Living with ADHD

It's been a little over a year since I received the diagnosis of ADHD. Honestly, this was one of the most life-changing things.

Just hearing the "Oh, there's nothing actually wrong with you. You have ADHD."

AHHHHHHH!!!!!! That explains sooo much! Now, how can I manage it a little better? Up until this point, I already know what works best for me:

• Getting up early to work out before starting my day. This helps tire my body enough to sit still.

• Limiting processed foods and drinking enough caffeine to kill a horse. This helps me, oddly enough, to fall asleep at a decent hour.

• Exercising my brain with reading and hobbies. This helps keep thoughts in line and quiets my brain.

To make this work on my own, I have to develop habits and a routine. There's a problem with this, though. What is that, you might ask? The whole thing.

But you just said those points help you regulate your ADHD, and you're able to function properly, mostly, as a human.

Yup.

Okay. So, get going.

Nope.

What? Why not? You have ADHD. You said you know how to manage it with a few things?

I did say that, yes. The thing is, getting into the habit of this is the problem. I'm fully aware of what will make the day go smoothly and easily. But starting these things is the actual problem.

It may be straightforward to you. But in my mind, to successfully get into these habits daily is:

• To be able to go to bed and fall asleep at a decent time. Then getting up at an hour that allows me to get a proper workout in... Guess what? I'm not tired enough to fall asleep. LOL

• Getting caffeine is the easy part, but limiting processed foods? It's the most difficult part. This one goes hand in hand with getting proper sleep and being on a sleep schedule. ADHD is very good at chasing dopamine. What is one thing processed food does for an ADHD brain? It gives instant dopamine. Making the person happy. But doesn't make my waistline happy, though. In the long run, it doesn't make me feel good either; it still gives off the dopamine hit, though. What does this even mean, and how does it go with sleeping patterns? Easy, ish. It allows you to make better, conscious choices. Having a little more energy and being willing to meal prep/ cook proper/ nutrious meals.

• With the assistance of getting a proper sleep schedule and eating foods that help provide a happy/ healthy body and mind, it helps keep energy and attention long enough to be able to do hobbies like reading, writing, and art.

Once the ball starts rolling and full force in getting proper sleep, exercising, eating healthy, and hobbies, it's great. All around ADHD symptoms are at bay. A lot easier to manage ADHD.

Want to know the worst part? It's worse than starting; it's when there is a hiccup in life and fucks up all of the great you have been doing.

It can be something silly like getting sick. It's unlikely you'll have the energy or willpower to get up early to work out. Nor have the brain power to do most hobbies.

A changing work schedule will also throw off a routine, and having to move to a new home. Between these two things, you're right back to the beginning.

Why?

You're spending your time with new routes to work and adjusting to the time change, and leaving a good ADHD routine behind. Back to the drawing board.

So, I guess it doesn't actually work best for me at all if I can't stick to it, even with life interruptions. I guess it's more of a, "ahhh! that explains why shit don't stick!"

S000, what does the diagnosis even mean then? It means I have a better understanding of how my brain works and how it processes information. That means I get the luxury of going down the rabbit hole of being Neurodivergent.

What is my superpower? Do I even have a superpower? Does everyone have a superpower? Do I even have a special interest? What would classify as a superpower or special interest?

I sometimes feel like I'm late to the party and learning how to act for the first time, even though I'm not actually late and arriving when I'm supposed to. IT's frustrating having to deconstruct everything I've ever known for over 3 decades and build shit back up properly. Basically recoding my whole existence.

Rewiring is also kind of fun because now I understand that my brain operates a little differently; it makes it a little easier to recode. It's like having my own personal cheat sheet.

So, what is the real secret of getting a diagnosis? Getting my personal cheat sheet to my own brain.

Do I have any tips to share with you? Yes. Take the time to understand how your own brain works. Knowing how your operating system works sets you up for great things.