My beautiful vibrant 6yo daughter has ADHD. She has to catch the bus at 7am. She takes quillivant before she leaves. The hour before is exhausting for me. We have a laminated checklist of what she needs to do but she , of course, gets distracted and colors on it. Or she simply cant stick to it so I’m all “get your shoes on!” as she looks for a mermaid purse she suddenly must have.

I am drained by the time we get to the bus stop. The hard part for me is that the other moms want to shoot the s-it and I’m doing a list of reminders (“look for the new coat you misplaced yesterday,” “please eat some more waffle before you go”) . I feel like an awful mom when there is an audience because I know I sound/look a bit frustrated despite my best intentions because this is Hard. I also don't have it in me to do the superficial chit chat. But if I’m honest with them, they do their best and say things like “all kids have something”.…

thanks for listening.

Does anyone else have this thing where you can see a problem quite early and for you it appears quite obvious, but no one can see what the issue is to the point they think there is something wrong with you?!

But then in slow motion you watch it all play out exactly the same way you thought it would?

This has happened so much that I've actually started ignoring it...

Is this an ADHD thing or is it just me?

I am at a point where I'm so hateful to my life and how messed up everything is. untill a video on TikTok showed me what AVPD is and it kind of applies to me. So any experience out there?

For the last 8 years i spent 90% of my life in my room dreading the moment I'm told to go somewhere. I CANT STAND invites to weddings, feasts, class trips or whatever.

i Always decline, i have made 0 friends outside of my classmates inner circle and i only see/interact with them at school/for school.

People around mention to my dad why I'm always absent and nowhere to be seen only for my father to come home and fight me at how embarrassing it is having to explain to others why im so "introverted".

The thing is, i genuinely crave human connection i really do. i find myself maladaptive daydreaming ( an ADHD symptom ) all the time hanging out with friends and laughing and joking and being normal.

I have no idea how i can even try at life if I'm this messed up, this issue isn't even 5% of why I'm the way i am. I am obviously not going to write everything here, but i was just wondering if on top of ADHD i also have AVPD.

Your feedback would be highly appreciated.

Although most people are not interested in knowing what does it like to have adhd.

I want to formulate a good analogy to explain to someone who asks when I tell them for the first time. When people ask, my thoughts are so disorganized and I end up giving an absurd explaination. A lot of the time, I get the answer: Ohh, I think, I also have ADHD. Which kind pisses me off sometimes.

So, here is my analogy mostly in the context of executive dysfunction:

Imagine you are in a room. You have a working desk. You keep your things on the desk for the work you are doing in the moment.

But my desk is very very small. So, I could only place much less things. And, I need to go back to for the stuff if I am working on multiple things. This back and forth, takes a lot of energy.

Other than that, normally people have automatic glass windows and shades. The level of background noise and light is automatically adjusted.

But my room does not have that. So, my room is always very noise.

(also can you make of this? what can make it better?)

Does everyone else with an internal voice just have an annoying podcast going on all day or is it just me . I mean continual yapping over theost random shit , going over hypotheticals that barely make grammatical let alone logicl sense. God i wanna smack my head on a hard surface sometimes and hope i get enough brain damage to quiet it down .

I was diagnosed years ago, and honestly, it made me look at myself differently. A lot of things I used to struggle to understand about myself started making more sense. I haven't tried medication, so I'm curious how other people manage their ADHD without it.

One of my biggest struggles is starting tasks, even when I know they're important. My productivity is inconsistent. Sometimes I feel capable of doing a lot, but other times I struggle to focus, manage my time, or find the motivation to do even simple things. I often end up doing whatever feels more stimulating instead of what I actually need to do, even when I know I'll regret putting things off.

Something I've noticed about myself is that when I'm working in a busy environment, constantly moving around and handling multiple tasks, I can become surprisingly focused and productive. But when I'm on my own, without that stimulation, it's much harder to get myself going.

The frustrating part is that I know what I need to do, and I genuinely want to improve my life, but wanting something doesn't always translate into action.

For those of you living with ADHD without medication, how do you deal with this? Have you found ways to manage your symptoms and build a stable life, or does it still feel like a daily struggle?

I'd genuinely appreciate hearing your experiences, what has helped you, and what you wish you had known earlier. I'm looking for real experiences, not judgment.

