This month, I wanted to share some experiences about conferences!  I love conferences and look forward to the opportunities to travel around the country to enjoy some time with other ADHD coaches and entrepreneurs, increase awareness of ADHD challenges, and finally meet some of my long distance clients face-to-face. It’s sort of like the social season of 19th century London, when the movers and shakers gather together in the city for debutante balls, elaborate dinners and spectacular galas. They can be both exhilarating and exhausting.

Back in 2007, I had a memorable interaction with a doctor.  He was taking my medical history and inquired as to why I was taking Concerta.  I replied that I had Adult ADHD.  Astoundingly, he told me that I shouldn't have that anymore, because that's only for children.  Also, he was curious about why a woman would have it to begin with.  Ah, such is our struggle in this world.

As someone nearing 30 years old, my book library consists almost entirely of young adult (YA) novels. I love The Hunger Games, the Ender's Game series, and I even read part of the Twilight saga. It seems to be quite in line with popular culture to be reading YA books right now. With the stories of so many young adults running around in my head (and maybe in yours, too), you'd think there'd be some ADHD kiddos floating around. There wasn't until I picked up Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief in audiobook.

Memory problems are not owned by those of us who live with Adult ADHD, but our disorder can certainly exacerbate things.  For me, to be frank, my ears don't always work too good!  That's why I write, write, write. Taking notes is one of my number one coping mechanisms to accommodate for my lack of auditory endurance - aka I drift off when people are talking and taking notes provides both a way to stay on task and a way to review later what the heck my teachers, friends etc were talking about.

Once upon a time, in a land called Bryn Mawr, PA, I was afraid to stand up for my adult ADHD needs.  I was first diagnosed my sophomore year and started to receive testing accommodations for my fall semester finals.  It was so difficult to accept my adult ADHD diagnosis and even more difficult that I needed something extra to perform at the same level as everyone else.  It made me feel less than.

It’s that time of the year again…the 90 plus days that are the bane of existence for most adults with ADHD. Yes, I’m talking about tax season - when all of our best intentions from the year before can either feel like our saving grace or plunge us into weeks of despair. For whatever reason, taxes seem to combine all of the struggles of ADHD into one fell swoop. Last year, I shared the common experience of  “a week with adult ADHD” to show how even the best of intentions can lead to chaos, putting out fires, procrastination and barely making deadlines. This year, in the midst of tax season, my thoughts turn to the ADHD challenges that make meeting deadlines so difficult to meet.

I've been feeling unmotivated as of late and I think it's time to sit down and talk about some folks who have both ADHD and a whole lot of success.  I'm talking about famous people with ADHD!  They're out there and it feels warm and squishy inside to know that since their dreams are reality, mine are totally possible.

ADHD doesn't own its signs and symptoms.  There is a lot of overlap with other mental health disorders and it's important to tease out whether your X symptoms implies a Y diagnosis, not a Z. Though I've been clinically diagnosed twice with ADHD and have several of the impulsive/hyperactive as well as inattentive symptoms of the disorder, my new (as of Friday) psychiatrist wants to make sure my ADHD diagnosis is correct. It doesn't feel like he's being skeptical and he wasn't rude in the way other doctors have been.  I once had my gynecologist ask why I took Concerta and then tell me I shouldn't be taking it because I'm a woman in my twenties! I think my new doctor wants to do right by me and offer me the best care possible.

Adult ADHD relationships can be troubling at times, especially if you and your partner don’t take ADHD symptoms into account. For instance, in my adult ADHD relationship, we have to plan for change. Change can be difficult for some adults with ADHD. I'm not a spontaneous person and changes to plans really ruffle my feathers.

Apparently, getting a correct adult ADHD diagnosis the first time you see the doctor isn't so easy. It's not unusual for someone with adult ADHD to be misdiagnosed once, twice, even more times than that before getting a correct diagnosis. How many therapists does it take to turn on a light bulb? I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy student and, in December, I completed my second semester of coursework focusing on basic science and interviewing patients.  Several things struck me during this past semester and one really had me thinking about my own journey with doctors of psychology.