I just got diagnosed with ADHD and I need help. Otherwise, the title explains it all>
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Anything you need to take with you when you leave the house place your keys/wallet underneath that item. You will be physically incapable of leaving without first picking up that item.
Sticky notes are amazing. Make important notes on them and leave them in places where you will see them - like directly over where your face's reflection will be in your bathroom mirror. Make it impossible to not notice them by putting them in the way of your normal day-to-day activities.
If you are auditory, say things to yourself out loud, or even sing them. For example, if you are taking a shower and just used the last bit of shampoo, start singing to yourself that you need more shampoo. Make sure it's a catchy tune, so that even if you stop singing it, it keeps going in your head.
Any time you notice you're out of anything and need to get it during your next grocery run, do not assume you will remember that item when you make your grocery list. Keep your grocery list on your office, and immediately add that item the very moment you realize you need to get more. This prevents you from having to go to the store multiple times, and it prevents you from potentially forgetting your list at home.
Use the calendar on your phone, and make use of its notification features. They are way more helpful than most people realize. Use it for reminders for tasks, not just for social or work obligations. Things like, "Go over finances," "Wash your sheets," and "Clean out the fridge" are excellent to include and this will make it so that you don't let things slip by.
Always keep a clock, a physical clock, in the room you spend the most time in. Yes, you have a phone, but most people don't use their phone to only look at the time. If you're on your phone, chances are you have been playing games or reading articles on it and gave not glanced at the time in a while. Having a clock nearby, especially one you can glance at when your hands are full, it's invaluable.
If you are ADHD (as in, hyperactive), keep something on your person you can fidget with, like a fidget spinner or a spinning ring. This will help you to focus on a task at hand.
If you are ADHD (inattentive type), try to develop a skill in which you can turn most things into an interesting story.
For either type, keep a small notebook/notepad and pencil or pen on your person at all times. You can use it for doodling, which will help you to concentrate, or for note taking, or both.
It may seem overwhelming at first, but once you incorporate the coping skills which work best *for you* (some of these tricks may help you, some may not) into your day-to-day life, you'll eventually find yourself doing them without even noticing you are doing them. Good luck!
Find what helps you focus, it can be a fidget toy, something random like a button or hairclip, and even something like a perfume.
My biggest struggle having add is remembering things. Ever time I have to remember something important I thing of a very specific thing and associate it with that thing. For example, collect firewood=paper mache ice cream cone with purple sprinkles. It doesn't have to make sense, in fact the less sense it makes the more likely you are to remember to do it.
Habits, rules and games connecting “important stuff” to something you always have to do naturally.
For rules: you HAVE to walk through the front door coming home SO you also HAVE to take shoes off and hang keys (by the door because we all know we will misplace them). Or, you HAVE to eat but the rule is clean the kitchen up (super speed of course lol) BEFORE you can eat.
I mean, who cares if there are dishes having a party all over your kitchen in between meals. Same mess, different moment.
For habits: Do the same order of the mundane “responsible adult” crap every day. Make the bed, get dressed, eat, brush teeth, wash face. Always. Pay bills on the 1st and 15th. Always.
For Games: I find the need for speed and efficiency extremely helpful. I don’t want to waste my precious time on the stupid but necessary things in life. I do everything in my power to be as fast and efficient as possible so I can get back to my first love of endless rabbit trailing.
Takes a bit to get through the hump of getting your brain to surrender to these tactics BUT it is so freeing once you begin to do them with out thinking. Plus, it takes a ton of the panicked desperate rush out of daily life.
Also: Meds.
Also also: learn to love and embrace the strengths ADHD gives you.
Habits sure do help! I do everything in a certain routine everyday. Lordy help the person who phones when I'm busy!
Keep a list in a notebook of important things to get done. Then break each one into a step by step of how to accomplish it. Just try to do one element at a time. Even if it’s one step a day.
This helps me avoid getting so overwhelmed that I can’t face any of the difficult tasks.
