Thanks for this, I have been told by a psychiatrist that I couldn't have ADHD because I got a 4.0 in college. The GPA doesn't show the all-nighters, stress, and saving every single assignment until the last minute/night before. Not all people with ADHD get bad grades.
Same here. I am 4.0 and I am now a lecturer, doctor said not possible to be ADHD, you are just having anxiety. But I strongly believe my anxiety was developed from ADHD, and I am going to share this with my doctor when I do my follow-up.
This made me feel so seen. I’ve been encouraged by multiple people in my life, including those who have been diagnosed themselves, to seek evaluation and rn I’m having that crisis that was mentioned: my new therapist seems to firmly believe that I can’t have ADHD because I’m “bright” and somehow manage to be doing well in grad school. I feel unheard because I try to tell him how much I’m missing out on, how much I sacrifice on the altar of achievement in school. How much weight I lost the first few months because I forget to eat, how many weekends I spend locked away staring in frustration at a screen trying to fucking START a task. How things that would take anyone else a morning takes me a whole day to finish halfway because I’m easily distracted. It’s frustrating that every time I try to tell him about my reasons for wanting an evaluation, he writes it off as a tradeoff of being exceptionally bright. Like no my guy, I’m treading water every day. I know I could be doing better, or at least get the same results without burning the candle at both ends constantly.
I'm so glad you feel seen, because you are! I've had so many clients tell me over the years that they were told that they can't have ADHD because they're too successful/too bright/doing too well, etc. (or not something enough) by someone who was supposed to be an authority, but really didn't understand ADHD at all. If your provider is not listening to you, don't give up! You're definitely not alone!
I like that she talked about isolation. Being a high achiever with adhd is ISOLATING. Not many doctors, PAs lawyers etc struggle with ADHD because not many of those with adhd make it this far so it can feel so terribly lonely and can take a real toll on self esteem. I’m in AZ and will look into finding an adhd coach near me
Woooo I needed this. As a soon to be PA (weeks away from graduation) with adult adhd diagnosed in first grade I have imposter syndrome so bad. I’ve had many set backs along the way and it takes my all to keep going. Thank you for this podcast truly!
I'm in my 2nd year of master's course in cell biology (abroad)... and really finding it hard to get my life 'together.' I have a feeling that I may have ADHD... I will talk to my therapist about it soon. Looking back to how I did in high school (always not paying attention, either sleeping or daydreaming, assignments were always late, didn't know the schedules of my exams, always losing my umbrellas or hankies... I was that "very intelligent but needs discipline" student), it makes more sense now. I somehow managed to get into a top university, and got really good grades in college... but it was frustratingly very hard to keep my life organized that it always felt like I was putting much more effort than everyone else. Now in grad school, it takes a great deal of energy to get myself to focus and start my experiments... because I would anticipate how boring and long it would take to have the results. I always find myself stuck inside "rabbit holes" that are not related to my research. Edit: ! I thought that "as long as I have strong will power, I can make it," but I think you are right. It's too tiring, and it shouldn't be this way. Now, I feel validated T_T
Do you know why I work most efficient when I overload myself? If I have comfortable schedule, I procrastinate a lot. I have to see deadlines coming to be like most organized person ever 🤔 I see my husband and he swimming with the flow and I am always overworking or doing minimum to close the day 🤪
Panic releases the dopamine your brain needs to focus. Try setting a timer and getting as much done before it goes off to create a mini-deadline. Or sometimes when I just.can't.get.started I tell myself I just have to work for 5 min, or 10 min, and set a timer. Sometimes that is all it takes to get me into it, sometimes my day is a series of 20 min timers with breaks in between, but I get more done than if I tell myself I have to settle in a focus for a whole day so I never actually get started.
@@baassiia I don't, but I am interested in such a thing. I have a really challenging, high level thinking, high level organizing, job and it is hard to know when I am struggling because of ADHD and when I'm struggling just because its a hard task. I think my biggest loss in productivity is spinning too long before I either ask for help or apply some ADHD tool because I am never sure if this is just my problematic brain or not.
@@FortheBudgies my job is same. I compare myslf to other worker and I am overwoking most of them (massivly). Definitely I am more efficent even with procrastiation. I think this Is thanks to ADHD. My mind works faster. I struggle more with corporate social connection that work Itself. I am not sure if You have collegues to compare but it's always good experience to observe other people at work.
Yes, I was just given the success archetype of the Achiever's Paradox from Brad Bizjack's quiz. Ive had ADD since I was a kid. So this is interesting to me. Thanks.
About learing - I was poor student at primary school, then around age 12 thing shifts and I have great grades since then. I was internally motivated to have good education. Issue is that we (ADHD people) get bored very quickly. I have to have my brain working really hard to be able to focus - math was great for me, reading books - toooooo long. I was reading books summary, to trick "system". I prefer listening than reading and I love solving problems, finding new solutions.
Do you need to find your zone of concentration? Once you find your zone can you find your hyper focus? Are there certain times of day that you can focus more? How can you find that zone? Is the zone closely linked to a internal rhythem ?
Get in touch with our guest Casey Dixon at www.DixonLifeCoaching.com
Thanks for this, I have been told by a psychiatrist that I couldn't have ADHD because I got a 4.0 in college. The GPA doesn't show the all-nighters, stress, and saving every single assignment until the last minute/night before. Not all people with ADHD get bad grades.
Many of my clients, like me, tell those stories! Until they finally find a professional who gets the whole picture.
