Top Blogs of 2023: Inspiring ADHD and Neurodivergence Narratives on ADDitude

This text is authored by Elizabeth Broadbent

The AI chatbot Woebot is built on the assumption of neurotypicality. It's developed to believe that every brain can be conditioned to deal with negative emotions through one standardised therapeutic model. This doesn't necessarily fit well with the ADHD brain, which processes information and emotions in distinct ways. Read more 'I Decided to Dismiss My Therapist. This Therapist Was an AI Chatbot.'

It's crucial to remember that you are performing optimally under your specific circumstances every day. As you engage in a calming activity, you can tell yourself, “Although I feel overwhelmed, drained, and on the verge of burnout, I'm going to cultivate self-love. I choose to evoke feelings of calm. I embrace myself as I am." Read More on Rising from the Burnout: A Restoration Toolkit for Women with ADHD

Perhaps you're pondering why someone would repeatedly watch the same three TV shows - Friends, Charmed, and Grey's Anatomy. The reasoning isn’t always clear, even to me. But my affinity largely arises from my ADHD.' Read more - 'I’ve Spent 2 Decades Rewatching the Same Trio of TV Shows.'

In our continuous battle to promote much-needed ADHD awareness, it’s of utmost importance to avoid glorifying it. Simplified phrases contribute minimally in assisting individuals with ADHD, particularly when they're labelled as unproductive at work or disruptive in class. Rather than resorting to euphemisms, we should aim to communicate clearly."

To imitate trouble concentrating, I encourage educators to read a short text on a screen while attempting to remember core aspects (like names, dates, and places) without note-taking and amid disruptive noises. As the text flickers on and off the screen, it's occasionally replaced by thought bubbles posing unrelated questions like, 'Will it rain later?' abruptly replaced with questions about the text. The teachers have a few minutes to answer those questions.' Read more - 'The Simulated Activities That Enhance Educators’ Perception of Neurodivergent Pupils' Being in a predominantly white school offering a thorough French immersion in a primarily white city in Canada, I was already unique. My as-yet-undiagnosed ADHD only accentuated this.'

Read more “Facing Dual Discrimination: Living as a Racially Diverse Person with Undiagnosed ADHD”

'As a mom and trauma-informed therapist with a clinical degree, I reflected on the difficulty and duration of my daughter's ADHD diagnosis journey. The answers became apparent as I delved into ADHD research.' Read more - “What My Daughter’s Journey Taught Me (a Therapist) About ADHD”

The term ‘doom pile’ stands for 'Didn't Organise, Only Moved’ – an experience many people with ADHD can relate to when attempting to organise their spaces, physical or virtual. Instead of things being sorted and put where they belong, they end up in a pile with other miscellaneous, unorganised items that are intended to be ordered later – often, never." Read more “My Doom Piles Were Indicative of Undiagnosed ADHD”

'Getting diagnosed has been most transformative in offering us a perspective to comprehend each other’s peculiarities and understand that some behaviours might be related to ADHD. For my daughter, it manifests as negative thoughts. For me, it is irritation. And for my mom, it is the need to express or act on her thoughts immediately for fear of forgetting.' Read more - “My ADHD Family Tree: Revealing Three Generations of Neurodivergence”

'As a student with ADHD coupled with dyslexia, transitioning phases like shifting to a school for those with learning differences in second grade, attending a ‘regular’ high school, and then proceeding to college have been filled with struggles and self-doubt. These phases are difficult for everyone, but the learning curve can be overly steep and intimidating for people with learning differences and ADHD. Despite my apprehensions, I thoroughly enjoyed my first semester of college.' Read more - “Yes, College is Indeed Where You Belong”

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