I'm another member of the ADHD gang! I started testing when I was 12 but my parents didn't let me finish, so you bet that when I turned 18 my first move was sprinting to a doctor and getting the tests started again.
My biggest problems are my frickin' awful memory, sensory processing issues (especially relating to hearing, I thought my hearing was wrecked from loud music but nope, just brain stuff) and executive dysfunction/motivation. If I don't finish something in one go whenever I start it, it literally isn't getting done.
Yeah being cooped up inside is pretty rough, online school and motivating yourself to do stuff in general is a bit of a mess with ADHD lmao (doesn't help that I'm also big sad).
I'm another member of the ADHD gang! I started testing when I was 12 but my parents didn't let me finish, so you bet that when I turned 18 my first move was sprinting to a doctor and getting the tests started again.
My biggest problems are my frickin' awful memory, sensory processing issues (especially relating to hearing, I thought my hearing was wrecked from loud music but nope, just brain stuff) and executive dysfunction/motivation. If I don't finish something in one go whenever I start it, it literally isn't getting done.
Yeah being cooped up inside is pretty rough, online school and motivating yourself to do stuff in general is a bit of a mess with ADHD lmao (doesn't help that I'm also big sad).
I'm pretty confident I have adhd but whenever I bring it up my parents brush it off. I'm sorta like... well y'all get mad at me for showing a bunch of adhd symptoms but won't even let me get tested.
Anyway, I have a lot of signs of adhd- executive dysfunction (big one), will get instructions from someone and I will forget them .2 seconds later, can only do things if I hyperfixiate on them, no attention span, can't organize anything, if I'm not doing anything with my hands that means nothing is happening in my brain, etc.
I desperately want to get tested, but for now I'm just existing,
I'm pretty confident I have adhd but whenever I bring it up my parents brush it off. I'm sorta like... well y'all get mad at me for showing a bunch of adhd symptoms but won't even let me get tested.
Anyway, I have a lot of signs of adhd- executive dysfunction (big one), will get instructions from someone and I will forget them .2 seconds later, can only do things if I hyperfixiate on them, no attention span, can't organize anything, if I'm not doing anything with my hands that means nothing is happening in my brain, etc.
I desperately want to get tested, but for now I'm just existing,
aight this is gonna be long im warning yall in advance:
@
Kitava and @
Aserein yup I get you 100000%. [although I'm sorry about how your parents played/are playing out in this because so many just ARENT helpful in the diagnosis process and it upsets me because its just kinda not smart :((( ]
The number of times that my fam is watching tv, I get up to go to the kitchen, someone tells me to bring back a fork and two bowls...
...they're either getting a fork or nothing at all xDD
Oh and I won't forget the one time my mom asked me for a book and I brought back hand sanitizer, that was a good one
and yep my memory is pretty total garbage in almost all cases (except for like distinct occurrences/events that rly emotionally affect me but literally anything besides that is up for grabs by the garbage chute)
and sometimes my mom and i get slightly concerned at how bad it is xD but hey Im still mostly functioning wut can ya do
& Kitava (misha) how you mentioned "if I don't do it all in one go its not getting done" firstly FAT MOOD
second: honestly one of my least favorite things about adhd because I want to like do lots of ((good)) art and
a lot of ((good)) art just cannot reasonably be finished in one day (at least like *cough* eating and sleeping included)
So yeah its just very frustrating and i finish essentially nothing, which makes it more intimidating to START anything and then woop
Also very sorry that you are the big sad <3
aight this is gonna be long im warning yall in advance:
@
Kitava and @
Aserein yup I get you 100000%. [although I'm sorry about how your parents played/are playing out in this because so many just ARENT helpful in the diagnosis process and it upsets me because its just kinda not smart :((( ]
The number of times that my fam is watching tv, I get up to go to the kitchen, someone tells me to bring back a fork and two bowls...
