dobo81
Member's not posted much yet
Posts: 12
|
Post by dobo81 on Feb 14, 2019 18:01:44 GMT
Hey guys, there is always such negative press in ADHD, please can someone shine a light for those of us that think that there is no light. I am sure we would all love to hear a story about someone who has found the right balance, perhaps by coaching, perhaps by Medication, career success, perhaps we can learn from you and give us all some hope.
|
|
|
Post by like-flowers on Apr 15, 2019 22:27:28 GMT
Hi. I'm just here for the first time. I was diagnosed last year, age 42. High scoring ADHD. So I thought it would be nice to start by sharing my successes (maybe one day I will list the tragedies too!). Here is what my cognitive-type has enabled me to do in life so far. 1 - travel. I have wandered with my bare feet against the earth all over the place. I've never felt unsafe or unable to cope with the complexities or unpredictability of travelling and for this I am so grateful. The world is chaos but I can see that chaos easily and have the endurance and focus to get to a destination if that's what I want to do against all the odds. And there have been a lot of 'odds'. 2 - a career in technology. Since 2000 I worked in the field of digital communications and interaction design. I was able to shift my role and skills at the technology adapted and changed because, if it interested me, I was on it. It didn't matter to me what I had previously learned, each new shift, product or platform was a new paradigm for me to understand and I came at it fresh. And the technology itself allowed me to work in a highly flexible way that suited my attention span and physical restlessness, working remotely across timezones on project-based rewards, not clocked hours. 3 - understanding the world of human computer interaction. So... we were basically built for the internet age. Becuase my mind is capable of thinking in a networked way by default, it was super easy for me to come to understand the way that the internet works, the way that relationships between content on the internet could be specified and codified and to quickly identify the specific contexts for a persons's interaction. So that's what I did. My clients fed me scraps of information about the systems, the content, their goals, and the people they wanted to use their websites and services and I extrapolated and overlaid all that in my beautiful mind in a room on my own and came up with intricately detailed paper-models and specifications of the best designed solution. 4 - philosophy. This one is important. Yes, ADHD meant I could do these things and yes, I could get paid for them. Sometimes that was lovely. But the capacity to think W I D E also meant that I never really cared about the things most people cared about. I never chased status, tried to compete with colleauges, exploited money. I was always task-focused. Because I've always been able to see the bigger picture - that life is infintely complex and you can't control it, so none of these things are really worth chasing. I have a lovely son and I watched him 'work things out' super early, things like government corruption, the futility of schooling, the benefits of kindness and sharing. We can do these things because we can think outside the box, because we don't even notice the box. Other people crave that kind of 'wokeness', to us it's standard. 5 - Turning left. I don't want to go into much personal detail, but when I found myself in a very problematic family situation my ADHD mind was able to think wide, zero in and hyperfocus. I found a very creative and courageous way to respond to a very difficult circumstance. We are great in a crisis. It's hard and exhausting at times, but we can go further than anyone when things need doing because, while the ironing and the tax returns and the not-eating-the-whole-tub-of-icecream might be hard, when the sh*t hits the fan we are superheroes able to think of extraordinary solutions to seemingly impossible problems and KNOW that they are going to work out. I'm only just learning why and how I am 'special'. I won't pretend it isn't very hard and hasn't lost me some friends and opportunities. And I know that I'm going to need help with the basics if I'm going to thrive and not get sucked down by the day to day tasks of life. But I am proud of the life I've lived so far and knowing that I have this super power has given me the confidence I need to see my skills as something I can offer to others and value in myself. Becuase if we are rare, then we are precious!
|
|
kookyme
Member's not posted much yet
Posts: 2
|
Post by kookyme on Apr 16, 2019 23:07:45 GMT
Thank you for that!!!!!!!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2019 0:40:22 GMT
After several years medicated, I'm still a walking disaster but I'd like to think my relationships are generally much better now.
I'm still a twat sometimes but I'm holding down a relationship with my Queen despite an incredibly difficult 2018.
Job prospects have improved slightly pre vs post diagnosis.
|
|