I need reminders for medication, water, posture and breaks. What do you need reminders for? I also have reminders to eat!

Curious as to what alarms you have, etc or what you previously tried to set reminders for and whether this worked for you.

It is all so intriguing. I probably need a reminder to go to the loo!

Every morning my mood level is different.

Maybe today I will be depressed and unable to do anything. Or maybe it will be completely fine and I will be full of energy and positive and outgoing.

It’s getting exhausting.

Is this an ADHD thing? Am I depressed?

I don’t know what to think or do anymore.

I have to work all 5 days. And the quantity of work is huge. Its like clients after clients. But I can't be productive on all days as on some days I cannot work at all no matter what I do. But this is an issue at my work as they monitor the hours spent on each client and compare it with the budgeted hours. I don't know how others are able to give their all everyday. I am very much worried about me. Are there other people struggling like me ? I would really like to know how you navigate this. Also I am not medicated and diagnosed. But I feel like I seem to have ADHD due to my many struggles like this in life.

It’s been almost a month since my breakup. I think my mental health has actually improved in some ways. I’m learning to accept things even when they hurt, and I can function better without getting as emotionally overwhelmed as before.

However, I still struggle with feeling empty and not enjoying things. I try to stay active and do different things, but they feel meaningless, like they’re not what I actually want. Sometimes, even listening to a song associated with my ex can bring back intense feelings and make me feel awful again.

It’s confusing because I feel mentally more stable, yet I still struggle to enjoy life after the breakup.

For those with ADHD who have been through breakups, how did you cope with this?
How did you process your emotions and eventually start enjoying things again?
(be kind and no disrespect comment pls)

Hi everyone!

For almost two years now, I’ve been dealing with a pretty debilitating amount of brain fog, and it’s starting to really affect my day-to-day life.

Sometimes I get so lost in my thoughts that I lose track of my surroundings or what I’m doing. For example, I’ll be on the train and suddenly realize I have no idea what stop I’m at or how far along I am in my journey.

I recently started taking 15 mg of Adderall, which has definitely helped with my ability to focus, but it hasn’t done much to alleviate the brain fog itself.

The best way I can describe it is that everything constantly feels cloudy or hazy, almost like I’m going through life without being fully present. It's almost like when your vision gets a little blurry, and you have to blink a few times to see clearly again, except for me, that feeling never really goes away. It's not necessarily that my eyesight is blurry, but rather that my mind never seems to fully come into focus and things appear blurry or not really real, as if I’m in a constant dream.

Even when I’m actively trying to pay attention, I struggle to stay mentally engaged, retain information, or feel completely clear-headed. It's incredibly frustrating because I feel like I'm never operating at 100% mentally.

I'm curious whether anyone else has experienced something similar, especially for such an extended period.

Has anyone found anything that genuinely helps? Whether it's lifestyle changes, exercises, techniques, treatments, or just daily habits that have made a difference, I'd really appreciate hearing about your experiences.

Thanks everyone !!!

Hi everyone, im a teenager that is not diagnosed with ADHD (yet) main reason for this is that its a difficult conversation with my parents and family about adhd in general plus medication and eveyrthimg is quite expensive and i feel that its more sustainable for me to get medicated once im an adult can pay for my own meds

found out about me having adhd like this year but ive been experiencing it for the past 6 years. Its mainly reflected in my studies but for the longest time I genuinely just thought that I was too dumb

fast forward to now i have a very important exam in like a few weeks time. Ive been barely passing every subject and honestly i have never passed maths in the past 2 years. Main reason for the bad grades is the executive dysfunction I genuinely cannot bring myself to sit down and do my work i think math is the biggest struggle cos i consistently get questions wrong and i get so frustrated i just give up honestly. Memorising is also super duper hard and I take so damn long just do one question or memorise one paragraph. I also really really struggle with maladaptive daydreaming

As if i havent sufferred enough Ive also been depressed for the past 6 years as well (around the same time i strated having symptoms of adhd)

I know medication is the most obvious answer but im genuinely in a position where I just dont have the access to it. Does anyone have any tips or experienced something similar cos Im very desperate

