karlimarie
Sweet Shoppe SugarBabe
My sister used to send me Tik Toks all the time but I could never watch them because I have enough time sucks and didn't want to add another to my laundry list... but of course, eventually I caved and down the rabbit hole I went.
If there's one thing you should know about Tik Tok it's that their algorithm doesn't mess around. It gets right down to brass tacks. You liked this? You get more. You don't like? You get less. And eventually you find yourself laughing and learning and commiserating with content that really speaks to you.
Two days on TT and I thought to myself: I have a lot of ADHD content in my feed, it's funny how much I have in common with people who have ADHD. A week on Tik Tok and I told my husband: I think I need to make an appointment to get evaluated.
And so I did. It turned out that I have a lot in common with neurodivergent folks because I, too, am ND. I got my official diagnosis in 2021... I was 39.
I went through a lot of big feelings around my diagnosis.
There was confusion - how... just how??
There was relief - omg. I'm. Not. Broken.
There was anger - how did no teacher, boss, family member catch this earlier?
There was connection - an entire community of people when I thought I was so alone.
There was curiosity - I had a lot to learn about myself and my disorder
All of the sudden everything about my life made sense in a way that it hadn't before. Little core memories and major life events scattered throughout my childhood, high school years, college life and beyond that when seen through the lens of ADHD just fell into place. ADHD isn't just for hyperactive little boys. There is a whole generation of lost girls who are just now getting the help we've so desperately needed all along, despite "looking fine" from the outside.
I spent the better part of a year really diving in deep to my diagnosis to learn everything I could. I read books, listened to podcasts, watched seminars. I also started medication with the help of my psychiatrist. Pills don't teach skills, but getting medicated was completely life altering for me. Day one I sat on my couch and cried literal tears because it had never been so silent in my brain. In addition to meds, I started to learn about and respect my limitations. I began asking for help and scaffolding my life in ways that I never could have before because I "should" be able to do this all on my own. I started to figured out where the ADHD ended and I began. And this process was transformative!
It's been four years since I was diagnosed and so many things have changed - though many have stayed the same. I found that when properly medicated I didn't feel the need to numb myself as much and I quit drinking, basically on a whim. I have learned to give myself so much grace. I have learned to ride my waves of productivity and let myself rest in times of overwhelm. It's been quite the healing journey. Though it's had its frustrations as well.
There is a narrative out there in some circles that ADHD is a superpower, but that has not been my experience. Don't get my wrong, there are gifts that my ADHD has given me, but overall it's called a disorder for a reason. And despite having it's moment in the sun, I think there are still a lot of misconceptions and stigmas around the condition that I always try and break.
October is ADHD awareness month and I've made it my mission to shed as much light as I can by telling my story and sharing my experiences. In the years that I've made this a priority I have had so many people reach out to me to say that they didn't realize they/a loved one had ADHD until I started putting my story out there... which is a win in my book.
If you've made it this far... 1. thank you for listening and 2. You probably don't have ADHD hahahah, just kidding. Here is some information on what ADHD can look like in women and girls. I hope this is helpful!
If there's one thing you should know about Tik Tok it's that their algorithm doesn't mess around. It gets right down to brass tacks. You liked this? You get more. You don't like? You get less. And eventually you find yourself laughing and learning and commiserating with content that really speaks to you.
Two days on TT and I thought to myself: I have a lot of ADHD content in my feed, it's funny how much I have in common with people who have ADHD. A week on Tik Tok and I told my husband: I think I need to make an appointment to get evaluated.
And so I did. It turned out that I have a lot in common with neurodivergent folks because I, too, am ND. I got my official diagnosis in 2021... I was 39.
I went through a lot of big feelings around my diagnosis.
There was confusion - how... just how??
There was relief - omg. I'm. Not. Broken.
There was anger - how did no teacher, boss, family member catch this earlier?
There was connection - an entire community of people when I thought I was so alone.
There was curiosity - I had a lot to learn about myself and my disorder
All of the sudden everything about my life made sense in a way that it hadn't before. Little core memories and major life events scattered throughout my childhood, high school years, college life and beyond that when seen through the lens of ADHD just fell into place. ADHD isn't just for hyperactive little boys. There is a whole generation of lost girls who are just now getting the help we've so desperately needed all along, despite "looking fine" from the outside.
I spent the better part of a year really diving in deep to my diagnosis to learn everything I could. I read books, listened to podcasts, watched seminars. I also started medication with the help of my psychiatrist. Pills don't teach skills, but getting medicated was completely life altering for me. Day one I sat on my couch and cried literal tears because it had never been so silent in my brain. In addition to meds, I started to learn about and respect my limitations. I began asking for help and scaffolding my life in ways that I never could have before because I "should" be able to do this all on my own. I started to figured out where the ADHD ended and I began. And this process was transformative!
It's been four years since I was diagnosed and so many things have changed - though many have stayed the same. I found that when properly medicated I didn't feel the need to numb myself as much and I quit drinking, basically on a whim. I have learned to give myself so much grace. I have learned to ride my waves of productivity and let myself rest in times of overwhelm. It's been quite the healing journey. Though it's had its frustrations as well.
There is a narrative out there in some circles that ADHD is a superpower, but that has not been my experience. Don't get my wrong, there are gifts that my ADHD has given me, but overall it's called a disorder for a reason. And despite having it's moment in the sun, I think there are still a lot of misconceptions and stigmas around the condition that I always try and break.
October is ADHD awareness month and I've made it my mission to shed as much light as I can by telling my story and sharing my experiences. In the years that I've made this a priority I have had so many people reach out to me to say that they didn't realize they/a loved one had ADHD until I started putting my story out there... which is a win in my book.
If you've made it this far... 1. thank you for listening and 2. You probably don't have ADHD hahahah, just kidding. Here is some information on what ADHD can look like in women and girls. I hope this is helpful!
)
You can be so proud of you!:wub: