What are your coping strategies?

I just got diagnosed in the last 6 months. It explains so much of my life. Why I can't remember dates, or times, or birthdays. It's the reason I set alarms to remind me to do things....it was like a huge AHA moment for me.

Things I have found to help procrastination and low self-esteem are listing out what I accomplished. Setting a short list of goals for the day.

Getting Ready for the day, Planning dinner, Making dinner, stuff like that. But definitely keep it short. Then when you accomplish that stuff, cross it off, or list it out. It makes me feel better.

Also having someone to talk to about it helps me. I have a friend that also has ADHD and we text a lot telling each other what we accomplished and it helps motivateeach other to get things done.

The biggest thing is accepting yourself for who you are....I am still working on that one. Some days I am OK with myself but others I struggle.

Setting alarms to remind myself to do things helps me too. Or telling myself if I can do a task for 15 minutes then I can reward myself with a break, or a cup of coffee, or whatever.

I tried to get diagnosed. They said I didn't have enough symptoms, but I have trouble with everything you listed. So bad that that I get depressed at how incapable I feel. I was never this bad growing up. I'm 34 now. I have a little ptsd from an abusive marriage (divorced now) not sure if that's why it's so bad now? But I have also been researching gluten sensitivity; add can be a result of having gluten in your diet. My brother has celiac gluten sensitivity. Family members are more likely to also have it. It also starts being a problem only later in life. Besides bowel discomfort and lack of nutrient absorbstion, it allows cancers an open invitation to your body. I'm getting tested for gluten sensitivity, if anything to save myself bowel discomfort in future and do everything I can to avoid getting cancer. But I think my depression and brain fog will improve. Or maybe my joint pain and numbness in my arm will subside.

I find that if I get some form of exercise durring the day everything else comes easier becuase I can focus for at least a little longer.

When I get the I NEED TO MOVE feeling I try pacing (when in a place I can't leave at the moment) or I ask to go to the bathroom and use that time for a short mental break and a way to get some space to walk.

medication and therapy ! and a lot of reasearch/podcasts/books to understand what you are living with. dont be ashamed totell people whoyou are and hope they understand and perhaps they can help you. good luck with the adhd/add life people :)

Hi there. I've been struggling with ADHD since birth. I was diagnosed in 2nd grade, and rediagnosed with a more serious case 3 years ago. What I've learned about it is that it's not to be used as an excuse, but as an explanation. If you just don't feel like working, and you try to justify it with ADHD, then you're using it as an excuse. Never do that. Ever. If you catch yourself off task suddenly, then use ADHD as an explanation. I've been coping it with medication and therapy, but it's different for each person. Coping is subjective. Motivation is a struggle, I get it. However, pretend that your brain is a gladiator ring. Your conscience is fighting against ADHD. If you don't do whatever you need to do, ADHD will win. If you do it, the conscience wins, and that's always good.

Just throwing in my two cents.

Try to divide the work into smaller chunks. Do a chunk aday so you don't loose focus as much as when you do large chunks. It works for me but it might not work for you. Give it a try and if you don't like it you can switch to a different system.

The meds gave me some bad side effects, so now I don't take anything, but meditation and yoga helps.

Look into changing your diet to be addative free & low in sugar. In Europe this is pretty easy now, but in North America the foods & drinks horrified me, all my kids are affected by this to some extent and diet makes a big difference. Also reframethis , it can be a huge advantage, there are some great books on the evolutionary reasons why this is a good thing !