Chapter 35 Understanding ADHD Part 2: Lived Experience

[@toaojjc]

Happy New Year! Thank you for yet another great video!

[@toaojjc]

All right Struan? Love from the Netherlands

[@cmdrpanditt]

This is very interesting. I've done adhd tests online.. apparently not me. But your last 3 mins basically described me, how I gave to contrive interest via tick boxes etc to get my sense of urgency going. The autism tests score v high, so maybe both as you allude to

[@amineurodivergent]

Interesting - for what it's worth, when I initially did the ADHD self-tests back around the same time as realising I was autistic I scored low because I was scoring it in line with all the coping mechanisms I'd built up to NOT have those traits, if that makes sense (excessive daily-use spreadsheets, phone notes and alarms, etc). It was only once all that had been stripped back and going through my life and my natural way of interacting with the world that it all kind of fell away. And I ended up getting a diagnosis of not only ADHD but 'severe' combined ADHD. All from a low-scoring self-test and initial dismissal of it. So (and speaking purely as me), self-awareness might not always be a strong point..

[@sirbobfritez13]

So excited to see another video from you, thanks!! I binge watched all your videos up to this point, so comforting knowing there could be another 18 videos to go. I learn so much and feel so comforted every time I watch. Keep it up and thank you!

[@amineurodivergent]

Thank you - what a lovely comment!

[@toaojjc]

Hi Struan, hope you are well. Take whatever time you need. Just keep on leaving a comment now and then to let youtube know to defenatly keep informing me if you upload again.

[@clairedot657]

Happy New Year! Another great video. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year at 45, I’ve spent my life masking well, but at the detriment of my self esteem and my neurodiverse self. New Years Resolutions were always my thing, my chance to ‘fix’ me, but were never enough. Constant self improvement, that always fell short. This year I’m working on acceptance of my executive function difficulties and how to support myself and make my life easier. I’m also going to try and do things for just enjoying life, so I’ve got some balance. Hopefully I’ll be starting medication too soon, so I’m looking forward to hearing about your experiences with medication too. Thanks again for a great video - I enjoy them so much!

[@amineurodivergent]

Thanks so much - constant 'fix' attempts and self improvement that always fell short definitely sounds like a very familiar pattern! Really pleased to hear you've got some balance in your current circumstances.

[@clairedot657]

Not got the balance yet! Work in progress 🙂

[@amineurodivergent]

@@clairedot657 Balance is definitely an ongoing work in progress!

[@lindadunn8787]

Are you familiar with the work of Sam Vaknin? I listened to a video of his this morning prior to listening to this one of yours. Being 72 and a half years old, my perspective of education and health care and religion and politics includes some diversity. I also have the memory of contributions from relatives whose lives reached back to their parents who lived in the mid nineteenth century. Dr. Vaknin's video drop today has me thinking of the effect the judicial system has had with child development when custody is shared by parents offering sufficiency in nurturing inadequate to the task of rearing a person. Your report on the material presented in this video is thought provoking. Thank you.

[@amineurodivergent]

Thanks - I hadn't heard of Dr Sam Vaknin and looked him up. In true ADHD style, I've now gone down a complete side rabbit hole on his interest in chronons and time asymmetry, which is really interesting!

[@lindadunn8787]

@@amineurodivergent fabulous!

[@BXLrules]

System failed me too here in Germany. 10+ years of several therapists and one hospital stay, no one mentioned adhd or autism. last year I mentioned it to my psychiatrist and he dismissed it by saying it was depression. I lost one more year undiagnosed by that comment. I read as much as I could and got privately diagnosed. When I had the diagnose he initially refused to prescribe me stimulants, I more or less had to force him to. The Adhd being treated my autism shows, same deal. No its depression, attachment trauma, and so on, he did not learn anything. Once again I'm reading books he should have read, found and got accepted in a self help group and am now trying to find a way to get diagnosed that is not ridiculously expensive and would be recognised by that same psychiatrist or social services, if it would come to that. This lead me being deeply disappointed by therapy and on the other hand needing it because of the trauma of a lifetime of audhd without being diagnosed.

[@amineurodivergent]

Thanks for sharing your frustrations. An all too familiar story, unfortunately. I really hope things start to change in terms of health professionals understanding and recognising undiagnosed neurodivergence a whole lot better.

[@BXLrules]

@@amineurodivergent in reading so much stuff lately I did however got a better understanding of things to keep in mind when diagnosing. I'm not 100% sure anymore if it is autism, might also 'just' be a blend of anxiety, depression, adhd and attachment trauma. which also could be comorbidities, I understand my psychiatrist skepticism, but would also prefer if it would be a consideration.

[@blamedthegnome]

Brilliant video once again. I am working through the FutureLearn course for Autism presently that you mentioned in a previous video and am finding it really useful, so thank you for that. I'll probably take a look at the ADHD one afterwards in spite of some of the concerns you raised about it not containing much ADHDer lived experience. Also, with regards to your notes regarding trajectory of ADHDers in the education system it sounds quite similar to this video I stumbled on a couple of months ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooTNeYyfiap0aq8si=xJ14z_UYTMBZG6wh&t=275

[@amineurodivergent]

Aha! I definitely feel like I've seen this before, this could well be what my notes were from and just forgot to write down the source. Thank you - I'll put a link and credit to that in the video description!