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9 Mar, 4 tweets, 1 min read
Let me get this straight, almost every adult around here realized they had ADHD on their own, did research for months, panicked, seeked a professional that wouldn't ignore them, and finally got an official diagnosis, and ppl still saying self diagnosis isn't valid? Sure hun
We would have never been diagnosed if we hadn't worked for it. I researched for TWO FUCKING YEARS before I found a place that wouldn't tell me off because I went to college. Many of us got officially diagnosed because we self diagnosed first. The system is fucking broken.
They only diagnose you if you bug your teachers and parents, and only if you're white and a guy. If you don't fit that stereotype and got diagnosed congrats, you found a unicorn. But that's not the norm, that's the exception.
Don't tell me self diagnosis isn't valid when the system is designed to fail us. They only diagnose with ADHD those who are labeled "difficult" and they don't even support them properly. Those who are missed in childhood don't have it any better. It's a lose or lose situation.

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More from @ADHDelaide

Adelaide Profile picture
6 Dec 20
When you have ADHD, there's this "We can do anything we set our minds to!" mentality going around. And I just realized that it rubs me the wrong way because... well, comes with an invisible addendum: "but you have to finish it or you're a failure". And that's the problem. 1/n
We might be capable of doing anything, but our energy is limited and unpredictable. Losing interest in projects for us is a big deal, because often that's the only thing that keeps us going. Doing things without interest is almost impossible for people with ADHD. 2/n
It doesn't mean we can't complete long term projects (like PhDs), but it requires a lot of effort and external structure. Strategies to keep it fresh, make it shiny and exciting again. It's a lot of work! And we also have trouble realizing this and anticipating it. 3/n
Read 7 tweets
Adelaide Profile picture
7 Oct 20
In case you're wondering what I mean with "my coping mechanisms have coping mechanisms", buckle up for this thread on how I try to avoid ADHD getting the best of me on a daily basis 🧵🐑

Disclaimer this might not be helpful at all just how I roll.
What drains me the most with ADHD is impatience. It triggers my impulsivity, which can turn into irritability and recklessness. It's not pleasant and it often makes me feel bad and drained afterwards, so trying to avoid that has become the focus of many of my coping mechanisms.
First I had to identify what made me impatient.

First thing in the list was driving. I get impatient when someone is driving slowly, which can pottentially lead me to do reckless stuff to pass them. Knowing this doesn't help avoiding it either.
Read 11 tweets
Adelaide Profile picture
5 Oct 20
When interacting with an ADHDer about a task, it's important to realize what you're conveying with your words. If you're too stern and guilt trip, you'll achieve your goal but cause a lot of stress and guilt on the long run. If you make it look optional, it will never get done.
Since our internal motivation is affected by ADHD, we often need external pressure and deadlines to work more efficiently. But understanding that this isn't us being childish or irresponsible is important. We are the first ones who get frustrated at not being able to do things.
We've been scolded our whole lives for it. Feeling guilty is a form of external pressure, and you might get an ADHDer to do stuff by guilt tripping them. But it's also very unhealthy. It will likely cause low self esteem, anxiety, stress, and it's detrimental on the long run.
Read 7 tweets
Adelaide Profile picture
13 Aug 20
Little is talked about how RSD affects all aspects of our lives. If kept in time, it can evolve into constant distress, inability to enjoy joyful activities, and worsening executive functioning issues, like drifting off mid sentence more often, inability to finish thoughts...
Eventually you can be even more rejection sensitive, stuff that didn't cause rejection before will, and it will all pile up until you don't know what not being in distress feels like. Living in the now when you're in this state is not fun, because you don't see yourself out of it
Every passing day gets harder, the need to escape all that becomes even stronger, any stimuli might cause a meltdown, even causing extreme avoidance from anything that might cause potential rejection, turning into social isolation, leaving jobs...
Read 11 tweets
Adelaide Profile picture
2 Aug 20
Having "good grades" and "making it to college" doesn't exclude ADHD, it's a straight ticket to an adult diagnosis after a lifetime of struggle and emotional distress.
Some doctors only consider grades before excluding ADHD; if they're good you're out. I can't even beging to express how wrong that is.

Many people run on anxiety and a good memory and do okay in school, specially if they're gifted. They still struggle, but it's invisible.
We've all heard that "ADHD wears off in adulthood". While it might happen to some it often happens the other way around, specially for those undiagnosed.

Coping mecanisms will lessen with time, and exigency will increase. This causes increasing distress.
Read 10 tweets
Adelaide Profile picture
19 Jul 20
Thread on neurodiversity and succeptibility to gaslighting.

There's many factors at play. First, a history of being called "exaggerated", "overreacting" and "too much" due to intense emotional responses, leading to insecurity, low self esteem, self blame and self doubt. 1/n
Cognitive processing issues that lead to difficulty to conjure key ideas in spontaneous arguments, what might feel in the moment like the other party is right and you're in the wrong. You might realize this isn't true afterwards, but rarely in the moment. 2/n
Memory issues, which will increase self doubt on past events and succeptibility to believe the other party's version. Rejection sensitivity that will trigger an emotional response during an argument, leading to more difficulty to deliver structured rational responses 3/n
Read 6 tweets

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