Same here. I am 4.0 and I am now a lecturer, doctor said not possible to be ADHD, you are just having anxiety. But I strongly believe my anxiety was developed from ADHD, and I am going to share this with my doctor when I do my follow-up.
This made me feel so seen. I’ve been encouraged by multiple people in my life, including those who have been diagnosed themselves, to seek evaluation and rn I’m having that crisis that was mentioned: my new therapist seems to firmly believe that I can’t have ADHD because I’m “bright” and somehow manage to be doing well in grad school. I feel unheard because I try to tell him how much I’m missing out on, how much I sacrifice on the altar of achievement in school. How much weight I lost the first few months because I forget to eat, how many weekends I spend locked away staring in frustration at a screen trying to fucking START a task. How things that would take anyone else a morning takes me a whole day to finish halfway because I’m easily distracted. It’s frustrating that every time I try to tell him about my reasons for wanting an evaluation, he writes it off as a tradeoff of being exceptionally bright. Like no my guy, I’m treading water every day. I know I could be doing better, or at least get the same results without burning the candle at both ends constantly.
I'm so glad you feel seen, because you are! I've had so many clients tell me over the years that they were told that they can't have ADHD because they're too successful/too bright/doing too well, etc. (or not something enough) by someone who was supposed to be an authority, but really didn't understand ADHD at all. If your provider is not listening to you, don't give up! You're definitely not alone!
Twice-exceptional people
You may need a 2nd/3rd opinion because that therapist should understand high achievement that's fueled by different things.
I like that she talked about isolation. Being a high achiever with adhd is ISOLATING. Not many doctors, PAs lawyers etc struggle with ADHD because not many of those with adhd make it this far so it can feel so terribly lonely and can take a real toll on self esteem. I’m in AZ and will look into finding an adhd coach near me
Woooo I needed this. As a soon to be PA (weeks away from graduation) with adult adhd diagnosed in first grade I have imposter syndrome so bad. I’ve had many set backs along the way and it takes my all to keep going. Thank you for this podcast truly!
I'm in my 2nd year of master's course in cell biology (abroad)... and really finding it hard to get my life 'together.' I have a feeling that I may have ADHD... I will talk to my therapist about it soon.
Looking back to how I did in high school (always not paying attention, either sleeping or daydreaming, assignments were always late, didn't know the schedules of my exams, always losing my umbrellas or hankies... I was that "very intelligent but needs discipline" student), it makes more sense now.
I somehow managed to get into a top university, and got really good grades in college... but it was frustratingly very hard to keep my life organized that it always felt like I was putting much more effort than everyone else.
Now in grad school, it takes a great deal of energy to get myself to focus and start my experiments... because I would anticipate how boring and long it would take to have the results. I always find myself stuck inside "rabbit holes" that are not related to my research.
Edit:
! I thought that "as long as I have strong will power, I can make it," but I think you are right. It's too tiring, and it shouldn't be this way. Now, I feel validated T_T
Do you know why I work most efficient when I overload myself? If I have comfortable schedule, I procrastinate a lot. I have to see deadlines coming to be like most organized person ever 🤔
I see my husband and he swimming with the flow and I am always overworking or doing minimum to close the day 🤪
Panic releases the dopamine your brain needs to focus. Try setting a timer and getting as much done before it goes off to create a mini-deadline. Or sometimes when I just.can't.get.started I tell myself I just have to work for 5 min, or 10 min, and set a timer. Sometimes that is all it takes to get me into it, sometimes my day is a series of 20 min timers with breaks in between, but I get more done than if I tell myself I have to settle in a focus for a whole day so I never actually get started.
@@FortheBudgies that's interresting thanks! Do you know any interesting channels for ADD/ADHD grown ups that generally doing fine in life?
@@baassiia I don't, but I am interested in such a thing. I have a really challenging, high level thinking, high level organizing, job and it is hard to know when I am struggling because of ADHD and when I'm struggling just because its a hard task. I think my biggest loss in productivity is spinning too long before I either ask for help or apply some ADHD tool because I am never sure if this is just my problematic brain or not.
@@FortheBudgies my job is same. I compare myslf to other worker and I am overwoking most of them (massivly). Definitely I am more efficent even with procrastiation. I think this Is thanks to ADHD. My mind works faster. I struggle more with corporate social connection that work Itself.
I am not sure if You have collegues to compare but it's always good experience to observe other people at work.
@@baassiia I was assuming you know about the channel How To ADHD, it is full of information for anyone with ADHD. Lots of science and coping tools.
Yes, I was just given the success archetype of the Achiever's Paradox from Brad Bizjack's quiz. Ive had ADD since I was a kid. So this is interesting to me. Thanks.
About learing - I was poor student at primary school, then around age 12 thing shifts and I have great grades since then. I was internally motivated to have good education. Issue is that we (ADHD people) get bored very quickly. I have to have my brain working really hard to be able to focus - math was great for me, reading books - toooooo long. I was reading books summary, to trick "system". I prefer listening than reading and I love solving problems, finding new solutions.
Saame! Loved math, because it kept my mind entertained
Thank you so much
Do you need to find your zone of concentration?
Once you find your zone can you find your hyper focus?
Are there certain times of day that you can focus more? How can you find that zone?
Is the zone closely linked to a
internal rhythem ?
such a great talk
Thank you 🙏🏾
It's fine for Casey to focus her coaching biz however she wants... but let's not define high achiever as someone who has lots of degrees.
How do you want ADHD people to watch this if it's not visual?
You do know we get bored easily right?
Listen while doing something like playing run or doing some housework or creative project
Uninteresting, unenlightening. A glorified ad for your services.
Signed,
A high achiever with ADHD