Living with ADHD can be a piece of cake. Controversial, right?
Don't get me wrong, the condition can be challenging to live with. But does it have to be? I don't think so.
If you have ADHD, you know all too well what it's like to feel stuck in making a decision, be misunderstood by those around you and cope with intense emotions.
I've been there before, and eventually I got tired of living like this. I was sick of guilt and shame cycles taking over me, and I was tired of feeling incompetent and frantic around my peers.
Eventually, I asked myself one big question that changed it all for me. What's the trick to thriving with ADHD?
When I tried to answer that question myself, all I could think of was the lunatics who claim that psychedelic mushrooms did the trick. I laughed to myself, rolled my eyes a little bit and then got to really thinking. That's when I found my answer.
The key to thriving with ADHD is embracing the condition.
No, that doesn't mean that you can't get frustrated. That doesn't mean that you have to "be grateful" for ADHD, or pretend that it's the best thing that's ever happened to you. Embracing ADHD means accepting that you have the condition and acknowledging how it makes you different from others.
How does embracing ADHD help you thrive?
Embracing your ADHD destroys the guilt and shame that holds you back. Once you acknowledge and accept the circumstances, you can face them head on. You can find strategies to help you improve your executive function skills, impulsivity, emotional regulation or whatever it is that you struggle with. When you deny that you have ADHD or feel embarrassed about it, you miss out on all of the support that's available for you. That's when your symptoms get worse and the suffering in silence begins.
So what does embracing ADHD look like?
It's asking for help and accepting it when offered. It's knowing what your struggles are and not being so hard on yourself when you face a challenge. It's recognizing what makes you different and wearing it like a badge of honor instead of running away from it all. That is when your ADHD loses its control over you life. You just have to let it.
Is being "different" bad or wrong?
The word "different" is a neutral word. It doesn't mean better, it doesn't mean worse- it just means that it's not the same. And people with ADHD are different than people who don't have it. No one is right or wrong for having ADHD or not. We are all dealt different cards in this life, and it's on us to play them right.
Understanding how ADHD makes you unique can be therapeutic, and you can even argue that it brings an advantage to the table. ADHDers are typically very understanding of different types of people, which makes them great team players. ADHDers tend to work well under pressure, so fast pace environments and strict deadlines can help them succeed. ADHDers can be very creative, whether it's in an artistic setting or even in the way they solve problems. The truth is, ADHDers are not just "fine" employees- their condition can make them an asset to any relationship, job or experience they have.
ADHD is a condition that so many people want to run from. They're embarrassed, they're stubborn about accepting help and they hate that they work differently than their peers. But once they let go of the shame that they've held on to and begin to embrace who they are, their world becomes a more beautiful, vibrant and accepting place.
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