Iterate ADHD

18/11/2024

Often all over things in the moment because they can be so stimulating, only for our focus to disappear into a black hole—one of the many paradoxes of living with .

30/08/2024

For me, this quote really sums up the mindset and awareness required to live well with ADHD.

What has stood out to me in my work with clients—though it shouldn’t, given my own experience was the same, is how often people with ADHD have only a limited understanding of the condition and are oblivious to the extensive and omni-present impact on their lives.

Many recognise their diagnosis through the more obvious struggles, often career related, but don't realise how ADHD is going to affect every aspect of daily functioning and interactions. While not all outcomes are negative, many can be challenging and demoralising.

The quote shared is from Dr. Russell Barkley, whose research and his self-produced YouTube content now he is retired has been one of many valued resources that really helped in shaping my current approach to living with ADHD, which took me over a decade to navigate.

Key insights from Dr. Barkley that have been particularly helpful:

- 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Understanding ADHD is crucial. How can we manage something effectively if we don’t fully understand it?

- 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲: By seeing ADHD as a performance issue, we can focus on improving how we function in various areas of life.

- 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀: ADHD isn't just about getting tasks done. Left unchecked, it has significant costs for individuals and society.

- 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗: It's very possible to thrive with ADHD. Medication can help, but real change comes from self-education, working to improve performance, developing vigilance and being able to reflect into the past and project into the future, two core areas that ADHD has the ability to seriously warp.

08/08/2024

ADHD is hard to explain, this simple analogy helps.

I found this to be one of the most relatable explanations of ADHD I ever encountered, while reading the book ADHD 2.0.

It might sound dumb, but having this very clear analogy was one of the many things that finally helped me to connect the dots of living with ADHD and change things.

It gave me language and self-awareness to develop systems to capture these thoughts and build ways to slow down the popcorn machine in some scenarios, usually self-induced rabbit holes which end badly. But now, I can often catch myself going into these negative spirals and get out quickly, not ruining my day.

ADHD 2.0, presents a more upbeat view of ADHD. I believe it's worth checking for some balance, even if you don't agree with it's overly positive view of "gifts to unwrap", as many of the best books and literature on ADHD can be quite academic or heavy going.

It's always best to get various perspectives, from trusted sources, Hallowell and Ratey have clearly earned their right to their opinions. Also, reading the more positive spins can help bring a sense of balance and humour to the whole experience, even if you can't go the full distance on the "gift" or "superpower" perspective.

07/08/2024

Routines are key for living well with ADHD but it can feel impossible to begin and sustain.

At the core of ADHD are the small but impairing differences in key brain functions.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻:

❌ Warp much of what we experience, such as time passing and ability to plan into the future.

❌ Impair our ability to regulate and inhibit our responses to the environment around us.

❌ Struggle to know what to work on in sequence, often driven by competing tasks or opportunities that can emerge from anytime, anywhere.

❌ Lead us to over-commit and make promises, only for things not to happen.

❌ Lead us down a path of adopting and abandoning endless systems.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿

✅ The first step is taking full ownership of your ADHD and to decide to do something about it.

✅ Reject the belief that ADHD has doomed you, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

✅ Be open to considering living with ADHD as something that needs vigilance and management, much like a diabetic needs to be aware of their blood sugar levels.

𝗛𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀, 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀

✅ Developing habits and routines is essential for a life lived with ADHD. Many of us can struggle to even take care of basic self-care routines regularly.

✅ It can be really hard to know where to start, with so much competing information and people selling "pre-made" apps and productivity solutions out of the box, only for us to abandon them.

✅ Establishing a good baseline structure for your day-to-day is possible and crucial.

⭐ 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

I am working on video guides on how to approach building habits and routines with ADHD.

They'll be on YouTube

I will be outlining how you might start a system that you can adapt and put into practice in a way that could work for you.

𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀.

26/07/2024

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 '𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿' 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗳𝘂𝗹

It is increasingly common to see ADHD as labeled as some superpower that can simply be unwrapped.

