Trying to explain ADHD to someone who hasn’t experienced it is like describing color to someone who’s blind.
In a way, I feel lucky to have started this blog. It gives me an outlet. I’m not constantly advocating for ADHD or talking about it non-stop,but if the opportunity comes up, you better believe I’ll speak up for someone who’s being misunderstood.
It helps to let things out here. It’s not that it’s hard to talk to people about ADHD, but you can definitely feel the “Ugh, not this again” vibe from people who either don’t understand or are just tired of hearing about it. Honestly, even typing this makes me cringe a little. I can already picture someone on the other side of the screen judging what I’m saying..thinking I sound like I know everything on the subject. Trust me, I don’t. I’m just someone on a never-ending mission to understand their own brain.
As a kid, a teenager, and well into my early adulthood, I went through so much and constantly wondered if I was the only one. Then one day, I walked into a conversation at work where two coworkers were openly sharing stories about childhood trauma, teenage struggles, and how alcohol and toxic relationships crept into their lives. And it wasn’t just surface-level. They were describing my experiences…almost word for word.
I wasn’t happy that they’d gone through it. But I was relieved,because they got it. They understood the “why” behind the chaos. They had pieced together how ADHD and growing up misunderstood amplified it all.
The anger issues, the pain, the suicidal thoughts, the messy childhoods… and yet, they stood there strong, kind, generous people who’d been through hell and made it out the other side.
And I don’t think they even realize how strong they are.