Jun 12, 2019
In this podcast, Tracy decided to do something different. When she was initially diagnosed she read everything to glean what other women like her were experiencing. Putting that puzzle together for herself was her number one mission. It’s also why she started the Facebook Group, ADHD for Smart A** Women. So today she’s sharing with you how members answered the question:
What Does Your ADHD Feel Like?
- L.
Newlin started us off with “I cannot truly fit in with others. Why
are there things that are mindless for others like paying bills and
house cleaning such a struggle for me?”
- C.
Newton said she struggles with “expected” tasks of a woman, wife
and mom but on the flip side, she does things effortlessly that her
peers could not even dream about doing. So she battles with (shame)
because she doesn’t do what’s expected and on the other hand
(pride) when she’s acting within her strengths.
- C.
Seeley described her mind as a pinball machine or as if she has too
many live voices in her head. She feels too much, knows too much
(this is her intuition) which depending on the situation can be
helpful or hurtful. She always feels on the perimeter even when
she’s accepted. She feel different (and doesn’t see this as
necessarily bad), a bit like an alien.
- C.
Newton offered that “ignoring the rules feel necessary because she
knows what she needs to do or say, so she will challenge limits and
force past boundaries, because she “has to be meeeeee!”
Rules are just rules. Sometimes
breaking them is its own adventure. 😁
- D.
Baartmansike often felt like she was living in fog, and the fog is
stuff (to do's - chores, friends, family, life), like there is no
chronological order, everything is in your face all the time and
she doesn’t know where to start.
- B.
Buster likened her ADHD to a jet plane engine that’s always running
in my head. 25 to do lists, working on them all and not getting
anything done one day and doing 400 tasks the next.
- A.
Woodley feels like she’s in constant battle with her ADHD. Battle
to do what is expected and often necessary in ways foreign and
confusing to me every single time. She’s always trying to fit into
a society that is clearly not made for people like her. She’s often
amazed that people can’t think or act like her, while
simultaneously being frustrated why she can’t think and act like
them.
- S.
Haddock lives her life based on gut feelings or emotions (both mine
and others). Outside people see it as impulsive but there are
really in-depth reasons for why she does what she does. On bad days
she feels like an MC Escher print - where she’s running up and down
stairs all day but the direction keeps changing and she doesn’t get
anywhere.
- Sarah
Haas feels like
she’s at church as a six-year-old... sitting in the pew, and
wiggling around, She’s thinking of the donuts she’ll get
afterwards, Fiddling with her hands, maybe hitting your brother (to
get a reaction, or maybe just because you need to put your energy
somewhere), or doodling on something you shouldn’t ... trying to
entertain yourself because whatever is happening around you is
super boring, or you don’t understand it but you know it’s not the
right time to ask questions... But then you just have to ask it
anyway. And then you get shhhhhhhhh’d. But you have to put it
somewhere, it’s too quiet, still, it’s too rigid. And instead of
your parents bringing you a coloring book so you can put it
somewhere proper, they give you a sideways glance. So you try and
you try, then for whatever reason, you start maybe singing to
yourself, or talking ... you know you shouldn’t but you. just.
can’t. not. Do. It. Except you’re an adult.
- C.
Seeley offered that she wouldn’t change her situation. She’d still
rather have her ADHD brain because she knows that she has a gift
for seeing what others cannot and her world is a kaleidoscope
because of that.❤️
- L.
Peters says she sees everything through the eyes of a child. “I see
beauty where others see ugly! This is the gift! The curse... I see
answers where no one sees a question. I see solutions for problems
others do not yet know exist!
- R.
Jackson can’t ever remember the important stuff but she notices
every detail. “I feel much younger than I am and credit that to my
ADHD. I dont worry too much and put most everything off until
tomorrow!”
- S.
Sunderland notices a superwoman awareness of the whole snowstorm,
rather than just one individual snowflake. Deep understanding of
concepts, but not retaining all the names, dates, etc. Her quest
for deep learning is never-ending.
- C. Li
feels” like the marvel superhero, Cyclops. “When I have my special
goggles on (meds) I can control the tremendous crazy power inside
my head, otherwise it is hard to control and sometimes
destructive.”
- T.
Kelly suggested that you imagine you’re cooking on a 10-burner
stove, with different pots and pans all cooking different things
all at the same time. That’s her brain. All of the time.
- J.
Bold: My ADHD feels like a superpower most days. I am a BIG PICTURE
person and tend to be very very intuitive to others. I’m extremely
disciplined in most areas of my life (not food). Intuitive,
creative and anxious
- L. Biegert constantly wonders how she can objectively be this smart and yet struggle so hard to do the things that most people find easy. “I can't possibly be lazy because I'm working all the time, but nothing ever gets done.”