If you recently were diagnosed with ADHD then you may be confused. You probably are asking a multitude of questions such as "What is ADHD?", "Does this mean I am disabled?", or "How will this affect my life?" For adults, receiving this diagnosis can be even more confusing. After all, this is a child's disease, right? I was diagnosed at 27 years old. I found these 5 steps critical to successfully living with ADHD.
Realize that ADHD is not the same for everyone. This is a "spectrum disorder". A diagnosis is made by looking at a variety of symptoms. Psychiatrists speak with patients about their habits. If a patient shows multiple symptoms and the symptoms affect two areas of their lives (i.e. work and home) then they receive an ADHD diagnosis. The variety of symptoms means that symptoms are not the same for each person.
This realization is crucial to successfully coping with ADHD. Coping with ADHD requires coping with many different symptoms. For instance, many people with ADHD experience deficits in time management and completing tasks. However, one person may work in a factory while the other owns a company. The same time management strategies may not work for both people. Realizing ADHD is different for each person frees you to find strategies that help you.
Realize that ADHD is not a disability. When I was first diagnosed with ADHD, I was afraid I was now disabled. After all, is ADHD not a mental disorder? Then I read The Edison Gene. The Edison Gene explains that ADHD is not a mental disorder at all. ADHD is actually a set of genetic traits needed by early hunters. Over the centuries, these genetic traits did not disappear from humans, even though society changed. Modern society decided that these traits were a mental disorder.
Realize ADHD comes with as many benefits as disadvantages. Modern society stresses this condition's disadvantages. This is necessary for classification as a mental disorder. However, for every disadvantage there are several advantages. For instance, people with ADHD are often highly creative and able to learn very quickly. These are just two examples of ADHD's potential advantages. People such as Ty Pennington, Sir Richard Branson, and Howie Mandel have harnessed ADHD's advantages for their benefit.
Find a great psychiatrist. Chances are, you received your diagnosis from a psychiatrist; however, make sure you see the right psychiatrist. ADHD management is a long term proposition. Medical community now recognizes ADHD as a lifelong situation. Periodic psychiatrist's visits may be required. You need a psychiatrist that is both experienced with ADHD and willing to listen to your situation.
Educate yourself about ADHD. Education is key to successfully mastering anything. Educating yourself about ADHD symptoms, medications, alternative treatment options, and coping strategies provides you a set of tools. You are then able to use these tools to help manage your own ADHD. You do not need to become an ADHD specialist. You do not want to second guess your psychiatrist. You do want to obtain the knowledge necessary to identify ADHD coping strategies and apply them to your situation.
Three of these five steps are really realizations. Realizing that ADHD is not the same for everyone, This condition is not a disability, and does come with advantages helps to set your focus. If you tell yourself every day that you are disabled then you will see yourself as disabled. If you focus on ADHD's advantages then you will find ways to utilize them. Once you focus on ADHD's positives, the proper psychiatrist can help you find a mixture of medication(s) and coping strategies to achieve your goals. Personal education helps you to identify new or improved ADHD coping strategies. You can either try these new strategies or use their ideas to formulate your own. While ADHD is a life long situation, these five steps will help you to successfully live with ADHD.
Bruce Carl is an adult living with ADHD. Bruce developed My ADHD Site to share information and network with other ADHD Adults. My ADHD Site's posts include famous people with ADHD.
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