Anne Duncan experienced high, persistent anxieties and social difficulties during her 12 years as a teacher. Discouraged, she left teaching and spent three years searching for a different occupation, eventually turning to administrative work. She connected with Crossroads, a disability employment group in Sacramento, and volunteered in several clerical roles...
A cozy evening. I have completed all my chores and I’m snugly wrapped in my cherished threadbare pajamas. In my hand is a piping-hot cup of coffee emanating comforting warmth. While the outside world remains chaotic and unpredictable, within the confines of my cozy place, I discover ease in the...
Just as overeating can overwhelm our digestive systems and cause us to develop symptoms of indigestion, traumatic experiences can get “stuck” in our nervous system, leading to ongoing distress and negative emotions and beliefs. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy helps individuals heal from the experiences that haunt them...
Household chores have a way of piling up, don’t they? Work and other obligations take up most of our days, so when we do have free time, the last thing we want to do is even more work. Yet, as we all know, routine maintenance supports a functional household —...
From the sanctuary of my rooftop, I listened as my family clamored around the dinner table, laughing, joking, and chatting away. In my usual hideaway, I gazed up at the stars and wondered why I never felt like I fit in anywhere, not even with my own family. At 15...
Imagine this: You’ve never seen a Rubik’s Cube before and, frankly, you have no prior experience working with puzzles of any kind. Yet you’ve been tasked with completing the Rubik’s Cube with no help. Oh, and you have to solve it in the next 30 minutes. This is how a...
On the surface, ADHD and OCD are seemingly impossible bedfellows. “Messy,” “hyperactive,” and “scatterbrained” are just a few common synonyms for the former, while the latter is frequently associated with being exceedingly clean, uptight, and meticulous. (While some of these assumptions about these disorders are accurate for some people, they...
June 13, 2023 Whoever says the Adderall shortage is over is living on a different planet. I have dozens of patients who rely on Adderall and who panic every month. Whenever it’s time to refill their prescriptions, the drama begins: Where can I find the medication I need? This uncertainty...
In my first full-time job after finishing my master’s degree, I was put in charge a long-running project that was already years behind schedule. With strict, unrealistic timelines and insufficient resources, the project was mine to save. I’ve always been a high achiever, so I dove right in. Despite the...
I never thought I’d have a life-changing revelation in the cereal aisle at Walmart, but that’s exactly what happened. As I tried to decide which breakfast option to buy, my thoughts went something like this: I don’t know what to get. I really want Cinnamon Toast Crunch. But I can’t...
The day before our wedding, the entire city of Sydney became blanketed by heavy red dust. I woke up coughing, I could taste dirt in my mouth, and my bedroom was filled with a rusty glow.“Of course the bloody apocalypse would happen the day before my wedding,” I thought to...
Three years ago, I launched the @domesticblisters TikTok channel to serve a neurodiverse audience. Short videos on the channel present strategies for accomplishing daily care tasks. For all the ADHD information swirling around social media, very little addresses how the simple tasks of living are sometimes the hardest for us....
“You’re going to do great things!”“You have so much potential!”“You’re so talented. I see great things in your future!” So many people in my life have directed various versions of these well-meaning yet anxiety-inducing, expectation-laden comments to me during every phase of my academic career. As a gifted child, I...
What’s in your doom pile? I first learned about doom piles from a client during one of our therapy sessions. She told me she was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and she described all the signs and symptoms that led to her diagnosis. That’s when she said two words that changed...
Like most moms, I can clearly recall the moment my baby was first placed into my arms. It was real… She was here! Ten fingers, ten toes, bright eyes, and a cute little mouth with pink, bowed lips. She was perfect. My urge to protect her and offer her the...
Here it comes: another friend giving me the silent treatment. I’ve been here before, but it still feels sudden and raw. It still hurts, though not as much as it did when I went through this as a child. I know what it’s like to have people shut me out,...
Can’t seem to make yourself fall asleep? I often hear individuals with ADHD say things like, “I want to sleep, but my body won’t let me” or, “It’s difficult to turn off my mind so that I can go to sleep.” Sure, keeping a regular wake schedule, expending energy throughout...
When it comes to women, work, and ADHD, it’s impossible to really dig deep without understanding the lingering biases that women and other underrepresented groups face. These biases, combined with the experience of being neurodivergent in a working world not made for them, create a perfect storm for masking, exhaustion,...
Q: “I’m a college junior and always feel overwhelmed. I have so much work to do that I’m always busy, but it feels like I’m not making much progress. When I try to focus, I get distracted or interrupted.” — CollegeJunior Hi CollegeJunior: Have you ever heard the expression “in...
As an educator dedicated to supporting students with ADHD and other learning differences, I’ve delivered many presentations over the years to teachers of students who learn differently. One training session, in particular, stands out. I desperately wanted to effect real change, and I remember putting immense pressure on myself to...
