ADHD / ADD Support Group
Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD) are more common than you might think. It is a syndrome that exhibits symptoms such as hyperactivity, forgetfulness, mood shifts, poor impulse control, and distractibility. Join others who suffer from these conditions and share your experiences.
...is one thing. Creating a system that is simple enough that I'll actually use is another.
I don't have an official diagnosis, though several therapists (three) have suggested to me that it is entirely likely I am ADD. It's probably true, but I resist finding out for sure because there are already so many other more severe neurological problems in my family that I'd still like to think I escaped somehow. Denial is a lovely thing.
After skimming through Driven to Distraction and ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life I've realized that those folks have really got my number. Hyperfocus, distractibility, the ability to focus on everything EXCEPT what is due tomorrow, cant' get started and when I finally do can't stop, no concept of time...
I suppose the best description of the up and downside of the way I function came in a supervisory meeting with my (now retired) department head.
"I'm a scatterbrain," I said. "No, Brian," she corrected me, "what you are is a divergent thinker."
Which is the long way around describing my mind and asking for advice - how do I stay organized? Mostly it's the piles of papers that I keep tripping over driving me crazy.
peace,
Brian
I don't have an official diagnosis, though several therapists (three) have suggested to me that it is entirely likely I am ADD. It's probably true, but I resist finding out for sure because there are already so many other more severe neurological problems in my family that I'd still like to think I escaped somehow. Denial is a lovely thing.
After skimming through Driven to Distraction and ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life I've realized that those folks have really got my number. Hyperfocus, distractibility, the ability to focus on everything EXCEPT what is due tomorrow, cant' get started and when I finally do can't stop, no concept of time...
I suppose the best description of the up and downside of the way I function came in a supervisory meeting with my (now retired) department head.
"I'm a scatterbrain," I said. "No, Brian," she corrected me, "what you are is a divergent thinker."
Which is the long way around describing my mind and asking for advice - how do I stay organized? Mostly it's the piles of papers that I keep tripping over driving me crazy.
peace,
Brian
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Lets make ot a good beginning to the weekHow can we start the day off on a positive note!I have several chores planned that I have been putting off but I'm determined to accomplish todaySo I'm feel grateful for accomplishmentsI hope that you all have a fabulous week!!Sending hugs...xo
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You may recall I write that my sister and he husband were in an affair with my brothers wife. It's been almost a year. Mom last week asked me to invite my sisters boys to a birthday at my house for my brothers daughter. I was on my way to pick up the boys when my mom called and told me to turn around. Apparently my brother didn't know my nephews were coming and he was livid. I came home to a...
and where DID that last post go - this is me getting distracted again so I dont ever do anything really properly....*sigh*
errrr - is this meant to be the advice column....LOL
see if that works...
Thanks for the tip! Looking forward to taking advantage of it!
Brian
He is old enough (in my mind) to get himself dressed in the morning, but because he is so distractable, I lay his clothes on the floor of his room, in the order that they will be required to put on. Staying one step ahead of him seems to be a chore, but helps alot when i get it right.
Obviously your Mum isnt there to lay your clothes out for you, but maybe a simple checklist of things you have to do during the day may help? Keep the list for the following day if there are still tasks on there, and so on.
Best of luck!
The task/time management is sort of a separate issue at this time - if I put out enough reminders for myself (physical cues, like what you do laying out your son's clothes) - I do okay with that. If I remember to look at the reminder! Mostly, though, I'm looking for advice on organizing STUFF.
It seems like I have a choice. I can either have a clean desk at home, or a clean desk at work. Whichever one ISN'T clean is buried under a pile of paper, has stacks of paper on the floor beside it, has boxes of papers that were falling off of it stacked up underneath, has drawers filled with paper piles. I'm currently working on undoing the nightmare in my file cabinets at school, what bogs me down is figuring out the most useful category for the various papers I need to store - so I can find them again.
Plus, out of sight out of mind is a big problem for me. Paradoxically, I have a really good visual memory, and up to a point can sort of remember the position something has in a pile. That is, until the pile gets too old...
My son comes round each Saturday morning now and opens the post with me, as I started ignoring it - got particularly bad as I took on all the work for my business while downsizing it....OMG...someone else is taking it over and I hope to get a bit better then - but - I have been like this all my life and I am 66 - HOW can I stop becoming a seriously more than scatty old lady who is continually frustrated with herself. Friends tell me I mustnt change - but, THEY dont have to live wiht me *chuckle*
I have tried to organize things for the two of them, but, inevitably, they have a problem with what/how I did it. so, now I hold their hands and we do it together. I try to figure out priorities and categories.
do you have someone who can help you out?
ADHD is not easy, and I always struggled to understand why i was never very good at anything, now thinking back on things, i realize i found school and sport hard because I wasn't able to focus for long enough. Yeah, you are probably thinking, how can she be no good at sport, well, by the time the ball came anywhere near me, i was looking the other way or my mind had wondered onto a different topic. I often had no idea of what was going on around me. I'm lucky i am still alive, crossing the road when you are paying no attention is dangerous. I only wish someone had worked out I had ADHD when I was at primary school. might have saved me a lot of worry and hurt. I still have trouble focusing on things and my wanders a lot. ( i have forgotten what my advice was going to be!!!) Oh yes, i found anything that i was really interested in was highly stimulating made it easier to focus. I am not very good at finishing things, be orgnaised or setting and achieving goals, i get distracted along the way....