impulse in a short and ill-fated trip to Canada. This time around, I’ll talk about how I control impulsivity at home. In particular, I’ll show you the simple system I use to get things done. Multitasking with ADHD Overwhelmed My… Continue reading My ADHD Makes Multitasking Impossible