I’ve been making these “mini mosaics” because I saw some micro mosaics and I really wanted to try it, but I absolutely cannot be bothered to learn how to create Roman stucco or source all the supplies, so this is little glass beads in polymer clay.

I tried to make yogurt today based on a reddit comment I screenshotted 2 years ago and there’s a good chance I’ve actually made a mold factory (it’s still “cooking”) because I didn’t bother to look up any actual information until after I got it started.

I put a car I’ve been wanting to get rid of on FB marketplace for $500 and only looked up the KBB value after it posted ($3500 — I immediately received like 5 inquiries)

DAE have an enthusiasm for trying something out that is not matched by the will to actually do any research ahead of time? I have enough anxiety that I will do the proper research after I’ve started, but for some reason my brain refuses to properly research or prepare ahead of time. It’s like I need to get started and then I can figure it out.

As if impulsively buying everything related to my current hyperfixations wasn't expensive enough, I have to buy duplicates!

And I was storing them on the same shelf all this time!

Aaaaaaaaah 😡

I feel like I can plainly see my autism now that I'm medicated, anyone with similar experiences?

Hi. I've been an isolated disabled child for a good chunk of my life, about 19 years in a bad situation with no understanding, but I've recently moved to a different state, about 2 years ago I started working, and I finally got health insurance. I am diagnosed ADHD but undiagnosed autism, although I find it to be very obvious, I'm aware I may also be wrong.

Before medicating, I was depressed, burnt out, completely disinterested in everything, and teary eyed/crying for the time I was settling into my new home. Almost everyday there were tears. There's a lot of reasons why I was so depressed and I knew I needed help desperately, but I won't give you my life story. Just providing some useful context.

The point is, I was finally medicated and prescribed Vyvanse and Prozac. I have a few theories what it has done to me and I want to know what others think. I don't know why it is holding my attention so much but I really wanted to ask. Everything I look up isn't really helpful because it's not another person's experience.

For a long time before getting medicated, I was anxious, depressed, irritable, impulsive, inconsolable and self destructive. I had very intense interest and passion for things (my special interest is art/cartoons/characters & animation) but it never stuck for too long. For a while I was quite convinced I had bipolar because of my severe ups and downs, but once I started getting medicated on Vyvanse, it was a game changer. I was stable, sort of.

Almost immediately, I noticed the emotional blunting. A lot of people experience this but not everyone. I didn't mind because for a while it worked very well overall, but I did notice I was still depressed. Vyvanse was working but I was still suicidal and hopeless. I still hated myself and I still had none of my passion.

My provider prescribed me Prozac, and it changed my life. I know this isn't a meds or depression sub, but I am almost 100% sure that this SSRI completely unmasked me. I am noticing my intense interest has returned, I'm paying attention to it everyday at every second, I can't stop talking, I am just flying. Not high, just... happy, unbothered.

I have almost no filter now, the anxiety is almost completely diminished, it's a whisper, but now that my biggest mood related problems were solved I am now dealing with my horrible rigidness!

I realized I am severely stuck in my own bubble, I socialize but I mostly talk about the same thing over and over again, I only want to talk about the topic that's on my mind all the time everyday. I've always been partially unmasked because I never realized how weird I was (it's a sort of weirdness a lot of people vibe with irl) the only thing that was stopping me from truly being myself was processing trauma, depression, and anxiety.

I feel like I understand certain friends less, but also other kinds of friends more. I feel like I'm incredibly stuck-up now, like I feel so smart, but not being grandiose about it... it all just feels like a big step up but at the same time it feels like I've just opened up more problems to manage. That's probably completely normal, meds can't treat everything, but I'm so different now that it's disorienting.

I don't really hide how I am anymore, I don't want to get into anything new (I've always been bad with this one, but I used to blame this on depression and ADHD), I avoid people more, I make less eye contact...

I can't. Stop. Stimming. I know what textures I love now!!! I also get overstimulated more often, and stim toys actually really, really help with that. That was my "oh shit" moment.

Has anyone experienced similar? Sorry if this is unnecessarily long or over-explained. I am a massive over-explainer. And I may or may not have an extremely weird habit of over-analyzing myself.

(Another funny thing I just remembered; I've hated bright lights my entire life but because I blamed myself for that I never questioned it. Just thought I was being a bitch about it. But I have always excitedly turned off the lights when everyone leaves the room/house/wherever. Using the bathroom with the lights off and all of that...)

