I know it’s an unpopular opinion given current circumstances, but I’ve always been a huge nerd about Russia. The history, the geography, the music, etc. And as an American, I’ve always found it fascinating how U.S.-Russian relations have fluctuated over time. We’ve gone from allies, to enemies, to frenemies. This doesn’t mean I support Z or Putin, of course. What are you a nerd about?
This past week, my sons teacher suggested getting him evaluated. As a result I’ve been doing a lot of reading about ADHD and related conditions. Just about everything I read makes me think “weird, this describes me”.
Obviously I’m going to do whatever I can to help him, but now I wonder if there is anything I should look into to help me. I wonder how much different my life would be if I figured this out earlier.
ADHD is very heritable. Something like 80 to 90%. In other words, it would not at all be surprising if it turned out you are also in the ADHD tribe. As for what you can do, you could ask your provider for an ADHD assessment. If you are ADHD, you cant rewind time but you can get the support you would need and it is never too late to do that. Just be aware that assessment as an adult is often expensive even with otherwise good insurance. If that is a major hurdle, depending on your area, there may be “pay as you are able” mental health establishments that may be able to help.
As for what to do before you are assessed, there are things that help ADHD people that dont require special accomodations or medication. eg. exercise helps regulate emotions and movement often helps alleviate feelings of restlessness and helps concentration/focus. 80% of adults with ADHD go to sleep much later than normal and/or have difficulty getting enough sleep. Research indicates this is a bidirectional issue. i.e poor sleep quality worsens ADHD and ADHD likely causes insomnia/delayed/poor sleep.