Gaslit into thinking I just need to try harder
My ADHD Snapshot from a couple days ago is still sitting with me. That's how hard it hit! It basically said: "You spent your childhood trying to tell people how hard life was for you in a language they couldn't understand, so you were gaslit into believing that it must be you, and you just needed to try harder. You came in here looking for a personal map of your executive functions, but that won't help you if you don't even believe you have ADHD in the first place." I came in here very cynical and admit I may have shed a tear or two 🥲 I was diagnosed a few years ago at the age of 35, and I really went and said to myself, "Well, I've been doing it on my own this long, I'm sure if I just keep trying I can overcome it without help." NO! My biggest ADHD problem isn't an ADHD symptom. It's the belief that I don't have ADHD; I just suck at being a person. It's the years of trying to get help and not being believed until I didn't believe me, either. The letter I sent to my younger self wasn't "You're just wired differently" or "It's ok to be different". It was, "You're smart, and you're right. You really are built different. Trust your intuition, because you are smart enough to be right." And it's what my current self needs to hear, too. Amazing stuff! Looking forward to day 3.