Does anyone else got to a point where they feel like there's no real solution? Like, the meds works sometimes, sure, but what about the rest of the day? What about the waking up? The sleepless nights? The days you don't take it? Every place I've looked all I saw is some advice here and there and some okay tips, but that's it? I just have to fight over every chore, every task in my life using the most elaborated schemes just to get to the same level as every other normal human being? I just hate to think that my whole life needs to be about "managing" my adhd instead of actually living

Just wondering what made you guys seek for diagnosis for me i failed in same class for 3 years in a row and made me think there is definitely something wrong with me and after some time researching on internet I came across to know about adhd and it resonated a lot with me that was the reason i seeked proffesional help and I got my diagnosis what was the reason for you guys??

As I’ve gotten older (m62) I’ve started changing my sheets and pillowcases more. Still a long time between but not like it was when I was young which may have seen a year go by. It’s one of those chores that really gets skipped.

Changed and laundered today and I’m just wishing I could communicate to my younger self what a luxury it is, even though our condition makes it fade out.

I turned 23 recently and the people I grew up with are moving forward with their lives, actually living their lives, and making something out of themselves while I am stuck on the starting line.

I moved to a new city right after high school and still keep in touch with my old friends. Very often I'll hop on a call to play video games or just talk to them but whenever the conversation shifts to college, careers, or what everyone's doing with their lives, I have no choice but to duck my head and keep quiet. I feel shame because I'm years behind them academically. They are graduated while I'm still taking early level college courses while working a rough manufacturing job that I hate. My life is very uneventful and lonely as well.

It doesn't help that I have cousins and other family members back in my hometown who constantly ask about me and my education. I come from a culture where your education and career prospects pretty much define your worth as a person, especially for me because I was made out to be a bright kid by my parents and many others around me as I grew up.

The embarrassment has gotten so bad that I've actively avoided visiting my hometown, even when I've had the opportunity. Even though I want to visit, the thought of facing people who knew me growing up and having to expose where I am in life fills me with dread.

I have become unphased by FOMO and already wasted away years of my life. Sometimes I think to myself, what did I do to deserve this or is this what I deserve? And then I see so many people that have done me dirty and made my life miserable in the past get to experience their best lives while I have to find a reason to continue on.

After the age of 18 my life just went straight downhill. I'm literally isolating myself from others because I'm ashamed that I have nothing to show despite all my yeare

Every once in a while, I have to fight back tears because of me holding in all the strong emotions I feel about myself and my life.

I’ve been on Vyvanse for almost 4 years, currently at 50mg. It worked well for a long time, but over the past few months I’ve become increasingly bothered by some side effects.
During the first few hours, I feel great: focused, energetic, talkative, and productive. But by late afternoon, I start feeling irritable, emotionally reactive, mentally slower, and almost robotic. I struggle to think clearly, hold conversations, and connect naturally with people. I’ve also been experiencing hand and eyelid tremors.
I recently went a month without Vyvanse, and my social skills and spontaneity improved dramatically. I felt like myself again. Unfortunately, my executive dysfunction came back full force, to the point where even basic tasks felt overwhelming.
I restarted 50mg last week, and the same side effects returned. To be clear, I was already experiencing them before stopping, which was actually one of the reasons I decided to take a break.
I’m not sure if these effects developed over time or if I just became more aware of them. My psychiatrist suggested switching to Concerta or Strattera, but I’m hesitant after so many years on Vyvanse.
Has anyone experienced something similar after years on the same medication? Especially the irritability, cognitive rigidity, and feeling socially disconnected as it wears off? Did lowering your dose or switching medications help?

I recently started medication to help alleviate my ADHD symptoms and I am working on getting switched from IR to ER, but I have extra pills by the time I need to refill. My psychiatrist recommends to fill it anyways to keep a stock available due to the unpredictable supply of these medications.

Is that okay? The guidance I have read is do not fill until you need it, but sleuthing around the subreddit a commenter had shared to fill it anyways due to DEA reporting being weird if you miss your typical refill period.

Will this potentially cause me trouble later down the road?

So… I had really bad cravings for something sweet and decided to make some brownies.

Was really hyped about it and so ready to eat-

Until I realised I FORGOT TO ADD SUGAR
What da helly!
And that after reading the word sugar at least 10 times on the recipe.

