Everything I am referencing in this post comes from an Instagram post that was originally made by https://www.instagram.com/authenticallyadhd/. The post I’m referencing is an infographic. I’m inserting it below. I, in no way, had anything to do with the creation of this infographic or post. @AuthenticallyADHD on Instagram is the original source.
I came across this infographic on Pinterest one night, and it really resonated with me. I really relate to this in my soul. This is literally the constant every day struggle I live with. Personally, I live in world #2 more often than I do world #1. I am forever struggling with knowing what to do, how to go about things. I never know how to start things. It’s a serious issue that I didn’t even realize was happening. My poor husband knew, but he didn’t know why I was doing this. It really sucks to be trapped in your own mind and anxiety and being “stalled” and literally unable to begin things. I struggle with feeling overwhelmed all the time. I think I’m sensitive to external stimulation, I assume more than most. This makes it hard for my brain to decide which things to acknowledge and which things to ignore. It also makes it hard for me to decide what action needs to be taken in a situation. And personally, I just avoid things when I have trouble making decisions. I avoid things that give me anxiety, and apparently making decisions gives me anxiety. I now call myself a chronic avoider, because of this.
On the flipside I do occasionally “visit” world #1. The way I relate to world #1 is, I love learning all sorts of things. When I get interested in a topic, I dive off the deep end. I read anything I can on whatever I’m obsessed with in the moment. Once I get into learning something, I can sit at read and research and google for hours and hours. I am also bad about talking myself into starting new things, even without thinking things all the way through. I get hooked on a new subject, and decide to fully dive in. I will convince myself that I’m going to make a business and be a millionaire over night. I am also notorious for getting tired of things quickly. And I give up on my millionaire schemes quickly. And I’m usually already into something else and learning that thing. I also have random days that I call my “manic” days. I’m not sure I am using that term correctly but that’s just what I call it. These “manic” days are few and far between with me, but I really think that’s because I also have fibromyalgia and suffer from chronic fatigue most of the time. On these days I feel like I’m taken over by some random energy, and I can’t control myself, I just have to keep doing things. I can do a million things or more on those days. The problem with that is that I also usually “live” in ADHD world #2. I may do a million things, but I don’t always do a million logical things. I am bad about starting “projects” on these days and then getting distracted during the process and leaving everything right where it is, and then move on to something else. I can unknowingly do this multiple times during one of those days. It is a real bummer when I realize that I do this. I regret making a ton of tiny messes. I also am bad about getting anxiety about having to clean up my messes, which makes me want to avoid cleaning up after myself. Ya’ll! It is a struggle!
After coming across this amazing infographic, I felt so relieved to see that it isn’t just me! It made me realize that this is a common problem with other ADHDers. (Is that a term? ADHDers?) Not getting diagnosed until I was 32, makes is a solo journey into learning about what’s going on in my brain. It’s really been an enlightening journey, finding out what is happening in my mind and why I do things the way that I do them. I wish I had been diagnosed much earlier and that I had been taught more about what ADHD actually is and how it affects you.
Do you have ADHD? Is this how you see your life sometimes? Please let me know in the comments or email me at thriftlyfindsco@gmail.com and let me know what your experiences are!
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