Sure, people with well controlled ADHD are likely to excel in certain areas with some innate strengths they have, in particular creative endeavours, but simplifying the condition as a "Superpower" is outright silly and ignores the multi-faceted ways ADHD shows up in life, not just work.

Remember, "superpowers" rarely exist without challenges. With ADHD, there is plenty of kryptonite waiting for us just around the corner.

Here's just a few examples of how this label is harmful:

▶ 𝗨𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Not all individuals with ADHD exhibit the same strengths, leading to undue pressure.

▶ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀: Highlighting only positives dismisses significant challenges like inattention and impulsivity.

▶ 𝗧𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: Overly positive narratives can downplay the genuine hardships of living with ADHD.

▶ 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: ADHD is a complex condition requiring tailored support, not just a focus on strengths.

▶ 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮 𝗔𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The superpower label can perpetuate stigma against medications which can significantly help those with ADHD move ahead.

▶ 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: Everyone’s experience with ADHD is unique, and not all will resonate with the superpower narrative.

Instead of the superpower myth, I suggest that a balanced view acknowledging both strengths and challenges is preferable. This promotes empathy, awareness, and practical support, empowering those with ADHD, not making a joke out of a what can be a serious condition to have to navigate life with.

➡️ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: https://www.iterateadhd.com/blog/adhd-not-a-superpower

➡️ 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: https://www.iterateadhd.com/p/get-adhd-coaching

18/07/2024

"ADHD" can conjure up an image of a misbehaving boy. This "label" can feel unfair and fuel stigma.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex condition that affects how we operate and react to the world. It’s a permanent state, not a fleeting difference. It's often very confusing living this way, the name doesn't help.

↳ No, not everyone is "𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘈𝘋𝘏𝘋" at times.

↳ Without proper management, it can and will likely lead to one or many negative, predictable outcomes as we try our best to maddeningly fit into a neurotypical world

↳ The name/label/term "ADHD" doesn't seem to resonate with what we experience at all, in fact, much seems paradoxical.

↳ For many, we are simply diagnosed with "ADHD" and left to ourselves to figure the rest out.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ❌

↳ Many think ADHD means hyperactivity or bad behaviour to be corrected by discipline or willpower.

↳ In reality, ADHD in adults rarely present as "hyperactive" with any "deficit of attention", quite the opposite.

↳ Like me, they've been constantly driven to try "fix" themselves long before they were diagnosed, but didn't know what was 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨.

↳ Despite equal prevalence between genders, girls rarely present with any external hyperactivity and are misdiagnosed or missed entirely.

↳ Adults with ADHD often feel misunderstood, feeling seen as using this label to excuse moral failings or lack of will to correct productivity issues, leading to shame and reluctance to disclose their diagnosis with anyone.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 📜

ADHD has had many names, none truly capturing its essence, surely we can do better:

↳ Minimal brain dysfunction

↳ Hyperkinetic reaction of childhood

↳ Impulse disorder

↳ Attention deficit disorder

𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 "𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗"? 🌱

↳ Living well with ADHD requires self-awareness and understanding its root causes and effects

↳ Sadly, for many education often ends at diagnosis, maybe with medication, leaving individuals to navigate conflicting information alone with this term "ADHD"

↳ The term ADHD and the image of a hyperactive, misbehaved child are far from reality

↳ We deserve better recognition and understanding. If we can't relate to the name of this condition, how can we move forward?

See below a breakdown of the term "attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder" to see how off the mark this term is and how it can feel like a target on our back and a label to carry, not a different way of experiencing the world to understand.

🌟🧠✨

05/07/2024

Sums up the internal monologue when ADHD brains ruminate perfectly.

h/t: Dani Donovan

01/07/2024

ADHD is not some fleeting or trivial disorder of attention.

ADHD can impact those impacted by it to varying degrees across the broad spectrum of day-to-day life, often changing from one hour to the next.

See how others close to those with ADHD report the impairments they see in those diagnosed close to them to get a sense of the vast differences that ADHD presents.

ADHD Coaching works by addressing the gamut of traits and differences across the range of executive functions, allowing those with ADHD to better understand themselves and implement better strategies and tactics that actually help move them forward.

