Has this community positively impacte... - CHADD's Adult ADH...
Has this community positively impacted your ADHD journey? If yes, please describe how in the replies below
AnnaHUHealthUnlocked18 VotersPlease select one:
Observations and experiences of others with ADHD, shared here, have helped give me insights into my own condition and experiences. From that I was able to improve my compensating mechanisms.
The perspectives expressed by others who were diagnosed late in life (ie, 55 plus for me) been very helpful. It has been especially helpful to learn that other middle aged/elderly people feel the same sadness, regret, “lightbulb moments about what could have been” and are finding ways to move past that. It’s helpful in general because it’s very difficult to discuss any of this with most people (although that seems to be getting better).
I have learned more on adhd than the major part of all specialists who tested me ( I know, it's sad when a professional can't help you...) I have also learned that everything that makes me think I have adhd could be caused by a mild autism. Given the amount of time and money it takes to have certainty, I am SO GLAD I HAVE YOU GUYS. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
Good morning AnnaHU, thankyou for asking for this information, I have been meaning to feedback to healthunlocked team since I joined but I have "a disease of intention" so it hasnt yet happened!. I have wanted to express my overwhelming gratitude to the CHADD team and forum creators for facilitating/ maintaining this community. I went from a man, diagnosed with ADHD at 45 years old, a little lost and confused/frustrated, suddenly able to frame my entire life and contextualise all of the difficulties I have tried so hard to overcome in life (I know we all have these, I just did not understand why I experienced them so intensley), with an overwhelming guilt and self loathing (no exaggeration here at all) at the fact that my genetics has been passed on to my beutiful children (one now diagnosed, one just starting to display some struggles but I am as yet unsure), to not only feeling less alone in the world but also feeling relatively young and "ahead of the game" in life in being diagnosed as an adult.
I have answered several posts here, all with far too much information and not a breath taken in a paragraph, all being "accepted" (and some with expressed gratitude) as my community understand and share this trait. I have read so many posts that have helped adjust my perspective on my experiences and my neurodivergence and I have shared this forum with others I have met in my "real life" to try and help support their own journey's through diagnosis etc. as an Adult or upon discovering their child is neurodiveegent.
(As a side note here, I am aware this will require a full "un-pick" to gain salient points so I will make a summation later of the benefits in brief).
I am a health professional by employment, a registered Adult nurse, registered Children's nurse (9 years in the NHS) and qualified/practicing Medical and Healthcare Professional teacher (PGCE, 5 years), Teaching undergraduate/postgraduate pre-registration Children's nurses and continueing professional developement for registrants. I also worked for nearly a decade supporting people with Autism and Learning Disability prior to qualification, working for The National Autistic Society and varied other community providers. I share this information not to show off or to give an impression of any expertise, but to demonstrate that despite all this accrued knowledge and experience, I have come to THIS forum and found supportive clinicaly sound knowledge, shared experiences, some sense of community and a place to share likewise with others where I am confident I can contribute positively to their experience. To me, considering my career path thus far, this demonstrates how amazing the CHADD forum is.
Considering the extremes of emotional disregulation, self deprecation and consequential self gaslighting that we are prone to due to our neurodivergence,this forum has the potential to be literally (I HATE using the term, but it is appropriate here) lifesaving, lifechanging and continualy life enhancing for those of us who have long suffered in ignorance of "Why!!!?" and those who are trying SO hard to understand their child and navigate the challenges, struggles and wonders of parenting, which is difficult enough without the ADDed experiences of those with ADHD (pun 100% intended, terrible but "Dad jokes" are currently en vogue I am led to believe 😁). It provides at the very least, a place for people to vent/rant/scream their current struggles into the "E-void" (spending time just "getting this out" helps to formulate, organise and reason how they feeling) and they will get a little weepy face and heart emoji that acknowledges they are not alone.
Despite my evident verbosity I just cannot express how important this is😶.
So in summation this forums "impact on my ADHD journey has been-
● I am not Alone!!
●I am able to get generaly good, clinically sound information to any queries I may ask.