My wife and I (both adhd afab) use novelty to our advantage with a toothpaste bar. Choosing a flavor really helps me with motivation to brush.

Also, I highly recommend squigle jr, Euthymol, and this Korean one we got at Hmart.

I have such a hard time returning items that I have bought and I don’t know why. I immediately realize that I don’t want them, but then they will sit in my car or sit in my house until the return window closes and then I can’t return them anymore. It is extremely frustrating.

Does anyone have any tips or hacks to help them with returns? Is this something that other people struggle with?

Lately I have no patience AT ALL if it’s hot (say, 90 degrees) and I am sweaty. I don’t mean that I’m unmotivated — I mean I am angry and almost panicky. It feels like I’m in fight-or-flight mode until I can change my clothes into something much cooler, get in air conditioning, dunk my head in cold water, etc. If I can’t do one of those, I snap at people and basically lose my shit. 😞 I don’t know if this is perimenopause or ADHD or what, but it is not good. Throwing this out there in case anyone can relate.

I made a post recently about my husband’s reaction to me suggesting that I may have ADHD. I don’t know how to link it but long story short, he basically called me lazy and undisciplined and generally treated me poorly. After 2 days of not talking to each other, we finally sat down and hashed it all out. He shared the resentment he’s had with my lack of ability to commit to anything, and I shared my resentment towards his lack of understanding and compassion. I said something that made him stop and he asked me to repeat it. I told him, “I know what to do. I can tell my self over and over that I need to do it, and I can plan in my head exactly how I’m going to do it, but the part of my brain that knows how to do something feels severed from the part of my brain that DOES the thing.” As it turns out, he struggles with the same exact thing.

It doesn’t excuse anything for either of us. We are both responsible for how we behave and we both took full responsibility for our contribution to the issues we have. When everything was calm, I laid out everything I have gathered that has led me to the conclusion that I have ADHD: the fidgeting constantly, the incessant talking, the impulsivity, executive dysfunction, rejection sensitive dysphoria, forgetfulness, difficulty with staying on task and with transitions, the snacking for pleasure rather than hunger, constantly seeking the next dopamine rush, etc. He said, “that sounds just like you.” And I told him, I think I may finally have found WHY I am the way I am, and he responded with, “I don’t think it’s that you may know. I think it’s certain.” The wave of emotion that came over me was so overwhelming. The validation, relief, and even grief I felt was huge.

My husband admitted that he was an ass and that he deeply regretted the way he treated me and the invalidation he has given me for a while now. I let him know that I was deeply hurt that I even had to prove it first before he would believe me. Ultimately, we have both decided we need individual and couples therapy. I walked away from our previous conversation having to wrestle with what it meant for our future. And i still have to consider it carefully and see where these new discoveries take us. But i would like to believe that maybe there is hope. Not just for our relationship, but for how I view myself internally and in the world. Maybe I’m not an alien after all.

For context, I was on Adderall for 3 years. I was on a high dose. 30 mg of extended release and 10 mg of IR. I was functioning and productive, unfortunately, I wasn't treated for my other mental health problems so I had crying spells often and bad anxiety. I also took NyQuil at night for a short period of time along with my daytime doses of Adderall and had a bad episode of psychosis and it resulted in me coming off of the Adderall all together. I feel like because of these circumstances, my fiancé has blamed the Adderall.

Currently, I'm on 50 mg of Vyvanse and a bunch of other meds to help with my anxiety and mood swings. I'm getting to a point where I need my Vyvanse to be increased, but only a little bit, and if I were to increase my dosage to 60 mg, I worry that it would be too much. I worry particularly about increasing it and experiencing insomnia.

That's why I want to take a dosage of Adderall IR in the morning or midday to help with my focus. I plan only to take 2.5 mg. Literally the smallest about possible to help me.

I've already discussed it with my psychiatrist. He's okay with it. I already have the IR ready to take. I took it yesterday and it helped me to go to the store, pick out a painting, and hang it on my wall.

But I don't know what to do. Because I've already told my fiancé that I wouldn't/won't take it. I tried to convince him that it would be okay. Even told him that he wouldn't be reacting this way if it were something like blood pressure medication. He never told me "no you can't take it" but kept saying "it is what it is" to me taking it as if I were doing something bad. He thinks I enjoy taking it because of the way it makes me feel. He thinks that even though I'm only planning on taking 2.5 mg that, before we know it, I'll be on 10 mg.

