Adult ADHD

Struggling with adulthood, ADHD style 

[adultadhd]

New comic!!

>> I post more on Instagram these days <<

I also have a Ko-Fi if you like my work <3 

[stark-tony]

me, as a child lining up stuff in rows: now this is how you have fun

[adultadhd]

I’ve had a whole big strugg with seasonal affective disorder this winter!!!! I feel like my creativity just waxes and wanes with the seasonst. trying to relax, soak up new inspiration and catch up with myself a little atm. I do totally feed on attention from art posts and likes on stuff in general - do you guys find that? It’s a lil dopamine hit every time. 

[adultadhd]

hmm 

[adultadhd]

I wouldnt risk it tbh!!!!!!!!!!! I like to pour cups of cheap green tea in the bath for the ambience

[adultadhd]

hmm 

[1dietcokeinacan]

“3 Defining Features of ADHD That Everyone Overlooks”

[opinatus-papaver]

FINALLY, SOME GOOD QUALITY EXPLANATION OF WHY “I DONT LOOK LIKE I HAVE ADHD” BECAUSE ITS NOT REALLY CANT SIT STILL FOCUS NONE DISORDER ITS SOMETHING A WHOLE LOT MORE COMPLEX

[dysfunctionalfocus]

Actually yeah. I just reblogged this silently without any acknowledgement of it, but this is hones to god one of the best explanations I’ve seen.

[bogleech]

Yeah you can have only these symptoms, and people end up being diagnosed with just “depression” or “anxiety” and prescribed something that has little effect on the real cause of their problems.

[adultadhd]

[[[   Instagram  ]]]

[adultadhd]

I made a whole comic!! wow 

[catgirlwarrior]

Hey @adultadhd do you have an Instagram you post these to? I really wanna put this on my story (the polite way, where Instagram lets you link the post to your story and shows the original poster and all that important good stuff) because theres some people I know who need to see it. Do you have an Instagram?

[adultadhd]

Heya, I’ve been thinking about making an instagram for my ADHD comics for a while now!! I am an illustrator, but I keep this stuff separate. I’m gonna make one. Thanks for the push :’) 

I’m now on instagram as  ADHDgoblin!!

[adultadhd]

I made a whole comic!! wow 

[adultadhd]

No worries! I wanted to keep it concise so I didn’t explain my number problems in the comic. 

At that job I had to cash up the till - it was easiest for me to count the money by putting coins in little piles of 10, then counting them up. If there were a lot of piles, I’d put them in rows of 5, and then count those. 

I think this is a visual brain thing? I could see the piles laid out in front of me in their rows like a graph. Or a tally! 

The manager saw me making little piles as wasting time, and expected me to just straight up count the money, but my head doesn’t hold numbers like that. I did explain this stuff to him, but hey ho.  

I think this is to do with having a bad working/short term memory - like losing count of money when interrupted for a second. When it comes to numbers, my memory is awful - I can’t hold multiple sums in my head, i have to write it down or make piles of coins. 

It depends on how your brain works I think - look up the different learning styles and think about how you process things. I think other ways people might count would be out loud, or with your hands, or singing. 

[adultadhd]

oh hey yeah life update - I quit my job mid-shift and had a horrible burnout/life falling apart.. thing 

I meant this to be a brief update but i blurted out all my feelings, lots of cathartic word vomit under the cut.   CW abusive boss talk 

Keep reading

[adultadhd]

Oh that was about a year ago! I’m doing much better. I work evenings in a bar now, because I function better on a later sleep pattern. I’ve had like three jobs in the last year lmao. But hopefully I’ll be at my current job for a while, I like it. 

But yay I’ve been making more comics lately, got my concerta dosage increased, been hyperfocusing on crocheting and listening to game grumps zelda playthroughs. 

[adultadhd]

I made a whole comic!! wow 

[valiumvampire]

trying to clean your room when you have adhd should be considered an extreme sport

[valiumvampire]

YOU. YOU UNDERSTAND ME

[adultadhd]

FAQ

Hi, I started working on an FAQ like a year ago and just thought to actually finish and post it! I’m very tired and sad so it’s not super detailed, but I’ll probably edit it later.

I had to close my ask box a while back because people’s questions got too much for me. Years ago I loved answering everyone’s asks because it made me feel so much more in control of my own ADHD, but after a while, the emotional labour got too much for me. 

I’m sorry I can’t help every person, but I need to prioritise my own stuff. This blog is cathartic for me, and I don’t want it to become a chore to run. 

Bear in mind that I also have my #asks tag for more specific things. I’m always happy to share questions you have with the community too.

hi I was wondering if you were tested for ADHD and what your experience with it was?

Yes, I pursued diagnosis after reading an article about female ADHD experiences. I looked up my country's official info page about ADHD in adults and saw that I had most of the symptoms. I printed out the symptoms, ticked the ones that applied to me, and took them to my university counsellor. She helped me find a private psychiatrist to diagnose me cheaply - the NHS waitlist would have taken two years and I was on the brink of failing out of uni at the time. I had a 1 hour appointment with a psychiatrist who then prescribed me Ritalin 10mg. I was 22 and finally felt my brain work properly!!

