ADHD awareness, my own struggles, and what I believe helps the most...

 

The main difference between me and other’s who have undiagnosed ADHD? Support from a partner or family member.

 

     There are many years of my life that I was able to function just as anyone else does, but those years my attention was focused on whomever I was with, and by just being with someone that lessened my symptoms dramatically, as it has many of my own family members who still don’t even realize they have this genetic disorder at all.

     The main symptom of emotional dysregulation and the inability to calm down as quickly as others when agitated or when things escalate, only when I was unable to leave, are the main problematic symptoms that have occurred over and over again throughout the years.  They led to me spending 42 days total in a detention center.  The first time it was my sister who had me charged for domestic when I honestly told the officer I had no idea why I got angry.  The second time was when my mother had me put in there for an FTA after I had a breakup then got a DWI because of an impulsive decision; instead of talking to me she did that instead.  The last time was in June of 2024 after being physically harassed by my father for the 2^nd time (almost 3 had I not had my taser, it would have been) and running down the stairs and out the door as fast as possible , I collapsed on the lawn, unable to breathe for 30 seconds to 1 minute, but at the time it felt much longer than that, after catching my breathe I got up and took my frustration out by throwing rocks at the back glasses of my mother and father’s vehicles, breaking them, then calling the police who said “ I can only go from what I see” yet he never listened to what I had to say and then later I found he put that I “claimed” I was harassed,  had he listened to me, the one that called the police to begin with, I would have told him the harassment occurred in my bedroom in the house where a struggle happened and could be confirmed by the items strewed around the room.

   I have also learned that this mental disorder affects both average people and gifted people equally, so if an average person has ADHD it doesn’t make them smarter, it just makes it harder for them to learn, sit still and many other symptoms over many years.

     If you think of the brains dopamine levels as a seesaw tilted in this direction  \   in the beginning a Childs levels are higher than normal leading to hyperactivity, inability to focus, etc. but as they grow up and at some point in their teenage years or soon after they develop a deficit of dopamine in their brain leading to depression, anxiety, and mood swings.  Doctors can’t test for this just like they can’t test for Alzheimer’s or dementia because it’s a brain chemical imbalance, These things don’t usually get seen at all.

    In order for optimal symptom reduction over a lifetime, having a partner or family member who truly understands can reduce symptoms by what I feel is at least half, and some can manage without medication or medications.  Every person and situation is different and requires a psychiatrist who is a good active listener who cares about their patients.

     If your having to manage your symptoms alone, without any support from a partner, family or friends then it makes it much harder to manage but not unmanageable, with medications and a psychiatrist’s care.  Then as things change in life, hopefully your symptoms and how difficult they are to manage will as well.  This effect someone close to you can have on your overall health is similar to how women reported to have 33% less pain when the husband was there and they could squeeze their hand, just knowing someone is there can have a profound impact on many aspects of life like pain levels and symptom levels as well.

     I hope these things I have discovered throughout my life helps others in their struggles with the disorder, because awareness, not judging or stigmatizing, and talking is always a better way than dismissing, belittling, scapegoating, or starting rumors have a negative impact on people’s lives whether the people who start them want to think it does or not….