The lighter side of ADHD
I'm autistic, so I don't know if this applies with adhd, but for me it's not a choice (sensory processing disorder means, for me anyway, not being able to not be alert and aware of literally everything going on around me), and if it was, it wouldn't be about "warding off harm" in some abstract way, it's more about trying to be prepared for every possible outcome, because being caught unprepared would cause even more anxiety..
Aren't brains fun? π
They are not, except the few times they are
I relate to this so much. Throw in trauma and my nervous system is running on overdrive.
Literally nearly edited in "throw in trauma" after mentioning SPD, but left it..
Hello fellow hyper vigilant person.. π¬π
I could have written both of your comments, but am not diagnosed. Hugs and/or an understanding nod
This behavior is why I'm good at my job
This behavior is when I'm good at my job.
This behavior is why other people think I'm good at my job but I think I'm not (because clearly I haven't thought about everything yet , right?)
Blessing and a curse, I get paid for my judgement but it comes from the same place of anxiety and desperation to be prepared for anything.
I mean yeah but it's still nice to be good at something and somebody needs to think about this shit
What is your job?
My superpower is thinking of, and building contingencies for, every single possible problem except the ones that actually happen. I'm like a shitty useless batman.
It's like playing Whack-A-Mole, but focusing solely on one side of the board and flipping to the other side with each miss. Coverage is incredible, but the moles are openly snickering on the other side. πΆ
Yeah, I avoid problems that I see coming, but then it turns out that other people didn't avoid them and they weren't really that problematic anyway.
The illusion of control, even with its misplaced guilt, is easier to process than the chaotic truth that no one is in control. Everyone is making it up as they go and pretending there's a plan. Even when there is a plan, it invariably falls apart when you attempt to implement it in reality. Too many variables. Too much chaos.
You turn away from the chaos by creating a fictitious order in your head, then blame yourself when reality happens instead of fiction.
As an elementary teacher, add to that the necessity of convincing a bunch of children that reality is ordered rather than chaos, and then make them perform that βorderβ for other parents, teachers, administrators, etc. Itβs mentally exhausting.
This sounds familiar. It was the first thing I got treatment for along with depression.
I was always on edge for things I forgot or bad things that might happen. Even small day to day things. Along with the anxiousness / fear I felt all the time. Started leaning towards turning into the paranoid prepper type at one point.
Cybersecurity was a natural fit as a career lol.
Once I got on medication, the feeling of fear or anxiety basically vanished. And the depression was more under control. I'm still good at cybersec though. I have had a lot of practice thinking about what can go wrong. I just don't freak out over it anymore.
Later I was diagnosed with ADHD. I don't know if or how that played in. My unscientific pet theory is that constantly screwing up may have heightened my fear of screwing up. But idk how it explains fearing numerous potential adverse scenarios.
Anyway I am more calm and level headed than ever most of the time. I do still anticipate various reasonable outcomes. But I don't freak or go overboard or focus on the scariest thing.
Oh hey thats me.
My anxiety isnt too bad if im doing something ive done before. In new situations that I haven't gone through is when my brain kicks it up and starts playing out what could happen and how we would deal with it.
Something about the way this was written is irritating
Yes, and bad.
Not great, friend. Not great.
Holyfuckingshitotherpeopledothistoo???
This is the most effective strategy I have for managing my adhd.
Better now that I'm on meds for that!
Yeah, I started meds for this and it just... Turned off. Not much else happened and it was like I had taken off a heavy backpack I didn't know I was wearing.
What is the condition/the meds called?
I'm on Lexapro (Escitalopram) for social anxiety disorder and it's helped a ton!
Steris from Mistborn Era 2 by Brandon Sanderson. He writes a lot of non-neurotypical characters very well. She's great, and gets a very nice love story
Bad
That's not just anxiety. That's my most important survival strategy.
I recommend vit B (especially B1, B5, B12) and mineral (especialls potassium, which is quite hard to get from diet) supplementation. this is a symptom of nutrient deficiency often caused by chronic stress and caffeine overconsumption.
