About a month ago, I posted a note on several ADHD Facebook Groups, asking “what do you want to know about ADHD?” The response was tremendous, and for the next few weeks, I coded each of your 260 answers to discover the most popular topics ADHDers want to understand.
My goal is to write articles about all these topics in 2021, but I need your help. Research hasn’t covered all areas, and the experiences of those with ADHD are often missing. To help I’ve created a Facebook group where we can develop those evidence-based practical strategies. If that sounds like something you’re interested in click here to join the group.
Here are the 10 most popular things you wanted to know about ADHD.
10. ADHD Strengths
This one made me smile. A number of you specifically asked for ways to communicate and utilise your ADHD strengths. Examples included: how we can use our neurodiverse minds in a beneficial way, why we make great company, and how to accept ourselves even if others haven’t accepted us in the past.
9. ADHD And Hormones
A lot of you identified as women, and many wanted to know how hormone shifts or birth control affects ADHD. In addition, you asked for strategies to help with these changes. People also wanted to learn more about the effect of peri-menopause on ADHD. Overall you felt that although there was research on ADHD and hormones, there wasn’t a lot about both.
8. Home Organisation
I work with a lot of clients on strategies to organise their space, and many of you mentioned your struggle here too. Whether you thought disorganisation was coming from you, your kids or a combination of both, just getting started felt overwhelming. As some of you mentioned, ADHD organisation is about building a strategy that works best for you, rather than struggling to meet a neurotypical norm.
7. Friendships
Although family was mentioned, far more of you wanted to know about friendships. You asked about how to make and maintain friendships, how to handle feeling socially awkward and how to develop meaningful platonic relationships.
6. Study Skills
Those of you who are still in school or University asked for support with this stage. A lot of your questions related to executive functioning, including what to do when you start to fall behind, how to take good notes, how to stay focused, and planning essays.
5. Communicating About ADHD With Your Partner
In addition to friendships, the other social area of focus was your relationships. You wanted to know how to help your neurotypical partner understand why you act the way you do. Specifically, you mentioned not always handling things in a way your neurotypical partner could understand, and the difficulty you had trying to explain your differences.
4. Overeating And ADHD
There were several questions around impulsive behaviors in general, but your main focus was on overeating. Many people felt they were overeating to support their emotions or avoid boredom. You wanted ADHD friendly strategies to eat healthier in a sustainable way.
3. Rejections Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)
This was a big focus for many commenters, to the point where I wondered if it was going to be the most commonly asked question. Many of you said you found RSD even more challenging to handle than ADHD symptoms like executive dysfunction. I have been doing research into RSD which I will be sharing in the new year, and it’s definitely an under-researched area of ADHD.
2. Anxiety
Similar to RSD, anxiety was an element of ADHD that a number of you struggled with even more than executive dysfunction. Examples included perfectionism, social anxiety, hypersensitivity and a constant internal dialogue. It seemed that feeling anxious was a common experience for many with ADHD
1. Anger
The number one topic people with ADHD wanted to talk about was anger. Having overwhelming emotions, irritability or lashing out was something many of you said you had experienced. As part of this topic, you wanted to discuss how to handle meltdowns, feeling frustrated with others and self-sabotaging out of anger. Anger, especially in women, needs more compassionate research to break down any stigma and provide practical strategies that can support you and explain this common experience.
Thank you so much to everyone who commented and shared their story with me over the past month! It’s been so good getting to know you better. I hope this helps you feel less alone in your ADHD struggles. Lots of others just like you are experiencing the same thing! Over the coming year, I will be writing articles on these topics and providing practical strategies that will hopefully make your 2021 a little easier.
If you’d like to ask an ADHD Coach, find out more about my research or ask your own questions, you can join the Unconventional Organisation Strategies for ADHD Facebook Group, where I will keep you updated.
Talk to you next year.
Skye.
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