●I can Share my experiences and difficulties without fear of judgement and always recieve pertinent and supportive feedback from across the globe, not only the UK.
● I can practice gratitude through sharing advice so others do not struggle as I have.
Many thanks for this opportunity,
Best wishes
Mark Lindsay
2 things I would like to say. First, I appreciate you being able to share your deeper experience with us. And so very glad you are on the forum since the voice of professionals clarity can greatly help those who are frustrated and a little clarification may be all they need.
Second, if you often work with people who have ADHD presently, please if not already familiar, look into Sluggish Cognitive Tempo. It was left out of the DSM-V last minute due to the lack of agreement on many things. It was in the DSM-IV-TR for the last couple years before DSM-V as ADHD Inattentive type (Restrictive) but that hardly looks like the disorder as they are studying it now. The reason I bring this up to professionals is that studies have consistently shown 30 to 60% of those who are ADHD-I are comorbid with SCT. And still correlation with hyperactive and combined types. And many who are just SCT may be misdiagnosed with ADHD-I. Would have helped me immensely if I had found out about SCT 17 years ago. May have been able to manage a better prescription selection and could have addressed the symptoms that sound like they might be part of ADHD-I I have but are actually SCT. Which were just left on the wayside by psychiatrists and assumed my ADHD meds would just play double duty and cover all my issues. My assumption is just awareness of the professional community regardless of incomplete research consensus could benefit many.
Thank you for these short votes, it makes me think and reply...which is VERY good for myself. I voted 'sometimes' b/c just to get out into the community and to see faces and hear real voices with expressions/emotions actually helps me. (I know sounds odd). That's what puts a smile on my face, I'm a 'people person'.
being able to communicate with others about different experiences is very helpful to me!
Any time I can connect with others who are like me, my self-confidence gets a boost. Not only can I learn from them, but I can also be helpful. The anonymity of the forum allows more private aspects to be shared and discussed in a safe space that's somewhat regulated. The problem with some more public venues is that the depth is missing. This is quite precious here.
I have found things from others experience that I was able to research to apply to my own. Have found the limitations I have found in the general field of psychiatry/psychology as it applies to my situation is not just in my head, but shared by many others. And found it is often in contrast with actual research. Regardless I am still a proponent of psychiatry / psychology and the process.
It has helped me personally and professionally. I was recently dx with ADHD in my 40s. For years I thought anxiety and depression were primary but since starting ADHD tx I've been able to reduce and eliminate SSRI and benzo meds. It's a relief. Professionally, I'm a psychotherapist and recommend CHADD to several pts, use as a resource and community support.
Unfortunately no. Was talking to my specialist about it recently. Had to go to the hospital for some scans and one department told me one thing, another told me another thing, and another told me another thing. When I argued that all 3 were saying different things, they looked on their screen and said 'you've got ADHD'. So, then that made me wrong. Anything I questioned I'd got wrong, was wrong and will never be right, had to shut up, listen and just take what was said. They were talking over me, interrupting me, and basically looking at me that I didnt know what I was talking about because I have ADHD. This has only started to happen since being diagnosed. Usually, professionals worked with me, and I worked with them. Not anymore. It's what they say goes, end of.
I think she was asking if Health Unlocked community has helped you. So sorry that your doctors were treating you like that. That's a horrible position to be in.
Knowing that others are in similar situations always help. I believe it's also good to know whether the care you are getting is the right care too. Too many therapists claim that they can treat ADHD, but the reality is they can't. They took a class on ADHD and think they know what to do, but all they do is attack symptoms. The people who come here and talk about the therapists that they are working with makes me worry for them. ADHD requires medication and lots of brain exercise in order to get better. You can re-train your brain, but your brain needs to be organized before you can start the work. I'm hoping that people can learn how the brain works when someone has ADHD and how they can overcome obstacles vs. the snake oil that many therapists are trying to sell.
It has been wonderful finding community here, sharing with people who have had like experiences, trying to sow some encouragement and good information with others who have ADHD.
Let's me know I'm not alone.Many of my posts get replies and validation.