Cleaning house is VERY difficult for me! I end up floating from room to room and never really accomplishing anything. I have a friend who helped me clean one day and she was amused/aggravated about my 'system'. Together we made up a list of everything that had to be done but by small increments. I then check off each small job as I complete it - and then read and do the next small item in the list. Not only do I stay on task but I get a real sense of accomplishment looking back at all those check marks!
I always put whatever I need to take in the morning by the front door. As soon as I make my lunch in the AM I put that by the door too. Anything I need to get done at school in the morning (I’m a teacher) I write on a long slip of paper and staple to my key ring - same for remembering stuff to do at home, only it gets stapled to my lunchbox strap. I teach tricks to my ADD kids too. Actually I treat all my students like they might have ADD. We copy our homework in list format in their notebooks - that purposely are a different sort than their other notebooks. They make a line in front of each thing to do so they can check it off as they complete it. I have them make a sign line at the bottom of the page ( X___________) to remind them to get it checked and signed. Their homework folders have the pockets labeled: ‘take home’ and ‘return to school’. They also know to pack their backpacks at night and put them by the door - just like their teacher! We take the time to reorganize their desks each week (one thing at a time put where the picture on the board shows them) so they don’t lose stuff they need. Friday nights I go through their desks either leaving a treat from the desk fairy or reorganizing the ones that need some attention. Things like this help kids with ADD get through their days - and helps the other kids too. I wish my daughter (who also has ADD)had a teacher with a system to help her students.
Feet tap. if does not work use pills. pain killers work lots of pain killer
Medications, literally the only thing that somewhat fixes it.
Because there are a range of symptoms for ADHD, it is not only hyperactivity. The attention deficit part can easily lead to problems with organisation.
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I’m 46 and just recently got a diagnosis. ADHD wasn’t a thing when I was a kid and even if it were, they likely would have skipped me being a girl. It has explained SO much about the things I have struggled with my whole life. My biggest life hack that I developed without even knowing is this….
Set a timer in order to clean your house.
Take each room and decide how long you want to spend in there. If you need to take something back to where it’s meant to be, set it aside and move it after. For example, you set a timer for 15-20 minutes for your bathroom. You have a piece of jewlery that is meant to be in a jewlery box in your bedroom. Put it on the counter near the door. When the timer goes off you STOP! Then you can move that jewlery to where it’s meant to be. The bathroom may not be perfect but it’s better than when you started…hopefully.
I’m terrible at cleaning. Well…I’m clean but I’m super messy. My whole life my cleaning routine would be to pull everything out, scrub every nook and cranny, reorganize and put it all back together. Then six’ish months later I do it again. That or I’d clean the sink but nothing else. Clean the shower but nothing else. You get the point.
My mum also had a late diagnosis. My sister has had ADHD diagnosed since she was 6 (she is now 22) but it was only when her mads had to be changed this year that her symptoms showed themselves as strongly since then. Because mum took her to the psychiatrist to get the new meds prescribed she saw the tests that relate to symptoms. Mum read those and went 'maybe I have this too', went for an appointment herself, and was diagnosed herself. She is 59. Us kids and dad having been saying for years she probably had it but she couldn't see it at the time. She tried one of my sister's pills once (stupid I know) when she was studying nursing so she could stay awake and it did nothing so that should have been a dead giveaway.
Extreme Dot to Dot! I use them to help focus when I am having to listen in church or in meetings. I get a lot more out of them! I take the meds, which also makes a huge difference! When I have a project to tackle, I ask my friends to come help. They visit with me while we work to help me stay on task. I just finished a big painting project in my house!
The biggie for me is when everything I think comes out of my mouth. The best thing to do is to apologize and don’t wait to do it. I am fortunate to have friends who know to lay a hand on my arm…or a slap!😂. We do get a little manic in our conversation when we are nervous!
I am a female, so it’s a little different. It explains why school was so hard sometimes! (And why I didn’t think through pushing the Bunsen burner under M’s bulletproofed bangs and having them explode in the science lab: they called it an “accident”, forgot about hairspray being flammable!)