Do you think it's possible to have ADHD and still do well in school?

Yes!!

I always did average in school - I just about passed all my classes and flew under the radar. I was often called out in class for not paying attention, but always managed to scrape by. 

I am more intelligent than my grades reflected and my teachers thought I just didn't care enough to try harder. This made me think I was lazy, so I inefficiently overworked myself to pass classes when I got to sixth form (high school). I always left things to the last minute and relied on panic and anxiety to get my work done.

Is it possible to be 18+ and have never been diagnosed with ADHD?

Absolutely. A lot of us with inattentive ADHD aren't diagnosed until adulthood!

But people with all kinds of ADHD fall through the cracks. We might have been socialised to hide our symptoms, we might have been misdiagnosed with another disorder, we might not fit the stereotype of a hyperactive little white boy.

There are endless scenarios, so if you think that your lack of diagnosis is a reason to dismiss your symptoms, DON'T!!!  

I was wondering if you know any tests online or pages that could help me figure that out? And how the process of being diagnosed works?

Regarding online tests, honestly, i think just reading a symptoms list and reading other people's experiences are better than any test. If you vibe with ADHD feels, you vibe. 

I know how my specific diagnosis worked, and I am from the UK so all I know is our system. In the UK, mental health services are a lot harder to access nowadays, and the waiting list to be seen by the NHS can be years long.

I would always recommend getting yourself on that waiting list, and also saving up money for a private diagnosis. Then whichever one you can access first, wins. Sadly the private diagnosis is basically you betting hundreds on whether or not your brain is holding you back, which is terrifying!! But your mental health is worth the money.

If you're in university or college, it's a hell of a lot easier to get a cheaper, private diagnosis. It took me 3 weeks to get from my university counsellor to getting my first dose of ritalin. 

Do you have any suggestions on keeping up a project after the hyper focus wears off?

Lists, breaking things down into smaller tasks, and looking over your frantic hyperactive work and sorting it into manageable chunks.

When I’m having trouble with motivation, i like to read through the work I’ve done so far. It reminds me that I can be productive and usually sparks some ideas. YMMV. 

[mankillercalledbunny]

Someone: *is talking*

Me: oh. I should be processing this right now. Huh.

[rainfallinhell]

[adultadhd]

I ate a vegetable, must alert the group chat 

[adultadhd]

I thought this screencap from What Is Executive Dysfunction? by Kati Morton was really good so here yar 

[scretladyspider]

Help needed - Please Reblog!

Hi guys.

So it turns out my “job” was a SUPER elaborate scam. Like I’ve seen scams for years and this was a whole new level of detailed. I’d been duped. Live and learn.

I’m asking you guys again to please consider supporting me on Patreon if you can, or if you can give even a few dollars through something else, I’d really appreciate it. Soon I’ll have to buy prescriptions, and there’s student loan payments.. yeah. I’m already living in an extra bedroom at a friend’s place, but their lease is up at the end of July, so I need to find employment and a place to live by then. I also need money to pay for identity protection services. Like I said, I’ve been duped. 

I have ADHD, episodes of severe major depression that have hospitalized me 6 times, DPDR, and endometriosis. Getting my meds and treatment is essential for me to stay out of the hospital. Anything helps.

Venmo - Ellerosecunningham

CashApp - $secretladyspider

Patreon - patreon.com/secretladyspider - I’m making art videos and writing about mental health, check it out!

Paypal - paypal.me/ellerosecunningham 

Any amount or any reblog is very much appreciated. It is 6/5/2019. I’ll keep you guys updated.

Thank you. 

[scretladyspider]

Everything helps.

[scretladyspider]

Thank you to everyone who has reblogged or donated.

Thanks to you I can do my laundry, put gas in my tank, and buy some food.

I have a job interview today and I’m really hoping it goes well, and I’ve signed up at a temp agency.

I still need help for the time being but I just want to reiterate how thankful I am for everyone who has spread the word, donated, or both. You guys are saving me right now.

Hopefully I get health insurance figured out next.

Please keep reblogging this. It is 6/10/2019, and I still need your help until I am employed and getting paid.

Thank you.

[scretladyspider]

This last week I was able to buy some food, get gas, and get medicine thanks to the generous people who have given and / or reblogged. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Seriously, you don’t realize how much you eat until you can’t eat because you literally can’t buy food.

It is 6/13/2019. I still need your help.

I’m still waiting on the background check to come back so I can start my new job. Soon I’ll need my prescriptions, which usually cost around $23. My meds keep me out of the hospital, they are VERY important.

Please reblog and / or give if you can. Help keep a mentally ill spoonie out of the hospital and fed. Thank you, everyone.

[scretladyspider]

Please reblog this guys.

[scretladyspider]

It is 6/21/2019. Due to an injury which requires a walking boot, I will be delayed from starting a new job for another two weeks unless a work from home opportunity comes through.

I would be very thankful for any reblogs or any support. I’m applying for jobs like crazy, I’m trying to sell some old stuff, I’m doing what I can to build my portfolio and keep up with Patreon and apply for jobs. Any support is worth more than words can say.