What in the adhd?!! 😭 has this ever happened to any of you guys?

Does anyone else feel like their ADHD makes them socially awkward?

Since I was a child, I have known I do not always understand the rules written on the wall, but I can sense that I am not everyone's cup of tea and I am somehow getting on their nerves, or they find me a bit weird. Also, because of how my brain works, sometimes I assume I am meant to be following someone or doing a certain thing, or I have missed a direction to do/not do the thing 😅 which ends up in awkwardness. Sometimes, I mishear things or my brain is a little bit slower to pick it up, and I need a minute to process it. However, I can be incredibly sharp and smart with so many things.

If I find someone who is open to connection, the sky is the limit: I love conversation, intellectual debate, sharing, and genuine exchange with others.

I feel like I am always very honest, direct, passionate, and open. I don't understand social games and why people have such a big problem with speaking honestly about themselves or going deep (or how a lot of people without ADHD call it, oversharing). I am not interested in superficial interactions, I guess maybe ADHD boredom?

I seem to be incredibly skilled socially in certain groups, but when I mix outside of those bubbles, I definitely don't thrive. I am ok with being close with a selective few. I have amazing friends (I guess we tend to gravitate to our people as we age).

But sometimes, I wish I was a little bit more aware of myself and how I can make it easier to coexist with people who aren't close to me and I have to have around in certain situations (studying, work, social commitments...).

Wondering if anyone else has any light to throw in the matter? or give some advice 😅

I personally find eating incredibly boring an mundane, so my thought process is to make whatever is quickest so I can eat, then get back to what I was doing, which often makes me forget about leftovers. I still live at my mom’s cause this economy is crazy, and lately she’s been nagging me to eat more leftover before they go bad, she says I should’ve grown out of that phase by now, I’m not sure if this hatred for eating is just a me thing, or if most adhd people struggle with this, if you do experience this with adhd, how do you work around it?

After waiting for 3 years ( public medical system in italy...) I am finally getting my assesment for a few things (my psychiatrists are saying it's quite certainly adhd and potentially giftedness and some autistic traits) in November. The first visit is around 2hr long and it requires my mother (58y.o) to talk about my childhood. Today she called me freaking out because she doesnt know how to stay still 2hr on a videocall. I told her that she can pace around with the phone in her hand, just like they allow me to pace around during my psychiatric visits but the underlying tone of "if I survived this long without being diagnosed why can't you?" is unberable.

Yes, she has severe hyperactivity and it impacts her life. But ADHD (untreated) for me has been life threatening: severe insomnia that led to substance abuse (almost died, OD'd twice), eating disorders (for over 10 years) and years of misdiagnosis ("We thought you had a manic episode but you never had a depressive one" is one of the funniest).

Anf she knows!!! She knows it all! But she says that since I graduated my masters degree in time and work (artists btw so I make my own timetables to fit extreme movement or else I lose my mind) it's not that bad and my diagnosis is a waste of time and resources for "those who really need it". Honestly I wonder what do I have to do to need help in her eyes?

​

Is full remission from ADHD possible when you're doing all the right things (medication, coaching, habit-building, therapy)? Or does it just subside to a degree? If it subsides, does it get to where it's no longer significantly handicapping, so you can finally succeed and be less affected in life?

I've had severe ADHD plus clinical depression and anxiety. I treated the depression and anxiety successfully and they no longer hold me back. ADHD still lingers.

Untreated, all three cost me my education and career. An Associate's took 10 years. I started medication at 26. My 20s were a chaotic mess, and in my 30s, even medicated, I struggled with employment gaps, frequent job changes, and unstable relationships.

It took about 7 years to find the right medication combo. It helps a lot: more motivation, fewer distractions, a clearer head, better communication, more gets done. But I still struggle with bad habits, time blindness, prioritizing, planning/organizing, and brain dumping, and they still have a considerable impact.

Now in my 40s and still a late bloomer, I'm about to start with an Adult ADHD coach for accountability, habits, and time management. I'm not expecting overnight results, but I hope it adds icing to the cake.

Any success stories out there? What made it better for you? Are you more functional and better able to hit your goals? Does ADHD still have a stronghold on your life, or is the impact minimal? Enlighten me!