#source: ADDitude

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Hi everyone,

I found a helpful article from ADDitude talking about ways to stop catastrophizing.

This excerpt is going to be somewhat long, so I apologize in advance:

3 Ways to Stop Catastrophizing:

To shift toxic worry into something productive, you need to first recognize that you are catastrophizing. This happens when your brain’s amygdala (the fight, flight or freeze) organ in the limbic system-the emotional region) figuratively takes over your thinking brain (your prefrontal cortex) by activating adrenaline and cortisol. Your entire being is focused on obtaining safety and feeling secure. Basically, the part of you that runs from tigers and steps aside from racing cars begins controlling all your responses.

1. Dismantle the “What-Ifs”

To regain control, turn down the volume on your catastrophic thinking by remembering past successes, tools, interventions, and statements you’ve used to overcome perceived dangers. When I’m in a “what-if” spiral, I shift my thinking to “What could go right?”

Follow your “what-ifs” to the end of the line. Ask yourself, “What if this happened? And then what? And what if that happened? And then what?” Keep going until there’s some resolution. Can you live with that resolution?

Try to consider best-case outcomes in addition to worst-case scenarios. What might happen that could be positive? Can I predict any happiness instead of pain?

2. Set Up a Buddy System

Toxic worry intensifies in isolation. So, set up a buddy system with someone you trust who can offer a different perspective. Who could you call or text if you’re in a poisonous worry spiral? Do you have a therapist, coach, or counselor? Whether you are concerned about perfectionism, personal relationships, or sociopolitical injustices, who could be your ally in these dark moments?

3. Create a Plan

Come up with a plan for escaping your next spiral. Make a list of self-soothing actions to take when worry rears its ugly head. Post it somewhere accessible, like on your phone or sticky notes at home. Your plan can include settle-me-down phrases such as “I’m afraid, and I know how to be brave” or “Things work out, keep breathing.” It can also contain a list of activities to slow your reactivity, such as drinking a glass of water, walking outside, cuddling a pet, getting a hug, etc. Here are some more ideas:

Exercise. Daily exercise pumps up your endorphins, which bathe your brain with good feelings. When I wake up feeling “ugh,” a run or bike ride gets me out of my negative headspace.

Create a playlist. Categorize songs into different playlists on your phone, label them “angry songs,” “sad songs,” “happy songs,” “how-to-stop-worrying songs,” etc.

Practice mindfulness to interrupt the pattern of negative thinking. Meditate. Do yoga. Listen to the birds. Drink a cup of tea. Do a crossword puzzle. Play Wordle.

Try triangle breathing. Breathe in for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale slowly for six counts. Do several rounds of this.

As always, the full article will be linked below if anyone wants to read more. I hope many of you found this helpful.

ADHD

Catastrophizing

[copperbadge]

Hi Sam, could you please recommend any resources/websites to learn about ADHD medication? Until reading your post about second-line meds I thought Adderal was the only one

I can definitely talk about it a little! Always bearing in mind that I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice, etc. etc.

So, I've had many friends with ADHD in my life before I got my diagnosis and I picked up some stuff from them even before getting diagnosed; I also spoke with my prescribing psychiatrist about options when we met. If you think your psychiatrist might be resistant to discussing options, or you don't have one, doing your own research is good, but it's not really a substitute for a specialist in medication management. So it's also important to know what your needs are -- ie, "I want help with my executive function but I need something that's nonaddictive" or "I want something nonsedative" or "I don't think the treatment I'm on is working, what is available outside of this kind of medication?"

The problems you run into with researching medication for ADHD are threefold:

Most well-informed sources aren't actually geared towards non-doctor adults who just want to know what their options are -- they're usually either doctors who don't know how to talk about medication to non-doctors, or doctors (and parents) talking to parents about pediatric options.

A huge number of sites when you google are either AI-generated, covert ads for stimulant addiction rehab, or both.

Reliable sites with easy-to-understand information are not updated super often.

So you just kind of have to be really alert and read the "page" itself for context clues -- is it a science journal, is it an organization that helps people with ADHD, is it a doctor, is it a rehab clinic, is it a drug advertiser, is it a random site with a weird URL that's probably AI generated, etc.

So for example, ADDitude Magazine, which is kind of the pre-eminent clearinghouse for non-scholarly information on ADHD, is a great place to start, but when the research is clearly outlined it sometimes isn't up-to-date, and when it's up-to-date it's often a little impenetrable. They have an extensive library of podcast/webinars, and I started this particular research with this one, but his slides aren't super well-organized, he flips back and forth between chemical and brand name, and he doesn't always designate which is which. However, he does have a couple of slides that list off a bunch of medications, so I just put those into a spreadsheet, gleaned what I could from him, and then searched each medication. I did find a pretty good chart at WebMD that at least gives you the types and brand names fairly visibly. (Fwiw with the webinar, I definitely spent more time skimming the transcript than listening to him, auto transcription isn't GOOD but it is helpful in speeding through stuff like that.)

