Women + ADHD

I’m old enough that ADHD wasn’t something I heard of as a kid.

I knew there were kids with lots of energy and kids (like me) who spaced out a lot, but I thought we were all just weird. 

I wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was in my 40s and suddenly so many things made sense. 

• Difficulty remembering details from conversations, like dates, names, and times. (I can remember how you met your husband and pretty much your whole life story, but I may not remember your name or how we met.)

• The elation and overwhelm that comes from having too many ideas or inspiration at once.

• The ability to hyper-focus on something for hours without getting bored or fatigued. 

• The absolute nightmare of trying to force myself to do anything I don’t find interesting, important, or valuable. 

• Why I am obsessed with planners - my external system for keeping all the details at hand (because my brain can’t hang onto them). 

• The difficulty and sense of deflation I feel when I lose my inspiration (everything feels pointless).

• Fidgeting - not bouncing off the walls, but needing almost constant small movements like swinging/tapping my foot, playing with my rings, and gesturing a lot with my hands. 

• Sensory overload when I’m around too many people, noises, and flashing screens.

My diagnosis also helped my partner understand that my brain works differently from his, and to accept that if he doesn’t see me write something down in my planner, I will most likely forget it. 

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. Understanding yourself, what makes you tick, and how to take advantage of the gifts of ADHD while avoiding the pitfalls are some amazing benefits of therapy. Please let me know if you’d like to chat!