Sharing or explaining ADHD to others can be an emotionally draining event that can prove damaging. That is why I want to help you. Because I have ADHD, I can easily relate to what you are experiencing or may experience in the future.
There are many important things to do before sharing with others. I think the most important of all is to prepare yourself ahead of time. Educate yourself about ADHD and emotionally prepare for what can happen.
We are very sensitive people. We know that we are different than others. Others may have even pointed this out. We also are use to rejection and because of this; we are always trying to protect ourselves.
Education about ADHD is very important. The more you learn about ADHD, the better off you will be when telling others about it. Don't limit learning to yourself. When you learn about others and their condition, you will learn more about yourself also.
There are lots of places to look for information. My website has very useful information that will help. I have analogies that you can use to explain how ADHD works. Anyone you talk to will easily understand how it affects you when you use my analogies.
You can find additional information by searching for ADHD on the web. Just remember that you will find a wide variety that may become confusing. Some may say one thing is good while another will say the opposite. Just be prepared to learn and search out everything you discover.
You can also contact me by email or phone with any questions you have. Visit my site for that information.
Think of sharing ADHD with others as teaching them. While you are learning more about it, you are gathering information to educate others. Since the other people will be your students, you have to be ready for any rejection that may come along. Don't take it personal. They are only rejecting what they don't know and understand.
You will know ahead of time some people that you shouldn't't talk to. If you know someone that rejects everything and laughs at anything, this may not be the person you want to talk to. You may be setting yourself up for failure. If you feel comfortable doing so, you could try to talk with them anyway. These kinds of people aren't't worth wasting time on. So if you don't get anywhere with them, don't worry about it. If you can't handle rejection or being laughed at, I suggest that you select the people you talk to carefully until you are ready.
If you have friends that understand you and your condition, have them help you talk to others. When you do a team event, it can be more effective. It also makes it easier to deal with rejection and you will have someone you can talk to about how you are feeling afterwards.
Make sure to ask people if they would like to learn about ADHD and/or you. If you just start spilling out information, the person may not have wanted to hear it anyway. If you feel like you are forcing information, then stop. What that means is that if you are telling someone something and they seem like they don't care, than don't keep telling them more and more. This is "force feeding" information.
Have your school or family do a day of ADHD education. In school, you could have them do a project. In English, the students could do a paper on ADHD and how it affects people. In Science, they could do a project to see how a brain functions with ADHD and without. Come up with some ideas and talk to the person in charge.
The possibilities end where you limit yourself. If a school wide or group project took place like I mentioned, you have a large group of people being educated at the same time. This will open the communication to a large group of people willing to learn from you.
The other side is that there will be others who are upset that they have to do something about ADHD and they don't want to waste their time. So stay focused on the good.
Tips to Share ADHD with Others:
Learn more about ADHD
Learn about others with ADHD (Listen how they explain things to you and use it to learn how to talk to others)
Inward Reflections (Reflect how ADHD affects you, good and bad.)
Prepare for the possibilities of the end results (There will be good and bad)
Use analogies to explain ADHD (check http://www.adhdawareness.com)
Have friends help you to explain ADHD to others
Ask the person if they would like to learn more about your ADHD
Print out information and give it to a friend (or family) to read
Give brochures, booklets, or books
Have your school or family do a day (or a time slot) of ADHD education
Have your school do a project on ADHD
About the Author: TJ Chambers was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 18. It was evident much earlier in his life that he had this disorder, because of the lack of information; it took a counselor to see this evidence so late in his life.
He has learned so many things about ADHD, medications, alternative treatments, and other things. He recently decided to share his stories and discoveries by creating http://www.adhdawareness.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment