Hello. I’m David. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was really young, but for most of my life I didn’t actually understand what that meant. I always thought ADHD was just about focus. You know, things like, “can’t pay attention, gets distracted easily.” That was the definition I carried with me for years. But over time, things didn’t just stay the same. The struggle got harder. The mental noise got louder. Starting things, finishing things, regulating energy, emotions - all of it became more difficult, especially as life responsibilities stacked up. It felt like my brain just couldn’t keep up with anything. For a long time, I didn’t have language for any of that. Then something interesting started happening. People began asking me if I was autistic. Not once or twice, but enough times that I couldn’t ignore it. At first I brushed it off, but eventually it pushed me to start really researching ADHD and truly understanding it beyond the surface-level definition I’d been given as a kid. That's when it all clicked. Learning about executive dysfunction, sensory sensitivity, burnout, emotional regulation, hyperfocus, nervous system overload - it felt like someone had handed me the manual to my own life. Things I thought were personal failures suddenly made sense. Patterns I couldn’t explain suddenly had names. It has been a mix of relief and grief. Relief that I finally have more understanding and explanation for myself, and grief for how long I went without that understanding. I’m still figuring things out. Still learning how to work with my brain instead of constantly fighting it. It's really difficult. My brain usually wins every time. I am here because I want to commune with others who get it and live it - people who are also trying to make sense of how their mind works and build something useful out of it. Glad to be here.