Living With It

“It may look like I'm doing nothing, but in my head I'm quite busy.”

Being neurodivergent has its ups and downs.

It means you can’t hold a job—but your hyper focus is a super power…

I have trouble remembering to brush my teeth or make my bed—but is you only give me a few minutes to do it—the Dopamine hit is there.

Everything that I have to do is represented on my walls SOMEWHERE…If you see it you’re less likely to forget??? Not always true—but the best way to remember to do things.

The Dopamine hit is the best way to get something done—if you can give me a fight or discourage something I say—then I will be more motivated to finish the list (we all have them) that will tell us what to do next—or at all in the first place.

See, we can’t take criticism the same way a neurotypical person does. We throw in emotion and it gets weird…

So in short in order to motivate us you’ve got to fight with us to up the Dopamine—but we may react in an emotional way.

This is why relationships are hard. You may never know what will come next. This takes a toll on the other person and they go away.

My parents were a good example—I knew they loved me—but I was never left with one or the other—what I would call a double team…I never had time alone with either parent and when I did it usually didn’t turn out well…

Therapy has been a part of my life since I was little—I found out I had ADHD in pre-K.

I was slated to take Ritalin—but didn’t take meds until I was in my 20s.

I graduated high school with these problems with the help of my parents…

In my 30s I was told I was Bipolar…That just changed the meds I got.

I’ve been taking the same meds for the past 5 years prescribed by Psychiatrist who I talk to every few months to renew the prescriptions…

But there is a happy ending…I have a job—a side hustle—not a full time job that I do to make money. I have my own apartment that I’ve decorated with anything you can think of that would remind me to do something.

Again, if you can see it—you’ll remember to do it. It doesn’t help with brushing teeth or making my bed—but I know how much money I have at all times—what’s in my accounts—and what I can spend. A lot of things get scratched off or written in and I’m constantly rewriting this paper.

I’m nowhere near perfect—but I manage to get things done.

Proceed As If Success Is Inevitable

Just Do It