I think, functionally, there are four types of meds for ADHD, and the more popular ones often have several variations. Sometimes this is just for dosage purposes -- like, if you have trouble swallowing pills there are some meds that come in liquids or patches, so it's useful to learn the chemical name rather than the brand name, because then you can identify several "brands" that all use the same chemical and start to differentiate between them.

Top of the list you have your methylphenidate and your amphetamine, those are the two types of stimulant medications; the most well known brand names for these are Ritalin (methylphenidate) and Adderall (amphetamine).

Then there's the nonstimulant medications, SNRIs (Strattera, for example) and Alpha-2 Agonists (guanfacine and clonidine, brand names Kapvay and Intuniv; I'm looking at these for a second-line medication). There's some crossover between these and the next category:

Antidepressants are sometimes helpful with ADHD symptoms as well as being helpful for depression; I haven't looked at these much because for me they feel like the nuclear option, but it's Dopamine reuptake inhibitors like Wellbutrin and tricyclics like Tofranil. If you're researching these you don't need to look at like, every antidepressant ever, just look for ones that are specifically mentioned in context with ADHD.

Lastly there are what I call the Offlabels -- medications that we understand to have an impact on ADHD for some people, but which aren't generally prescribed very often, and sometimes aren't approved for use. I don't know much about these, either, because they tend to be for complex cases that don't respond to the usual scrips and are particularly difficult to research. The one I have in my notes is memantine (brand name Namenda) which is primarily a dementia medication that has shown to be particularly helpful for social cognition in people with combined Autism/ADHD.

So yeah -- hopefully that's a start for you, but as with everything online, don't take my word for it -- I'm also a lay person and may get stuff wrong, so this is just what I've found and kept in my notes. Your best bet truly is to find a psychiatrist specializing in ADHD medication management and discuss your options with them. Good luck!

[goosegoblin]

look. is there any actual, peer-reviewed evidence for the whole adhd med/ citric acid thing? because my initial searches did not show anything, and the logic of 'it makes your digestive system more acidic!' is clearly bullshit, so. is this based on actual evidence? or is it just hearsay? if anyone has any good sources*, I'd appreciate it!

(* not fuckin additude or a reddit post or similar)

[godlesshasideas]

Writing About Disabilities: ADHD

Here we go again.

When writing about anything you are not personally familiar with, research is your best friend. Don't use this post as a catch all and think it's all you need to write characters with ADHD. This is far from all the information about it, but it's a starting point.

Here's some basic information that I have found and I've also included some of my own experience since I have ADHD, which is at the bottom of this post. (Just as a note I won't always do things I have personal experience with. These are just the ones I feel comfortable sharing first.)

Information regarding ADHD

As most people know, ADHD stands for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It's a neurological disorder that impacts many various things but mainly an individual's focus (both ability and where that focus is). Many people with ADHD usually are focused on something but they don't have control of where that focus is. The biggest example of this is in school settings (which often leads kids to be diagnosed) where they're in the classroom and even though they hear the teacher giving instructions they can't help but focus on what's happening outside or the posters on the wall, etc.

There are various types of ADHD and they have been updated by the DSM. It was once separated as ADHD and ADD, which pretty much meant you had A or B, which doesn't really work neurodivergence because every brain works differently and everyone has their own experience (it's a spectrum). There are now three types and they luckily aren't as cut and dry: Predominantly Inattentive, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined Presentation. It's also important to note that presentations can change over time but it's always just ADHD. Source: CDC

Some more in-depth information:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder | NIMH

Living with ADHD | Coping Strategies | ADDitude

Data and Statistics About ADHD | CDC

Things to Consider about the character you're writing:

When was your character diagnosed? Also, how did they go about this diagnosis process? While this may seem like some simple questions, the answer does contribute to your character's story and identity. Was it part of their K-12 years? If so, what part? Was it when they got to college? Were they never diagnosed until a friend/family member pointed it out to them? Are they still undiagnosed? You should look into the experiences people have shared online about their diagnosis because it may be helpful for creating your character.

Do they have other forms of neurodivergence? Many neurodivergent people have more than one diagnosis in neurodivergence. For example, there's a lot of overlap with ADHD and Autism. So much so, that there's a unofficial term for it: AuDHD. This term is unofficial in the sense that it was developed by the community for the community rather than medical professionals. If your character has multiple diagnoses, how do those diagnoses interact with each other?