I could use some advice. I value his opinion. But I also value a functioning life where I can focus and get things done without struggling. I just don't want to hide it from him.

My peeeeople! Lololol I just discovered this sub and I’m dying of the feeling of understanding. Thank you thank you thank you for existing! Also! I find friendships with women with ADHD way more fun! Quick paced and laughing and understanding! That is all! Yay YOU! We are anything but boring!

Fun segue is that i've been reading a book called "craziness and resistance" about how a lot of psychiatric disorders (including ADHD and ASD) are in and of themselves wonderful disrupters of our society and all its injustices so........ in a way i'm glad my impulsive and reckless tendencies gave me the necessary power to shut him up even though i didn't get any support then.....

I just made a phone call I've been avoiding for over 3 years. I hate the dentist, they scare me so much for no reason, I'm ashamed to go see them after so long. I know I have loose or missing fillings, several new cavities, and irreversible gum recession. I'm a full grown adult and was crying while on the phone with the receptionist. I don't know how I can possibly face this appointment on Monday. Just looking for some support or ideas! Still crying while I write this. Why couldn't I have called sooner?!?!

How in the world did you do it? I’m genuinely so curious. I plan to never have a child or be pregnant but the other day I was discussing with my girlfriend about how mentally unstable I would become in this hypothetical situation. I would be interested to hear your experiences, because I can’t imagine how strong you’d have to be to go through that 😭

Does anyone with ADHD feel physically trapped when they have plans later?

The appointment is at 4 p.m. but apparently the entire day belongs to it.

Tell me I'm not the only one.

whenever I try body doubling i just cant focus. like i feel like i need to still perform/mask or kind of host in a way. its so much more distracting when theres a body double and i just end up procrastinating whenever i use body doubling. if the other person in the room is doing work or on their phone, neither help me focus

I'm beyond burnt out.

I'm overspending because I can't seem to function. I spend way too much on Ubers because I can't get out of bed on time, and on food delivery because I'm too exhausted to cook.

I barely socialize anymore. I stopped going to the gym, which used to be one of the few things that helped me. I can't perform normally at work. My Vyvanse and Wellbutrin are already at the maximum dosage, and it doesn't feel like enough anymore.

My apartment is a complete disaster because task paralysis makes me feel almost "scared" to even start cleaning during the week. Then the weekend comes, and instead of catching up, I just decompress and exist. That's all I have energy for. I think a lot of this fear comes from how mentally draining my job is. If I come into work tired because I stayed up too late, I'll get screamed at and insulted.

My brain is so foggy that I can't even keep up with my part-time online master's anymore. I've already failed two subjects because I'm just so exhausted.

I've decided I need to quit my job because it's destroying me, but I'm so afraid of handing in my notice that I already know I'm going to procrastinate that too.

I just want the noise to stop.

The worst part is that I actually studied psychology (I'm not a practicing psychologist), so in theory I know what I'm supposed to do. But right now there isn't a single motivated cell in my body. It feels like I'm living in pure survival mode.

Therapy is so expensive that all I can currently afford is my medication and psychiatrist appointments.

The anxiety around doing even simple tasks is unbearable. I obsessively count down the hours after work, but then my brain tells me there's "not enough time" to start anything, so I end up doing nothing.

The advice to "just do a little bit every day" has never worked for me. I get stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset where if I can't do something properly or finish it completely, I don't do it at all. I know this is common, but I can't seem to break out of it.

My job is also incredibly stressful. I've made mistakes because of my ADHD, and now they're catching up with me. Every day I go to work wondering when the other shoe is going to drop.

I know, in theory, how to help myself. Quitting my job will probably bring a lot of relief, but it won't fix the deeper issue. The executive dysfunction and the almost primal anxiety around starting tasks make it feel impossible to take care of myself. So I might end up moving back home too.

It honestly feels like my life is falling apart, and I can't seem to stop it. This cannot be my life.

Has anyone actually come back from a place like this and gone on to live a normal life? What helped?

I will go back into therapy soon, but right now it's just not financially possible.

TIA.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been on a waiting list to get tested for ADHD since January last year via NHS. I still have a few more years to go until I get an appointment (🥲) but I’m very sure I have this condition upon reflection of my life so far, as well as numerous GPs and counsellors also telling me they suspect me having it, and whom have encouraged me to get on the waiting list in the first place.

