The ADHD Solutions Blog

Overlooked: A Diagnosis Some May Not Even Consider

Submitted by Beth Main on Mon, 07/22/2024 - 14:28

Like most people who remember the 1970s, I believed at one time that people with a certain diagnosis (I’ll tell you what it is later) were social outcasts with severe intellectual impairment. You couldn’t talk to them, and they wouldn’t even look at you. If they talked at all, it was a deep-dive into the minutiae of their obscure favorite topic. They probably also had some freakish talent they acquired at age two instead of doing normal toddler things.  At least this is how it was depicted in popular culture. 

Emotional Freedom Techniques / EFT Tapping

Submitted by Beth Main on Wed, 04/03/2024 - 11:07

When you have ADHD, all kinds of things keep you from getting the important stuff done: Procrastination, distractions, going down a rabbit hole. Sometimes we get sidelined by negative emotions. Feelings of shame, sadness, frustration, or anger make it impossible to focus on the right thing.

The Full Moon Lunch

Submitted by Beth Main on Fri, 09/01/2023 - 14:23

I had lunch with a good friend recently.  We both have ADHD, so we don't get together as much as we'd like. This seems to be a common problem amongst the ADHD set: the weeks slip into months and next thing you know it's been half a year (or more) since you talked to each other.  You're busy, you forget... you know how it is.  We have no sense of time and often aren't aware of just how much time has gone by.

That's how friendships deteriorate.  I don't want that to happen.  

The link between ADHD and trauma

Submitted by Beth Main on Thu, 03/09/2023 - 14:57

I used to think my professional interests - adult ADHD and complex trauma - were an odd combination. Would I have to give up my work with ADHD adults in order to pursue my new(er) passion? Do these two issues have enough commonality to make sense for me to specialize in both?  Would people get it?

"I'm Too Ashamed To Clean My House"

Submitted by Beth Main on Tue, 01/24/2023 - 09:45

The following is a reprint of an article I wrote for ADDitude Magazine. 

An ADDitude reader recently wrote: “I am a mother and wife diagnosed with ADHD at 35. I have been struggling with organization challenges since I was a teen, and I see myself — thanks to my parents’ and friends’ constant reminders — as a messy person. On top of that, I have no idea how to neaten up our home! My challenge is equal parts shame and ignorance about how to begin my organizational journey. Can you help?”

How to avoid ADHD-Christmas overload

Submitted by Beth Main on Sat, 11/19/2022 - 16:35

My childhood Christmas memories include cookie baking, tree decorating, and carol singing. Yes, really — it was perfect. I remember all seven of us signing the dozens of cards sent to friends and family, and taking turns opening each day on the advent calendar. The presents were always highly anticipated — and usually perfect. My godmother hummed Christmas songs, and always had a hug or a kind word to share. She never once lost her temper.

Maybe the pace was slower then – one wage earner, one car, us kids entertained ourselves all day – or maybe I’m just remembering it wrong. Either way, for many years I invested too much time and anxiety in trying to reproduce that holiday magic for my own family.

Email management: I'll get back to you

Submitted by Beth Main on Sat, 08/06/2022 - 12:32

Many of my clients want help organizing their email.  Some of them even aspire to "inbox zero", the practice of keeping the number of messages in one's inbox at - you guessed it - zero. On the surface, it seems like a simple problem that could be resolved by setting up some folders and unsubscribing from email lists that are no longer relevant.  But really, where you put stuff is only a small part of the issue.

How to finish what you started

Submitted by Beth Main on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 13:30

The following is a reprint of an article I wrote for ADDitude Magazine.

For adults with ADHD, keeping a mental to-do list just doesn't work. It takes up brain bandwidth you could be using for other things. You forget stuff, and then remember while you're in the middle of doing something else. You jump up to do it, and never go back to the original thing. Your natural tendency for impulsivity takes over, and that can be stressful. An intuitive, simple, daily planning practice is the answer.

Meditation for ADHD – it’s (maybe) not what you think

Submitted by Beth Main on Fri, 12/17/2021 - 15:10

Meditate with mosaic

You’ve probably heard that mindfulness meditation is good for people with ADHD. But many of us, myself included, have an incredibly difficult time sitting still long enough to become proficient.  I know, I know, there’s a reason meditation practice is called PRACTICE.  Apparently the more you practice, the easier it gets.  But sitting meditation is just not my thing. 

What’s in your gear closet?

Submitted by Beth Main on Mon, 06/14/2021 - 12:26

Ah, the first backpacking trip of the season.   The weather was perfect.  The trail was uncrowded.  Metaphors about gear and ADHD strategies floated through my mind like sparks from the campfire.

I was never really a tool person.  It used to be there wasn’t much I couldn’t repair with duct tape, a kitchen knife, and a high heeled shoe.  When I started hiking many years ago, part of the allure was that I didn’t need any special equipment.  I could just get up and go.  Now I’ve amassed several thousand dollars worth of backpacking gear that I have no idea how I ever lived without.

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