My sister somehow did get diagnosed for ADHD as a child but she was only diagnosed with ASD in her late teens because that also shows differently in girls. Having someone help you stay on top of things is good. We try to do that with my sister (though often mum doesn't understand why she can't do it herself) but even then she often spend a lot of the time talking while we do most of the work. I am trying to help her out more at the moment because she has had to change meds and they aren't working yet.
The site ADDitude will have a lot of help. Don't get mad at yourself for not being able to do something.
Get fresh air and regular exercise (especially aerobic exercise). I love to bike.
The neurodivergent and autistic community are great friends.
Research the lesser known stuff like RSD, cor-morbid disorders, emotional dysregulation, etc.
Don't be afraid of medication. Do be aware that ADHD comes with a higher risk of developing addiction and makes addiction more difficult. Be mindful of side effects and that your medication and dosage needs may change. There are many other medications for adhd besides aderall. For instance I take guanfacine for impulsivity.
U say ur 14 in ur bio so learn about accommodations and DO NOT BE AFRAID to advocate for yourself! Teachers (at least in the USA) are simply not prepared enough on learning and attention issues so they are not always right. If you want more school advice and ask and I'll think some up.
Split tasks up into small bits, makes it much easier to do and get started.
Try to figure out how to get enough sleep. Sleep is hard with ADHD but very important.
It's easy to get into a trap of comparing yourself to how neurotypicals work and assuming that way is correct. You are different and that's 100% fine. What matters is what works for YOU.
I see in ur bio that you are gay so learning about neuroqueer stuff may be nice.
Eat healthy snacks. Fruits and vegetables always help me function.
Learn psychology. How the brain functions, how the adhd brain functions. It is very helpful.
Don't give up. Don't ever think you are bad, stupid, or dumb.
ADHD is a real mental disorder. It comes with real struggles in all aspects of life for many reasons. It also is a multi sided dice with bad, neutral, and good aspects.
Question: What if there's someone who is especially annoying I have to sit next to in a certain class? (I can't ask the teacher to move me or them :( )
Stimming really helps. Stimming is something like bouncing your leg or tapping your finger, lets out excess energy without bothering people. Everyone does it even neurotypical people stim, they just don't realize it. I am constantly bouncing y leg at school it never stops and it really helps me pay attention
Sticky notes. They are little yellow lifesavers!
Don’t be afraid to talk to a doctor about getting on medication for ADHD. I did it 3 years ago after a lifetime of difficulties concentrating, talking too much and struggling in school and college. It changed my life!
Anyone who refuses to medicate their child for ADHD really baffles me. It is not a bad thing, often it is torturing them by not allowing what will make easier to bear. Yes, there are other ways of treating it, but usually they need to use meds as well.
Exercise is everything to me. Helps me focus, gives me confidence and overall does wonders for my well-being. It just helps regulating your entire system. And also spending time outdoors. Getting our brains and senses stimulated is so important. Newer research shows that spending time in Nature increases the ability to focus, and decreases stress and anxiety
Exercise is everything to me. Helps me focus, gives me confidence and overall does wonders for my well-being. It just helps regulating your entire system. And also spending time outdoors. Getting our brains and senses stimulated is so important. Newer research shows that spending time in Nature increases the ability to focus, and decreases stress and anxiety
Take naps it calms me
Some that my sister has just had suggested to her. Using timers (there was one in particular but I can't remember the name, sounded like tomato or something) to reminder her to get back on track if she has gotten distracted. Also social timers which you download onto your phone or whatever that vibrate rather than make sound so that only she feels it to help her to get back onto track while having a conversation with someone. Ask friend ahead of time to remind her to complete an activity or to stop speaking so loudly etc. Look out for side effects of medication because there may be ones that are not so harsh.
Some that my sister has just had suggested to her. Using timers (there was one in particular but I can't remember the name, sounded like tomato or something) to reminder her to get back on track if she has gotten distracted. Also social timers which you download onto your phone or whatever that vibrate rather than make sound so that only she feels it to help her to get back onto track while having a conversation with someone. Ask friend ahead of time to remind her to complete an activity or to stop speaking so loudly etc. Look out for side effects of medication because there may be ones that are not so harsh.
