Although your life as an adult with ADD isn't easy, by admitting you have a problem you've already taken the first step toward recovery. Here are some coping tips....
We hear a lot about children who struggle with attention deficit disorder (ADD). But adults who also battle ADD have a harder task. Trying to support themselves, and even manage a family, they can feel overwhelmed as ordinary tasks aren’t as easy for them as someone without ADD. Because adults with ADD struggle with everything from impulsivity to disorganization, they often have trouble keeping jobs and/or their marriages and families together. But by learning to manage their ADD, they can lead positive, productive lives, despite their handicap.
Symptoms of Adult ADD
Perhaps you may have ADD and don't realize it. Are you often unfocused, disorganized, and impulsive? Do you mismanage time and money? Do you rarely (if at all) complete a task because you get distracted or overwhelmed? If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, then you probably need to be evaluated for ADD by a mental health professional. Through a battery of tests you can finally put a label on your problem.
Be Easy on Yourself
Realize that ADD is not a lack of will power or bad character. Rather, it’s a neurological condition, caused by how your brain is wired. Tragically, adults who suffer from ADD don’t understand this and beat themselves up emotionally, thinking they’re inferior people. Because ADD is rooted in biology and not in moral character, you can start loving yourself as a human being who’s doing his (or her) best to cope with a disability.
Educate Other about Adult ADD
Rather than being ashamed about having ADD, be thankful you have a label for what has caused a lot of pain in your life. Then, explain to friends and family how they can help you with impulsivity and organizational skills.
Get Counseling
If you’ve lived long enough to reach adulthood and have struggled with ADD all your life, then you probably have a lifetime full of negative self talk. That’s why it’s a good idea to let a therapist help you start feeling positive about yourself. What’s more, a therapist can share methods to help you get organized and control your impulsivity. If you can’t afford counseling, then seek help from a minister or other professional that you can trust.
Support Groups
You don’t have to be alone anymore. By connecting with a local support group you can bond with other ADD adults, sharing both your struggles, as well as coping tips. If your area doesn’t have a support group, then consider starting one. All it takes is at least another person with adult ADD. Besides literature, you can also find a goldmine of helpful information just from getting to know others with the condition. Most of all, a support group can furnish you with encouragement when you’re feeling defeated.
Learn New Management Skills
Because people with ADD have difficulty organizing and remembering, they need to perform daily routines. A few helpful ways to improve with organizational and memory skills may including everything from making lists, self-reminders, keeping files, and creating daily rituals. The more routine you have in your life, the easier it will be to manage your ADD.
Although your life may have been downhill, you don’t have to continue to live like you’re a train wreck, waiting to happen. Treatment begins with hope and you’ve already taken that first step. Just admitting there’s a problem and reaching out for help, you’ve turned your life around in the right direction.
