Just reading about different types and I think I am this one. Over the weeks by reading posts here, it has amazed me that things I took no notice of seems to be typical of us. I just found out that something I always do is picking at cuticles or skin and apparently this isn’t unusual… that’s a new one. Every day I am learning more about this. I now need to find my superpower

There is a strong, well-documented link between ADHD and the tendency to attract—or be vulnerable to—narcissists. This overlap largely stems from ADHD traits like impulsivity, an intense need for dopamine, and a history of people-pleasing. Several specific ADHD characteristics make individuals prime targets for narcissistic manipulation: - Impulsivity and Love-Bombing: ADHD brains crave quick dopamine, and narcissists are masters of "love-bombing" in early relationships. The intense, thrilling attention can feel like a perfect match, making ADHDers quick to jump into relationships before spotting red flags. - People-Pleasing and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Years of being criticized for ADHD symptoms often create deep-seated shame and a fear of rejection. This makes many people with ADHD accommodating and eager to please, which is exactly what a narcissist seeks to exploit. - Trust and Forgetting the Past: Because ADHD can affect working memory, individuals may forget past betrayals or easily second-guess their own memories. Narcissists use this to gaslight partners, warping their perception of reality. - Hyperfocus: The ability to hyperfocus can lead to pouring all your energy and attention into a new partner. The narcissist feeds off this constant validation and attention. Clinical studies note that pathological narcissism or Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) occurs more frequently in adults with ADHD than in the general population.

After the heat of the day, I found myself in the garden at 10.30pm, just sitting with the dogs. It was so much cooler and it was lovely from the humid heat of the day. I decided to get my pruners and started cutting back the weeds. It felt so calming and without all the day time noise. I thought if I write this on here, you may all think I had lost the plot but Google tells me lots of people do it! so I am not so crazy. I do have floodlights and the only thing I would advise, if you try it, is get plenty of insect repellent on you as I didnt and am regretting that! But it could be a new way for me to chill after a hot day

Seeing it in myself and in a lot of people here, I recognize that many of us are incredibly hard on ourselves and don't show much compassion to ourselves. I posted a few things tonight that show, for many of us, it's not just the ADHD we deal with. There's addiction, excoriation, attracting narcissists... I have a feeling there is much more, but that's enough for this post which is meant to ask you to please, please, PLEASE give yourself a break. When you set a goal and you fail to meet it? Consider what else you may be dealing with. Did it help when family members and other people were hard on you? Nope. And now you're just building on that poor treatment of yourself. There's a whole hell of a lot in addition to ADHD that you may be dealing with. Show yourself some grace, some compassion. Slather on the self-care and self-love. You deal with a lot. You deserve to catch a break from criticism, especially if it's coming from YOU. Just my opinion.