Counselor with ADHD

What is like to be a counselor and have ADD and how do you manage it ?

[MrsKlco]

Weeeeelllll...I am glad you asked. First, it has taken me about two years to finally get all the kinks (that I know will happen) out. I have strict boundaries with myself, co-workers, and with my clients. I have no problem sharing my diagnosis of ADHD, depression or anxiety with anyone. I DO NOT talk about medication I am taking. I also have signs around my office reminding me to stay on task and a sign in/out sheet for my clients --little tricks that I need to have.

Thankfully, I am at a point in my life where I can allow my "personality" to be what it is. No longer ashamed of myself and the medication allows me to talk. My anxiety was debilitating for soooo long. At work, I teach classes among other things. So, there are times when I am teaching and often I "squirrel." I internally challenge myself to spin it to be relevant to the class material. Most times this is not hard.

My clients can see that there are times that are difficult. I do not hide the fact that stress affects my concentration. Or that maybe I feel something (i.e. uncomfortable, shaky, or energetic ) at times. I may not know exactly why I feel that way. I will share at group meetings, allowing them to understand that it is going to happen, it is OK, and to process when I figure it out. Of course, I usually "figure it out" at 2-3 in the morning.

I work with clients in early recovery form substances and alcohol addiction. So they are super smart, fun and laid back. I absolutely love my job. The population and the fact that I work for a small facility allows me to support my clients everyday.

I have been threw a lot, abuse, neglect, military, and now with a family. There is very little I can't understand or empathies with. Not shocking but lots of my clients have ADD/ADHD. The question is "how do I cope with life and hardships without going to substance abuse?" That is what helps to guide some people to a better life.

Sorry long explanation....just a little more.

Because I work with people who are in crisis ALOT...I have to manage my stress at home. I also live on a farm and that has it's own challenges. But I just chill at home. I get on this sight and help others, help my kids, etc. I do not go out much... totally OK with that. Been a home body my whole life. I also see my therapist often and have a serious respect for my medication. I do not miss a day I will turn my car around and go back home if I forget.

Finally, I have had to put up my dukes and battle my hubby when he is frustrated with my inability to clean at times. Or when I get lost in a project and don't have diner made. He knows how to order pizza or grill some steaks--he will live. And the kids have PB&J--DONE! At the end of the day, my ADHD has been an asset at work with scheduling and other issues that are complicated and needing an "out of the box" perspective. Although, back to the 2-3AM "AaaHaa" that is soooo typical.

Feeewwww, I hope I have answered your question. and you are not traumatized but how crazy long my answer is.

Renee

[pippapeach]

I definitely relate to this question - it's something I am hyperaware of in my own life. I have limited experience (literally just started clinical experience this year, so lots of room to grow), but so far it's been both an advantage and a challenge. For me, it's been a lot of dedicated time working on my social skills - especially listening and attending. It's also been a lot of leaning on my supervisors for advice and judgment calls. This is partially because I am still a baby therapist, but also because I'm very aware of my limitations and want to keep an eye on my progress.

I'm learning to very deliberately let the client lead the session, with me as a guide of sorts - it's not about me, it's about them and their story. With this approach, there are some instances where a client might get a little off track, and I'm learning how to manage this to best help the client in the time we have. I'm learning the boundaries piece for sure - it's really tempting to share details of my life (this is also a challenge for me in "real life" conversations) rather than focusing completely on the other person.

Concentration can be a challenge - part of what I'm learning is to make sure I take care of myself ahead of the session. I'm finding that I need to be more careful with sleep (harder to focus when I'm tired), diet, caffeine, all that self-care stuff. Stress also affects it, so trying to manage that (ha!) has been fun. As far as staying on track for sessions, I've started using basic bullet point agendas to plan - like I want to cover X, Y, and Z in session, but also leave it open for how I'm going to do that.

I'm working with students who have academic difficulties, and mostly have clients who have diagnosed or suspected ADHD; in this, my ADHD has been an advantage. I can understand the difficulty of trying new coping skills and the complex problems that can pop up with ADHD, because I've been through several of them (social life, school, anxiety, stress responses). As I said earlier, I'm still working on boundaries, and would very much like to share my diagnosis. I'm not going to do that until I check in with my supervisor; she's great and knows my diagnosis, so she at least has the background knowledge to help me make that call.

Sorry for a monster reply! I'm looking forward to other responses on this thread, as any other tips that I can use would be great. Thank you so much for posting this question; this baby therapist really appreciates it.