Local Support - Northbay California

[MonkeyMindMom]

Hi, Is there a local Northbay SF Community on here?

Born with an abundance of joy! I am a single Mom of a high functioning autistic toddler. Could be ADHD.

I'm finally ready to embrace my monkey mind 🥴I want to soak up some real (not fake) knowledge on my lifelong ADHD diagnosis. After one naively failed relationship after another and lifetime of other personal struggles I must change the script for my child. My sons’ father is mentally challenged, apparently, and lost in his own reality. I'll spare you the details other than to say I ignored ALL the red flags from beginning to end. Before the pandemic I was a moderately successful business owner, event planner which disappeared overnight. I even convinced myself that I had started to turn a corner in 2019, then whap! -- Pregnancy and global pandemic -- My whole pregnancy, birth and life of my child was in captivity 😂I consciously chose not to take meds during pregnancy and while nursing but have recently gone back on a small dose of stimulant. I can already tell its helping! I do have a history of starting and stopping meds, maybe because of denial or ignorance.

After multiple attempts to get through college I've finally gone back to get a degree in Speech Pathology. It’s going to take me 3-4 years, but then hopefully I’ll have a career I can do until I'm 80! I am looking to connect with other local members, if there are any, and see what resources there are in the area. Being a single parent and college student is going to have its challenges but hoping to gain insight from this group!

Thanks for reading!

[STEM_Dad]

Welcome to the community MonkeyMindMom !

Have you tried the CHADD Locator to find a local ADHD support group?

chadd.org/affiliate-locator...

It looks like there are a few groups in the Bay area.

Many of us on this forum don't have any local support groups. (We've got users from around the world here. I'm sure at least a few are from your area.)

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Since you think your toddler might also have ADHD:

• Did you know that there's also an ADHD Parents group on this website? healthunlocked.com/adhd-par...

I know that there are also autism family support groups, and it's likely that there is at least one in your area. I have friends who have raised three boys they adopted who have high functioning autism, and so I know that parents of children who have autism definitely need good support.

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As for going to college, good for you!

Expect there to be some challenges, especially related to:

• Having ADHD

• Being a single parent

• Being a different age than typical college students

Keep in mind that lots of people go to college who have each of these distinctions, but colleges are usually very skewed to meet the needs of neurotypical people who are fresh out of high school and don't yet have children.

So...look for any resources and accomodations which will make your college journey go smoother.

I returned to college in my 30s, as a married father. Despite my best efforts and encouragement from my family, I struggled a lot and couldn't figure out why. I didn't seek help...I tried to figure it out on my own, and I ultimately ended up running out of financial aid with too many classes still needed to finish my degree. I had to drop out and go back to work.

• I got hired at the very same university, and then learned about all the resources and accomodations that could have been available to me. Towards the end of my 10 years working there, I finally got my ADHD diagnosis.

*If you need any help or ideas about what resources to look for at your college, let me know and I'll gladly share what I know.