28/06/2024

After many months of training, studying coaching and preparing, we're ready to launch.

𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱

ADHD awareness in general is increasing rapidly. However, what it means, its impact and what to do about it appears to be minimal and contradictory at best.

It took our own founder, now a certified ADHD Coach, Gary Hammond, ten years to finally understand his brain and how to accept and work with his ADHD, not confusingly fighting it for a decade. This involved supplementing his treatment with a path that provided the education and awareness to allow him understand and move ahead, finally.

𝟭:𝟭 𝗔𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

🌟 Gary noted that his experience did not seem to be unique to him at all, with almost universal confusion about what ADHD really is with his initial coaching clients, never mind how to start overcoming these challenges.

📚 By providing coaching through an ADHD lens, which is based on the scientifically accepted differences in our ADHD brains, in particular, the impact of those differences in our executive functioning abilities that are slightly misfiring and glitchy.

🧠 ADHD brains are not broken.

💪 People with ADHD are not doomed or more or less intelligent or capable than others.

🔄 People with ADHD have slightly different brain wiring, but fitting into a neurotypical world can seem impossible and leave them without the words to articulate the changes they need to themselves or to others who want to help.

🌱 ADHD should never be an excuse, simply an explanation that can be used to develop different ways of performing.

𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆

🏢 For businesses, ADHD in the workforce is an increasing reality, often leaving operations and managers confused about what they can do to support their workforce.

💡 I would implore businesses to understand that living with underrated ADHD feels extremely shameful, up to 70% of us will eventually be diagnosed with depression at some point in life if we don't find a way to fit in and we beat ourselves up all of the time, working way harder to achieve our goals despite what outputs you may see.

⚖️ Ignoring ADHD in the workplace or assuming things of those with it will not get you far. Also, the law is on the side of the employee; it makes sense to support them, a win-win for both. This doesn't involve re-writing the entire operations and project delivery processes, just introducing reasonable changes and adjustments to help certain staff thrive.

🌟 In many roles, ADHD brains can be truly exceptional and unique, doing what others see as extremely difficult in the same way as ADHD brains see some of the more mundane tasks that others find easy just as difficult.

📈 With considerable management and organisational experience, we also work with progressive companies who want to understand and support their ADHD staff, even making ADHD part of their success strategy.

Evolving awareness of ADHD and improving the lives of those living with it trough Coaching, Business Training & Consulting and Advocacy.

20/06/2024

One of the most prevalent misconceptions of ADHD is that it is simply some new "made up" condition that's only emerged. This is simply untrue.

In reality, it's been observed and documented for hundreds of years, advances in the scientific community since the 1970's and increased awareness in the past decade has finally given a lot of people a lot of answers, allowing them to understand their way of being.

Below are some examples of the evolution of ADHD in the scientific literature since 1775. However, there are plenty of non-literature clues that this has been observed in humans with the first known description of the syndrome from Hippocrates in 493 B.C.

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀:

- The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder: https://buff.ly/4eynrLu

- First Reference to ADHD Found to be in 1753 by Kloekhof: https://buff.ly/3Xzhlo4

- Who says this is a modern disorder? The early history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: https://buff.ly/4bh5uho.

12/06/2024

🌟 Understanding ADHD in the Workplace 🌟

ADHD means not "fitting" into a neurotypical world. It does not mean we are broken, just different.

✨ People with ADHD often possess:
- 🌟 Unique creativity
- 🤝 Honesty & loyalty
- 🌟 Incredible intuition
- 📈 Dedication to self-improvement

🏆 In the right role and environment:
- 💎 ADHD brains can be a tremendous asset:
- 🚀 Often outperform others in certain roles
- 🤝 It's a win-win for both employer & employee

⚠️ In the wrong setting:
- 😔 Struggles with self-confidence
- 😕 Feeling misunderstood despite hard work
- 🔧 Avoidable with minor adjustments

🔄 Shift your perspective:
- 🌟 Look at the upside of some typical "negative" traits
- 👀 See things from another point of view

ADHD means we are naturally capable of things others find challenging, but might struggle with seemingly "easy" tasks.