"ADHD Impulsivity Does Not Define Who I Am"

The intricacies of ADHD are often misunderstood or unrecognized by neurotypical individuals. Living with ADHD entails a multifaceted, overwhelming experience that is hard to articulate. Add this to a widespread misconception that "Everyone's a bit ADHD!" and you get a typical response from non-ADHD individuals who think they comprehend it, when in reality, they possess only a skewed or faint knowledge of the condition.

In reality, ADHD can be profoundly incapacitating. As an illustration, this article which was initially supposed to be a 10-minute edit has taken me the entire day to write.

Despite the challenges, there are times when my life is disrupted by the uncontrollable impulses characteristic of ADHD. Even when I strive to control these impulses, I still grapple with the aftermath. It's important to bear in mind that these errors and lapses do not define me or my abilities.

First impressions often lead neurotypical individuals to focus on our shortcomings and occasionally, our unexpected accomplishments. What remains unnoticed are the potential mistakes we prevent ourselves from making. Even though our progress with ADHD management remains unseen, it doesn't make it any less vital. Even seemingly small improvements are worthy of acknowledgement.

One common occurrence for me is the tendency to say the wrong things when I'm anxious. In such situations, I have learned to regroup, make eye contact, and sincerely apologize. While this might seem trivial to others, it is evidence of personal progress for me.

Spontaneous blunders, initial impressions, or opinions from strangers do not define me. Over time, I learned to distinguish between serious mistakes significantly affecting my life and common human errors or behaviors that momentarily annoyed someone.

If you reflect on past conflicts, is there a relevancy to the opinions that you lost sleep over? Could you recall what was said? Was it of importance to them or you? Often, these minor awkward moments might have been the most amusing part of someone's day.

As individuals with ADHD, we tend to anticipate the worst due to a lifetime of criticism which amplified our Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD) and heightened our sensitivity. Instead, if you have ADHD, I recommend that you embrace, and find enjoyment in the unique moments that ADHD brings. Everyone stumbles and makes social faux pas from time to time and it's acceptable to feel silly or nervous. In fact, these moments often lighten up a tense atmosphere adding a dose of joy and humanity. That is a quiet victory in itself.

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