We’ve all walked into the room to search for something, only to forget what we were searching for in the first place. For people diagnosed with ADHD, it is a common occurrence along with many other symptoms that make ordinary life a challenge. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD is a learning disorder that affects people from the age of 6 years and above. Individuals affected by ADHD face challenges focusing on tasks, organizing things, and following instructions.
Here are a few things people affected by ADHD can relate to:
1. You’re A Multi-Tasking Legend
Well at least in your mind. Do you often find 30 tabs open in your web browser? Because it can be hard to focus, to people with ADHD it can seem like they’re doing a million things at once. These aren’t finished as smoothly as they were started.
2. Your Mind Is Always On
ADHD doesn’t allow your mind to settle. It always seems like there is something important that deserves your attention even if you’re trying to get to sleep. There is no off switch to all the thoughts that are racing through your head.
3. Your Daydreams Are Like Hollywood Blockbusters
When a person zones out, it can be because of a preoccupied mind or a tiring day at work. If you’ve been affected by ADHD, your day dreams are the stuff of legend. Your train of thought will be full of twists and turns, and you will zone out for what will seem like ages to anyone around you.
4. There’s Nothing You’re Not Passionate About
You may have impulsively signed up for a Save The Whales campaign and are extremely passionate about the cause. You want to do all you can to impact the movement positively. The only problem is there are an infinite amount of things you’ve cared about before, and you have limited time to work on all of them.
5. You Are Passionate About Everything
There isn’t anything in the world that is interesting enough to keep them interested for more than 15 minutes. Even their interests and hobbies are brushed aside quickly, leaving incomplete work and missing pieces. Crossword puzzles are the usual victims.
6. Spontaneous Is Your Middle Name
Have you signed up for something on an impulse? If you’re living with ADHD, every situation can lead to an inevitable outcome. They often commit to things without fully understanding the implications.
7. Everything Is A Distraction
Do you have that career-defining day at the office tomorrow? Preparing a presentation that will knock your bosses socks off? Oh wow! Look at the way the water drips from the faucet. Is that a new doorbell my neighbor is using? It is a challenge to stay focused even when there isn’t something terribly exciting happening.This is even more so for children affected by ADHD. They find it difficult to follow their regular classes and feel pressurized by the workload.
8. Organizing Your Desk Is A Nightmare
Is your room a mess only a minute after you cleaned it? Is it impossible to find something in your desk drawer? This can happen a lot. ADHD makes it a challenge to organize anything. Even making lists can be a daunting task.
9. May The Focus Be With You
There is another side to the disorder. You may suddenly feel so connected to one particular thing, that everything else is merely a blur in the background. People with ADHD can experience this tunnel vision like situation for random subjects they had no prior interest in.
10. Staying Calm Is Not As Easy As It Sounds
If you’ve ever misplaced something you know the panic that comes with it. For a person with ADHD, it can get much worse. They can become frenzied and disillusioned and will make the situation worse than it is. If you’re around them when this happens, don’t blame them for being careless. Help them find it and try to keep them calm.
11. You Lose It When Someone Messes With Your Schedule
Organizing anything can be such a challenge that it will give you profound satisfaction to stick to your plan. Someone messing with even the tiniest of details can trigger panic. It makes you either lose your temper or lose interest in the program.
12. Emotional Responses Are Common
If you’re living with ADHD you know it can be challenging to restrain your emotions. You can find yourself feeling extremely cheerful and upbeat for even the most mundane things. The flipside is getting depressed about everything.
13. Patience Isn’t Always A Virtue
Do you feel the need always to be on the move, getting things done? People who live with ADHD often come across as impatient. They may seem restless to other people. This is especially true if they’ ve been forced to be quiet for some time.
14. Procrastination
Because your mind can seem full of endless possibilities, you often end up starting a lot of projects without finishing any. To the untrained eye, this may look like you just keep putting off things.
15. Time Can Fly Faster Than You Realise
Because you are preoccupied with all of the interesting and important things going on around you, you may forget a few. Suddenly looking at a calendar can lead to panic attacks as you realize that there are bills due and birthdays you’ve forgotten.
Conclusion: Use It To Your Advantage
ADHD can be limiting, but it doesn’t have to control your situations and outcomes.
There are many inspirational stories of people overcoming their challenges and climbing heights even they never imagined. There are also plenty of professors, artists, lawyers and other professionals that are living with ADHD. It has no influence on a persons intellect. Highly intelligent people can still achieve success even with the disorder. You can achieve everything you set your mind to if you receive the right support from those around you.
