Oh! Me too...ugh

[OdinsDad]

My 11 year old daughter had a traumatic brain injury when she was two. When she began struggling socially, my wife was the first to notice, and after some resistance on my part, we had a comprehensive exam completed last summer. She was diagnosed with mild ADHD with an impulsivity sub-type. After her diagnosis, I began to notice similar patterns and problems in my own life. So, with the encouragement of my family, I sought out a specialist and was surprised to learn I too have ADHD. With the diagnosis, a lot of things in my personal history,( including substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and personal interrelationship problems), began to come into focus. I'm struggling to accept how my brain differences are impacting my life, but I've started a medication regimen recently (Strattera) and I'm hoping the next few weeks will be marked by significant improvement. (I'm supposed to be working as I type this lol).

Needless to say, parenting is tough and I'm struggling. I feel like I often do the wrong thing for my kids and I'm not sure how to do better. My poor wife is at the end of her rope, feeling like I'm letting the kids get away with breaking rules and not contributing. she feels like I don't notice important things going on around me and I don;t pay enough attention to her. I'm having a hard time staying on track with work while juggling my other responsibilities. I've felt like I'm holding on by my fingertips for most of my adult tlife. Good to know why, but I'm worried it wont get any better.

[MamaBear90s]

Wow, thats a lot to handle OdinsDad. Be patient with yourself because you’re about to break patters that you’ve had your whole life. It’s awesome that you are starting this journey and it also will take time. If you haven’t tried telling your wife how you’re feeling I’d be sure to communicate how much you want to be there for her and hopefully she’ll see that you’re working on it.