Life with ADHD
Life with ADHD
Part 1 Childhood with ADHD
ADHD has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It's not just about having trouble focusing it's about living with a mind that drifts, speeds up, slows down, and often doesn’t cooperate when I need it most.
School was especially tough. I tried really hard to focus. But no matter how much I wanted to stay on track, my mind would wander. I could hear the teachers talking, but it was like trying to hold onto fog nothing would stick.
as a kid, I was prescribed ADHD medication. It helped in some ways, but it came with a price. It turned me into someone I didn’t recognize quiet, distant, and honestly, kind of like a zombie. I’d stop eating for hours, lose my spark, and just feel off. Then, when the meds wore off, I’d swing the other way hyper, wired, and all over the place. Sitting still wasn’t happening not in class, not even at home.
There were also questions about whether some of that behavior came from the chemotherapy I went through when I was very young. Some of the patterns showed up a few years after treatment. We never got a clear answer, but the possibility still lingers.
Part 2 Adult Life with ADHD
Now, I may look calm on the outside, but inside, it’s a different story. That restlessness is always there, running in the background. Over time, I’ve had to learn how to work with it instead of fighting it.
Living with ADHD as an adult feels like carrying a loud engine in your head that never really shuts off. From the outside, I might seem calm but inside, it’s usually chaos. Thoughts race, I lose focus, and even small tasks can feel like climbing a hill with a backpack full of bricks.
The hardest part? Most people don’t see it. They think I’ve got it all together calm, focused, quiet but don’t realize how much mental rewiring I do just to get through a normal day. There’s always this effort to pull myself back into the moment, to finish what I start. And it’s exhausting. It can feel like I’m doing twice the work just to stay where others already are.
Over time, I’ve learned to recognize patterns the moments where I mentally check out, get overstimulated, or just drift off. In creative work, it sometimes works to my advantage. I can hyperfocus like crazy like the day I spent 10 hours straight building this site, completely locked in, no breaks. That’s one of the superpowers ADHD can give you when it’s working with you instead of against you.
But outside of creative flow, things can get tough. Memory glitches, attention jumps, and losing track of time I call them “malfunctions.” They don’t define me, but they’re real, and I’ve had to learn how to live with them.
I don’t take meds for now, so I’ve had to build my own systems. Visual notes, checklists, structure, movement, reflection and a ton of patience. Some days it works. Some days it doesn’t. But I show up anyway.
ADHD is still part of my daily life but it doesn’t control me. I’m learning how to live with it in a way that feels honest and sustainable. It’s not perfect, but it’s real.
Life with ADHD
Part 1 Growing Up with ADHD
ADHD has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It's not just about having trouble focusing it's about living with a mind that drifts, speeds up, slows down, and often doesn’t cooperate when I need it most.
School was especially tough. I tried really hard to focus, especially in high school. But no matter how much I wanted to stay on track, my mind would wander. I could hear the teachers talking, but it was like trying to hold onto fog nothing would stick.
When I was a kid, I was prescribed ADHD medication. It helped in some ways, but it came with a price. It turned me into someone I didn’t recognize quiet, distant, and honestly, kind of like a zombie. I’d stop eating for hours, lose my spark, and just feel off. Then, when the meds wore off, I’d swing the other way — hyper, wired, and all over the place. Sitting still wasn’t happening not in class, not even at home.
There were also questions about whether some of that behavior came from the chemotherapy I went through when I was very young. Some of the patterns showed up a few years after treatment. We never got a clear answer, but the possibility still lingers.
Part 2 ADHD in My Adult Life
Now, I may look calm on the outside, but inside, it’s a different story. That restlessness is always there, running in the background. Over time, I’ve had to learn how to work with it instead of fighting it.
Living with ADHD as an adult feels like carrying a loud engine in your head that never really shuts off. From the outside, I might seem calm but inside, it’s usually chaos. Thoughts race, I lose focus, and even small tasks can feel like climbing a hill with a backpack full of bricks.
The hardest part? Most people don’t see it. They think I’ve got it all together calm, focused, quiet but don’t realize how much mental rewiring I do just to get through a normal day. There’s always this effort to pull myself back into the moment, to finish what I start. And it’s exhausting. It can feel like I’m doing twice the work just to stay where others already are.
Over time, I’ve learned to recognize patterns the moments where I mentally check out, get overstimulated, or just drift off. In creative work, it sometimes works to my advantage. I can hyperfocus like crazy like the day I spent 10 hours straight building this site, completely locked in, no breaks. That’s one of the superpowers ADHD can give you when it’s working with you instead of against you.
But outside of creative flow, things can get tough. Memory glitches, attention jumps, and losing track of time I call them “malfunctions.” They don’t define me, but they’re real, and I’ve had to learn how to live with them.
I don’t take meds for now, so I’ve had to build my own systems. Visual notes, checklists, structure, movement, reflection and a ton of patience. Some days it works. Some days it doesn’t. But I show up anyway.
ADHD is still part of my daily life but it doesn’t control me. I’m learning how to live with it in a way that feels honest and sustainable. It’s not perfect, but it’s real.
More Info
More Info
More Info
Life with ADHD
Part 1 Growing Up with ADHD
ADHD has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It's not just about having trouble focusing it's about living with a mind that drifts, speeds up, slows down, and often doesn’t cooperate when I need it most.
School was especially tough. I tried really hard to focus, especially in high school. But no matter how much I wanted to stay on track, my mind would wander. I could hear the teachers talking, but it was like trying to hold onto fog nothing would stick.
When I was a kid, I was prescribed ADHD medication. It helped in some ways, but it came with a price. It turned me into someone I didn’t recognize quiet, distant, and honestly, kind of like a zombie. I’d stop eating for hours, lose my spark, and just feel off. Then, when the meds wore off, I’d swing the other way — hyper, wired, and all over the place. Sitting still wasn’t happening not in class, not even at home.
There were also questions about whether some of that behavior came from the chemotherapy I went through when I was very young. Some of the patterns showed up a few years after treatment. We never got a clear answer, but the possibility still lingers.
Part 2 ADHD in My Adult Life
Now, I may look calm on the outside, but inside, it’s a different story. That restlessness is always there, running in the background. Over time, I’ve had to learn how to work with it instead of fighting it.
Living with ADHD as an adult feels like carrying a loud engine in your head that never really shuts off. From the outside, I might seem calm but inside, it’s usually chaos. Thoughts race, I lose focus, and even small tasks can feel like climbing a hill with a backpack full of bricks.
The hardest part? Most people don’t see it. They think I’ve got it all together calm, focused, quiet but don’t realize how much mental rewiring I do just to get through a normal day. There’s always this effort to pull myself back into the moment, to finish what I start. And it’s exhausting. It can feel like I’m doing twice the work just to stay where others already are.
Over time, I’ve learned to recognize patterns the moments where I mentally check out, get overstimulated, or just drift off. In creative work, it sometimes works to my advantage. I can hyperfocus like crazy like the day I spent 10 hours straight building this site, completely locked in, no breaks. That’s one of the superpowers ADHD can give you when it’s working with you instead of against you.
But outside of creative flow, things can get tough. Memory glitches, attention jumps, and losing track of time I call them “malfunctions.” They don’t define me, but they’re real, and I’ve had to learn how to live with them.
I don’t take meds for now, so I’ve had to build my own systems. Visual notes, checklists, structure, movement, reflection and a ton of patience. Some days it works. Some days it doesn’t. But I show up anyway.
ADHD is still part of my daily life but it doesn’t control me. I’m learning how to live with it in a way that feels honest and sustainable. It’s not perfect, but it’s real.