Years ago, I read this tongue-in-cheek article, 23 Signs You Do Not Have Adult ADHD. Ironically, I found it while I was googling to see if my husband had it (he does not)… but I started laughing as I read it, and said to my husband, “haha! I do all these things!”
And then I forgot about it.
Fast forward a few years: we’ve pulled my son to homeschool, had him tested for giftedness” by a specialist, and did neurological testing and assessments for ADHD.
As a child and a teen, I’d been identified as gifted, but I didn’t know what all it meant. I thought I was a “failed” gifted person because I couldn’t seem to get my shit together. Through my son, I’ve learned what it really means and how it’s impacted my life. My son and I are so much alike, that when he was diagnosed with ADHD, I had to get myself assessed, as well.
Suddenly, my entire life made sense. I’m inattentive type, typical for girls and women, and frequently missed. My son is combination, though he leans more towards the inattentive type, as well. At first I was hesitant to try medication, having had some very bad experiences with medications for all the wrong diagnoses. But ADHD was finally the right diagnosis, and medication has absolutely changed my life.
There’s still a huge stigma surrounding ADHD and ADHD medications. There’s also a surprising amount of misinformation and lack of information among the general population, particularly teachers and parents. That’s why I’m writing this. Well, that and… I’m a writer, by nature.
Thanks for visiting.