...they're either getting a fork or nothing at all xDD
Oh and I won't forget the one time my mom asked me for a book and I brought back hand sanitizer, that was a good one
and yep my memory is pretty total garbage in almost all cases (except for like distinct occurrences/events that rly emotionally affect me but literally anything besides that is up for grabs by the garbage chute)
and sometimes my mom and i get slightly concerned at how bad it is xD but hey Im still mostly functioning wut can ya do
& Kitava (misha) how you mentioned "if I don't do it all in one go its not getting done" firstly FAT MOOD
second: honestly one of my least favorite things about adhd because I want to like do lots of ((good)) art and
a lot of ((good)) art just cannot reasonably be finished in one day (at least like *cough* eating and sleeping included)
So yeah its just very frustrating and i finish essentially nothing, which makes it more intimidating to START anything and then woop
Also very sorry that you are the big sad <3
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Hypercoaster Yeah, I totally don't doubt that there are amazing things that are offered by those on the spectrum :)
I really think that goes for a lot of nds as well
But yes, you are totally awesome <3
Also that's very interesting how much you enjoy vestibular sensation, I've hardly ever thought about it (and probably dont like it very much myself xD)
Also is this why your username is Hypercoaster? That would make quite a bit of sense!
I'm interested to know, why do you think it calms you? I'm taking a wild guess that maybe it kind of distracts from all the other senses in a way, but I don't know
& again thank you for being willing to share so much, you helped in making this thread incredibly informative and exactly what I wanted it to be :)
Same totally goes to @
ItsKnifeTime (and like everyone else here but I'm not about to tag all those people xD)
And side note: I actually really like and agree with your point about person first language. Putting the person first gives the notion that you're trying to hide the neurodiversity, for the sake of you know.. putting the person first, or whatever. But in fact, the neurological difference is a huge part of them and it should be viewed as just that. There's no need to use fancy person first language as opposed to what people typically use, and i think its making an overly dramatic deal about something that's kind of just who we are. Like saying "person with blonde hair" as opposed to "blonde person", there's nothing WRONG with blonde hair, so there's no need to use person first language or anything like that- so it's okay to just say blonde person!
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Hypercoaster Yeah, I totally don't doubt that there are amazing things that are offered by those on the spectrum :)
I really think that goes for a lot of nds as well
But yes, you are totally awesome <3
Also that's very interesting how much you enjoy vestibular sensation, I've hardly ever thought about it (and probably dont like it very much myself xD)
Also is this why your username is Hypercoaster? That would make quite a bit of sense!
I'm interested to know, why do you think it calms you? I'm taking a wild guess that maybe it kind of distracts from all the other senses in a way, but I don't know
& again thank you for being willing to share so much, you helped in making this thread incredibly informative and exactly what I wanted it to be :)
Same totally goes to @
ItsKnifeTime (and like everyone else here but I'm not about to tag all those people xD)
And side note: I actually really like and agree with your point about person first language. Putting the person first gives the notion that you're trying to hide the neurodiversity, for the sake of you know.. putting the person first, or whatever. But in fact, the neurological difference is a huge part of them and it should be viewed as just that. There's no need to use fancy person first language as opposed to what people typically use, and i think its making an overly dramatic deal about something that's kind of just who we are. Like saying "person with blonde hair" as opposed to "blonde person", there's nothing WRONG with blonde hair, so there's no need to use person first language or anything like that- so it's okay to just say blonde person!
@
Kitava ohhhhhhh my heckage the amount of google docs i have with like huge story ideas and 20 pages of junk that are now just completely abandoned xD
I want to get back into writing but after 80 years of not finishing anything its soooo hard to start new things because every time i tell myself "THIS IDEA/DRAWING/STORY IS SPECIAL AND I LOVE IT AND WILL ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH" and then dont---
& yeah honestly two hours is about my max too xD
My current struggle right now is that I want to make polymer clay sculptures (like hyperrealism creature concept art/ reptile keychains n junk idek) and make a smol business out of it on etsy (like I've been wanting to do this for a solid year now)
and i just havent lol. I made 1 sample creature arm sculpt thing and thats been the extent of my finished efforts haha
And its frustrating because i know from other artists that the sculptures I want to make would take about a WEEK (in a healthy manner anyway) *sigh*
i make myself sad but u kno I STILL HAVE HOPE we got this xD
OH HECK I HAVE TWO STARS :3333
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Kitava ohhhhhhh my heckage the amount of google docs i have with like huge story ideas and 20 pages of junk that are now just completely abandoned xD
I want to get back into writing but after 80 years of not finishing anything its soooo hard to start new things because every time i tell myself "THIS IDEA/DRAWING/STORY IS SPECIAL AND I LOVE IT AND WILL ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH" and then dont---
& yeah honestly two hours is about my max too xD
My current struggle right now is that I want to make polymer clay sculptures (like hyperrealism creature concept art/ reptile keychains n junk idek) and make a smol business out of it on etsy (like I've been wanting to do this for a solid year now)
and i just havent lol. I made 1 sample creature arm sculpt thing and thats been the extent of my finished efforts haha
And its frustrating because i know from other artists that the sculptures I want to make would take about a WEEK (in a healthy manner anyway) *sigh*
i make myself sad but u kno I STILL HAVE HOPE we got this xD
OH HECK I HAVE TWO STARS :3333
@
OpalTitanium
Oh god I'm feeling that memory issue one there! All it takes is one little distraction, either a new thought, a change in room, or change in topic and whatever it was I was asked to do / get is instantly forgotten. Latest was I needed to get a cake, cupcakes, some fruit, and some squeezable strawberry jam - I was so focused on trying to remember the jam one for my brother that A) I forgot the car keys and had to go back inside to get them B) drove all the way there to realize I forgot my debit card so i had to drive back and get it C) purchase my items and drove back home only to realize I forgot to get the cupcakes :^) Thankfully I didn't instantly need the cupcakes so I had time to run back out the next day to get them.