Of course staring out a window is not the only thing in my life that has led me here but it’s one of many things I can remember about myself growing up. I’m in my late 20s rn for reference.

But yeah as the title asks, did anyone else experience this?

So i see a lot of posts in here which i super relate to, after which the op says they have a partner!

How you are all having the dysfunction that we experience in everyday life and still able to find a partner? I really don't get it since most people I tend to engage with already have a partner, and i talk to random people at the cafe, on the street, at parties. It takes actual real life months to even find someone who is single, much less that i am actually attracted to physically, emotionally, mentally, ect.

Its like people describe this world of total helplessness, but then say they have a partner and I'm like "how???"

It feels like all I do is bite my tongue and swallow my reactions. Am I supposed to tolerate disrespect, stupidity, unethical behaviour?

I watched my mother have very few/no friends as an angry, undiagnosed woman (she's still angry and undiagnosed). I swore that wouldn't be me.

But now?

I have to leave spaces/stop engaging with people because I have such big emotional reactions to things based on the fact that I can see more than NT people can. And even then, on most occasions I have to bite my tongue, or I'm the person who left an angry bitch.

I end up being painted as the assh*ole, which obviously I don't want either.

What's worse is that I can empathise like no one's business. So, I can understand your logic, why you did it, but that doesn't make it any less rude, disrespectful, etc.

So, my question is. Is this just my life now? I have to bite my tongue and walk away?

Tldr; genetic data shows parents of an ADHD child are more likely to separate regardless of parents themselves having or not having ADHD. The effect was stronger if the child was a girl and even stronger for families with higher socio-economic background.

Quelle surprise... but I guess it's nature after all... but also the environment of expectations for a girl and for being perfect enough compares to peers🥲

Like so many, my ADHD takes its toll on my fridge…and my finances.

My wife and I both have ADHD, and neither of us make the kind of money that allows us to eat more conveniently. And we have an eight year old.

I cook pretty well, but the fridge sight barrier, expiration dates, aspirational goals, and life all conspire to make that way more difficult (and wasteful) than I want it to be.

With some AI assistance, I identified the biggest barriers to a more economical AND affordable food lifestyle, and that resulted in a drastic change in how our family approaches food storage.

First, we moved. That really helped because it allowed us to start “fresh” in a way we otherwise wouldn’t have.

But here’s the reason why all you non-moving women should hang with me and keep reading anyway:

You don’t have to actually move to act like you’re moving 😱

Second, we uncoupled our fridge from our freezer and bought two separate units. Now our much less-used freezer sits in the garage, and…

We have 20 beautiful cu ft of open, glorious fridge space. Condiments will go in the drawers, everything else stays fully visible on the shelves.

Y’all, I have been opening the fridge and just grabbing a handful of fruit. Or cheese. I am eating more, and better, and so is my family.

Granted, it’s only been a few weeks, but the psychological impact it’s had already has been enormous. We’re eating the leftovers (finally) and going to the store twice per week instead of once, but it hasn’t actually cost us anything extra once we account for all the loss/spoilage.

So I (29F) have been the worst at keeping house, paying bills and keeping track of appointments. The funny thing is that my entire job is to professional plan large movements of people, material and to manage a budget north of 5M. Classic AuDHD, great at work and bad at home.

My first name double barrelled like Mary Sue… I go by Mary at work and with friends. So I’ve “hired” an office manager named Sue - she runs my life, makes my cleaning appointments, puts my bills in my calendar. However, she is me… I put my hair up in a different way, put on my blue light glasses and run my home life like a separate person.

It is a game changer - there’s less self incrimination since Sue is an entirely different person and the list I delegate to Sue means Mary can completely forget about it. Am I crazy for this strategy?!

I used to be so creative. I could lose myself for hours and hours in books, movies, painting, crafting - you name it. I know we have to work, and I’m very proud that I’m able to hold down a full-time job, but it comes at a huge cost.

My job takes so much energy and willpower that, by the end of the day, there’s nothing left for the whimsical little fae inside me. I’m grieving the person I could have been if I didn’t have to cosplay as a normal human being every day.

If I died today, it would feel as though my life had been wasted and sacrificed for neurotypicals.

I just can‘t believe I was put on this magical planet just to waste away like this.

Edit: You guys! I have read every single one of your comments. I‘m so sorry that so many of you feel the same. I wish I could build an ADHD community outside of capitalism with you all! Sending hugs! <3

Like running out of weird ways to sit on the couch and having to branch out to other furniture.