If you find yourself just getting tired, anxious and racing heart from caffeine, that is a sign that you are deficient.
or don't, if you want to die from chronic stress
This really is a cynic comment telling someone with ADHD to take vitamins and minerals against being anxious. Like, sure it could help some people. But like you put it, it sounds as if someone is just anxious and hypervigilant because of some nutrient deficiency. And as if you don't take them or ADHD seriously.
I've taken many vitamin and mineral supplements, have frequent blood controls, don't drink much caffeine and am still very anxious and hypervigilant. Caffeine actually makes me less anxious most of the time, helps me sleep even. And regulating my vit b12, vit d and iron levels didn't do anything noticeable for my mental health. Please don't tell people who are sharing their problems to just solve with this quick fix. It isn't that easy.
ETA: lol, you are trolling, right? vitamine b1&b5? Are you sure? Wiki on panthothenic acid: "Pantothenic acid deficiency in humans is very rare and has not been thoroughly studied. In the few cases where deficiency has been seen (prisoners of war during World War II, victims of starvation, or limited volunteer trials), nearly all symptoms were reversed with orally administered pantothenic acid." And Wiki on Thiamine: "In Western countries, chronic alcoholism is a risk factor for deficiency. Also at risk are older adults, persons with HIV/AIDS or diabetes, and those who have had bariatric surgery. Varying degrees of thiamine insufficiency have been associated with the long-term use of diuretics."
shut up, I have crippling adhd too and it helps. don't blame all of your problems on adhd
mineral (especialls potassium, which is quite hard to get from diet) supplementation
taking potassium supplements without being monitored by a medical professional is not recommended. potassium supplements are known to cause bowel lesions, and if you don't have hypokalemia (low potassium in blood), taking extra potassium can give you hyperkalemia, which can cause serious heart arrhythmias. you probably don't have hypokalemia, its rare to get it from having too little potassium in your diet, so if you're taking a supplement without having seen a doctor about hypokalemia, you are genuinely at risk of hyperkalemia, excessive supplementation is a known cause of the condition.
to anybody reading, please don't take any supplements without talking to a doctor first. vitamin and mineral deficiencies can affect mood and general well being, but so can most medical conditions. unless you've taken a blood test, and are sure that the problems you're experiencing are because of a vitamin or mineral deficiency, taking supplements inappropriately can expose you to risks that are difficult to anticipate if you don't have a medical education.
If you find yourself just getting tired, anxious and racing heart from caffeine, that is a sign that you are deficient.
this is also not true. caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. like other stimulants, it will increase your heart rate. feeling anxious when taking stimulants is a very common side effect. fatigue after caffeine wears off is also an extremely common side effect. the solution to feeling these kinds of side effects isn't to supplement an unrelated vitamin, it's to reduce your caffeine intake.
Source?
This is called being a good person in a bad world.
Or collective PTSD in America, at least.
I do; not great, because a lot of the really concerning problems that may have an impact on me in the next 5-10 years are things that I have very little, if any, control over, and the contingency plan is basically just βgo to another countryβ. Which is a bit tough to internalize, because for all its problems, I was born and grew up here, and I know this place has the potential to be better, and I want to fight for it to be better, but a lot of powerful and rich people are pushing things in the exact opposite direction in the interest of getting more power and money.
Excuse me, I did not asked to be called out like this. π€£π This is so me.
You sure you don't have OCD there bud?
I'm sure of nothing
Might wanna look into OCD then. That sort of mentally torturing yourself is very OCD, so is the belief that if you do it often enough/just right, it will protect you and your community from harm.
I'm already in therapy for a while now. And although I do still feel this, it is much less now
I was that person and I got super burnt out so now I watch old AGDQ speedruns and Civvie 11 videos, hashtag freecivvie. It's not better but it is more comfortable.
Get medicated.
How can you write like that
It's called Intrusive thoughts, they come from subconscious and are normal. But if you are obsessed with them you might need to see a doctor.