I usually have a system to avoid forgetting so many things in one go, but it was a busy day that day and things sort got out of control.
Also alot of what @
ItsKnifeTime said I completely agreed with! Despite my troubles, I wouldn't ever want to 'get rid' of my autism - it's just so ingrained into who I am as a person that without it I wouldn't be me.
And when it comes to clothes, I certainly pick comfort over fashion. I prefer simple t-shirts and black dress pants more than anything else in the world. Loosey goosey clothing is my favorite and I never get why a lot of women's shirts have to have such tight sleeves. Fabrics also very much play into my other comforts and stims. The most calming thing in the world to me is any pressure put onto my shoulders. Deep breathes? nice! My cat laying on top of me? Heck yeah! A literal weight ball place on my back? YES! Someone scratching my back lightly? I'm gonna melt with how relaxed I am! I even still regularly use my childhood blanket that I've had since I was 4 (24 now) BECAUSE it feels really good to have on my shoulders, is of a material i really like, and can even be worn in the summer without overheating! I don't think I'd ever get rid of it because if nothing catastrophic happens to it I'm seriously considering being buried with it! I just love it a lot!
There's also the gender thing - as I've grown older and introspected what feels right, I noticed that I really don't totally vibe with my agab, but neither do I like the idea of abandoning it completely... at least I think? I'm still trying to figure it out but I've at least narrowed it down to either demi-girl or agender.... Something of the nonbinary category at least.
But Having schedules is... hard for me. On the autistic side it's great because a nice structure to my day helps me remember things and makes me more likely to do things... but on the adhd side of things I absolutely loathe things getting monotonous / samey because it's not stimulating enough - which happens with schedules a lot. This makes day to day chores..well a chore! And god it sucks when I have to draw something complex that I'm Not hyperfixed on. Funnily enough, though, is that if my brain considers a task in a professional manner I can bypass the adhd blockage and get the thing done step by step with a day of expected completion in mind and not run into any unfocusing moments to derail it. Honestly though that just might be an anxiety-based override because I don't like to disappoint people nor do i like to be 'late', so it only really works if someone else is involved with the picture.
@
OpalTitanium
Oh god I'm feeling that memory issue one there! All it takes is one little distraction, either a new thought, a change in room, or change in topic and whatever it was I was asked to do / get is instantly forgotten. Latest was I needed to get a cake, cupcakes, some fruit, and some squeezable strawberry jam - I was so focused on trying to remember the jam one for my brother that A) I forgot the car keys and had to go back inside to get them B) drove all the way there to realize I forgot my debit card so i had to drive back and get it C) purchase my items and drove back home only to realize I forgot to get the cupcakes :^) Thankfully I didn't instantly need the cupcakes so I had time to run back out the next day to get them.
I usually have a system to avoid forgetting so many things in one go, but it was a busy day that day and things sort got out of control.
Also alot of what @
ItsKnifeTime said I completely agreed with! Despite my troubles, I wouldn't ever want to 'get rid' of my autism - it's just so ingrained into who I am as a person that without it I wouldn't be me.