*Also, be aware of statistics. It's been proven over and over again that women or AFAB people are less likely to receive a diagnosis for ADHD (they're more likely to be diagnosis with anxiety, depression or OCD; all of which can be contributed to ADHD)

My Experience with ADHD

I decided to create a section to share my experience just because of how much it's apart of my daily life. I've obviously had ADHD all my life but I wasn't diagnosed until my first/second year of high school. The reason for this is because I was "good in school" and wasn't "jumping off the walls". I was good in school because I was hyperfixated on academics and academia. I wasn't jumping off the walls with energy because I was constantly masking, because now as I have gotten older and more comfortable, those high energy symptoms are more apparent.

I didn't take ADHD medication for a very long time because I thought I was managing just fine. I actually requested medication a few months back (before my third year of university). Turns out I was not managing just fine. I was constantly procrastinating and leaving things to the last minute. I was relying on the pressure of a looming deadline. I was also in a constant state of executive dysfunction when that deadline wasn't there (like with household chores). Imagine my surprise when I'm suddenly able to work on tasks without pressure of a deadline or pressure of failure.

As a funny little note, whenever I spoke to healthcare professionals and I told them I had ADHD or they saw it in my chart, they would be shocked/surprised by the fact I was unmedicated. Another funny note, when I spoke with my psychiatrist about being put on an ADHD medication, he was like "I was wondering when this would happen" like sir??? lmao

**Once again, always do more research. Do not use this post as all you need. Anytime you write something or create a character that has something you aren't familiar with, you need to take the time to learn about it. Research Research Research!

[avatar-of-pride]

https://www.tumblr.com/avatar-of-pride/762838304941015040/not-with-that-additude?source=share

Grumpy old man vs the people who are trying to get him to admit his feelings

🍿👀

- 🦊

Shut up Fox!!

[shantismurf]

Besides being an absolutely invaluable source of high quality information about ADHD, ADDitude magazine is also coordinating mass protest over the ridiculously manufactured stimulant shortage that has been going on for far too long.

From https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-medication-shortage-ftc-hhs-rfi/:

The RFI asks patients to submit comments, documents, and data regarding how the practices of two types of pharmaceutical drug intermediaries — group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and drug wholesalers — may contribute to generic drug shortages, including how both entities may influence the pricing and availability of pharmaceutical drugs.

“When you’re prescribed an important medication by your doctor, and you learn the drug is out of stock, your heart sinks,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a press release. “This devastating reality is the case for too many Americans who need generic drugs for ADHD, cancer, and other conditions. Today’s announcement is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to tackle healthcare monopolies and lessen the impact on vulnerable patients who bear the brunt of this lack of competition.”

[awoooooooooooyoung]

I've seen this claim around a couple of times now, and I was curious how true it is. Some notes:

The linked source only pertains to medication based on methylphenidate (e.g. Ritalin, Concerta) and amphetamine salts (Adderall, Dexedrine, Vyvanse). No mention is made of non-stimulants like atomoxetine, buproprion, guanfacine, etc.

No citation is given for the specific claim that food that lowers your blood's acidity (including Vitamin C aka ascorbic acid), but the full information leaflet is credited to William Dodson, M.D.

I couldn't find any publications credited to William Dodson, but it looks like he's written a number of books aimed at adults with ADHD and has written for ADDitude magazine. I don't see any immediate reasons to disbelieve him.

I was curious however, so I looked up the manufacturer's instructions for a number of amphetamine and methylphenidate-based meds. All of the amphetamine-based medications mention possible interactions with foods increasing blood acidity, while the ones based on methylphenidate do not.

Here's the sources (ctrl+f for acid if you want to check for yourself): dexedrine, elvanse, tentin (<- amphetamines), ritalin, concerta, generic methylphenidate(<- methylphenidate).

Each of the leaflets mention that interactions with food are possible and to ask your doctor or pharmacist for more info.

(my) CONCLUSION:

Foods that affect the acidity of your blood may well affect the efficacy of amphetamine-based meds.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you're unsure.

And of course, you can always just try out reducing vit C intake some time before and after taking the meds and see if it makes a difference for you.

i know vitamin c basically neutralizes adhd meds but lemonade good

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Why Task-switching is Difficult for ADHD Brains

ADDitude

[monriatitans]

The image was made in Canva; check it out at the [referral] link here!

Artist Shout-Outs Shared

"Current AI 'art' is created on the backs of hundreds of thousands of artists and photographers who made billions of images and spend time, love and dedication to have their work soullessly stolen and used by selfish people for profit without the slightest concept of ethics." - Alexander Nanitchkov

October's Artist Shout-Outs

#629: Elea Calabrese

#630: Asinjuasflora

#631: Daria R

#632: Adam Scythe

#633: FestivalOfRavens

#634: Steve Simmons

#635: Christina Christidou

#636: Ida Smaga

#637: Illicit Truth

—

October's Opinions

Blog Posts

Oct. 19th: How the "Hundred-Dollar Holiday" changed my perspective on gift-giving.