And when it comes to clothes, I certainly pick comfort over fashion. I prefer simple t-shirts and black dress pants more than anything else in the world. Loosey goosey clothing is my favorite and I never get why a lot of women's shirts have to have such tight sleeves. Fabrics also very much play into my other comforts and stims. The most calming thing in the world to me is any pressure put onto my shoulders. Deep breathes? nice! My cat laying on top of me? Heck yeah! A literal weight ball place on my back? YES! Someone scratching my back lightly? I'm gonna melt with how relaxed I am! I even still regularly use my childhood blanket that I've had since I was 4 (24 now) BECAUSE it feels really good to have on my shoulders, is of a material i really like, and can even be worn in the summer without overheating! I don't think I'd ever get rid of it because if nothing catastrophic happens to it I'm seriously considering being buried with it! I just love it a lot!
There's also the gender thing - as I've grown older and introspected what feels right, I noticed that I really don't totally vibe with my agab, but neither do I like the idea of abandoning it completely... at least I think? I'm still trying to figure it out but I've at least narrowed it down to either demi-girl or agender.... Something of the nonbinary category at least.
But Having schedules is... hard for me. On the autistic side it's great because a nice structure to my day helps me remember things and makes me more likely to do things... but on the adhd side of things I absolutely loathe things getting monotonous / samey because it's not stimulating enough - which happens with schedules a lot. This makes day to day chores..well a chore! And god it sucks when I have to draw something complex that I'm Not hyperfixed on. Funnily enough, though, is that if my brain considers a task in a professional manner I can bypass the adhd blockage and get the thing done step by step with a day of expected completion in mind and not run into any unfocusing moments to derail it. Honestly though that just might be an anxiety-based override because I don't like to disappoint people nor do i like to be 'late', so it only really works if someone else is involved with the picture.
@
OpalTitanium
I picked my user name because it's an homage to my favorite roller coaster, the Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point. It was the first hypercoaster, or roller coaster over 200 ft.
Yes, vestibular sensation just feels SO GOOD, and part of this is what you guessed- because it blocks out other sensory sensations. Like, on good air time hills, I just feel the negative "G"s and nothing else. No clothes on my skin, no internal sensations, etc.
@
OpalTitanium
I picked my user name because it's an homage to my favorite roller coaster, the Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point. It was the first hypercoaster, or roller coaster over 200 ft.
Yes, vestibular sensation just feels SO GOOD, and part of this is what you guessed- because it blocks out other sensory sensations. Like, on good air time hills, I just feel the negative "G"s and nothing else. No clothes on my skin, no internal sensations, etc.
my old therapist told me that she suspects i have triple adhd/depression/anxiety because all of my symptoms are severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of all 3 and it makes my life a living hell!!! i'm so scared of going to college next semester because i can't afford meds and i can't cope with it very well. i hate having a hellbrain
my old therapist told me that she suspects i have triple adhd/depression/anxiety because all of my symptoms are severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of all 3 and it makes my life a living hell!!! i'm so scared of going to college next semester because i can't afford meds and i can't cope with it very well. i hate having a hellbrain
spencer - they/he/ix - fr +1
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HolrinnLair Yep yep that would be me- this is why I am terrified to be an adult xD I still cant even drive (I'm gonna be legally an adult this month if that gives u a reference) and I'm scared for all the mess I'm going to create, oof
But yeah I agree, I don't know who the heck I would be without ADHD, probably a lot less interesting honestly- not saying neurotypicals arent though of course :)
There are just a lot of weird spontaneous things about me that I don't think would be there otherwise
And honestly, daily chores and tasks can be frustrating for me as well! I can, for example, brush my teeth 3 times a day everyday for a week and then all of a sudden kind of just STOP and its an issue xD
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HolrinnLair Yep yep that would be me- this is why I am terrified to be an adult xD I still cant even drive (I'm gonna be legally an adult this month if that gives u a reference) and I'm scared for all the mess I'm going to create, oof
But yeah I agree, I don't know who the heck I would be without ADHD, probably a lot less interesting honestly- not saying neurotypicals arent though of course :)
There are just a lot of weird spontaneous things about me that I don't think would be there otherwise
And honestly, daily chores and tasks can be frustrating for me as well! I can, for example, brush my teeth 3 times a day everyday for a week and then all of a sudden kind of just STOP and its an issue xD