—

October's VODs, Videos, and Announcements

Blog Posts

Oct. 4th: Let's Discuss Some $#!7!: September 2024 Wrap-Up & Behind-the-Scenes

Oct. 6th: Let's Play Some $#!7!: Wandersong - Intro

Oct. 8th: STREAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Oct. 20th: STREAM ANNOUNCEMENT

Oct. 20th: Let's Play Some Demos! - Part 5

Oct. 27th: Let's Play Some $#!7!: Reigns - Intro | 53-YEAR REIGN! WOOT-WOOT!

—

Poems Written in October

Blog Posts

Oct. 15th: Dead-Eye

— 

October's Cause of the Month: ADDitude

ADHD Acceptance Month Quotes of 2024

QUOTE 1: Edward Hallowell, M.D.

QUOTE 2: S. Kelley Harrell

QUOTE 3: Russel Barkley

QUOTE 4: Sarah Grunder Ruiz

QUOTE 5: Annie Eklöv

QUOTE 6: Chris Bailey

QUOTE 7: Cat Marnell

QUOTE 8: Rowan Reeds

QUOTE 9: Niedria Dionne Kenny

QUOTE 10: Jesse J. Anderson

QUOTE 11: Jessica McCabe

QUOTE 12: Emilie Pine

QUOTE 13: Paris Hilton

QUOTE 14: Rebecca Schiller

QUOTE 15: Jackie McShannon

Check out ADDitude Magazine, whose "mission is to be your trusted advisor, an unwavering source of understanding and guidance along the path to wellness."

— 

October's Neverending Reading List Shares

Oct. 21st: The Neverending Reading List: Book LXXI - How Fires End

Oct. 22nd: The Neverending Reading List: Book LXXII - Show, Don't Tell

— 

Stupidity Quotes Shared

October's Quotes

QUOTE 22: Zelda French

QUOTE 23: Craig D. Lounsbrough

QUOTE 24: Mokokoma Mokhonoana

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To expand the Opinions & Truth (O&T) blog, I started The Weekend Game Show (WGS) to educate on and discuss different aspects of game development, and to show why video games can take years to make, to prevent another Cyberpunk 2077 launch scenario. Watch me on Twitch, YouTube, Rumble, and Odysee!

To provide educational material for game designers and artists, and some fun reads, I created a bookshop, the Rendezvous Point (RP), powered by Bookshop.org! Check it out here!

In addition, I share educational quotes to promote literacy, the legitimacy of video games as an artistic medium, and regarding a Cause of the Month to raise awareness, while giving Artist Shout-Outs to human artists to combat AI’s spit. Want to learn more about the Artist Shout-Outs? Click here! #createdontscrape

The Artists Shout-Out posts can be seen here, Discord, and more!

I’m also an artist under the handle TitansMonriArt.

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Like what you see and want to know when there's more? Click here to subscribe for updates and/or hit the Follow button! Enjoy what I do? Please consider supporting via Buy Me a Coffee! Lastly, posts may contain affiliate links.

[pocketfullofoxes]

AuDHD Annotated Bibliography as of fall 2024. MH

Methodology

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is primarily to broaden the understanding of AuDHD literature and media that is publicly accessible for myself and other interested peeps. The formatting style originates from MLA with some differences based on my own preferences (and the fact I’m not in academia anymore so this is not being graded or peer reviewed). Organization of this AB has also been changed to my personal preferences.

I also want to say that this AB’s focus is primarily research/expression for adults. Some of the content is primarily for adults diagnosed/discovered their neurodiversity later in life. I acknowledge that there is a lot of content on social media (Instagram, tiktok, etm.) but I do not consider these sources to be open access because many of them require an account to view media and the rules around what content is allowed seems to be mercurial.

Posts on here that do not have blurbs mean that I have not fully read the content yet and is basically TBR. If you have an open access media you would like to be added to this list please feel free to contact me and I will evaluate it for addition!

Blog posts

“Support for dual diagnosis (autism + adhd).” Neurodiverse Couples Counseling Center, https://www.neurodiversecouplescounseling.com/audhd Accessed 29 Aug 2024.

Audience is significant other of someone who has AuDHD and new AuDHDers (adults). They sometimes cite their sources and do not use the disease-based model. They use multimedia – pictures, videos, as well as written. The venn diagram is not as good as Dr. Neff’s. Explanation of co-occurrances between ADHD and autism does not feel fleshed out. *they do not cite the studies they discuss in the section of how pregnancy could be connected to autism.

I appreciated that under treatment approaches they say expressly “Please know that the goal of behavior therapy must NOT be to turn you into a neurotypical person. It is to help you find ways to cope while living in an allistic world and be TRUE TO YOURSELF!” [italics in original].

*Clarified that autism and adhd could not be dual diagnosis until publication of DSM 5 which acknowledges the wide range of symptoms clients can experience.

ADDitude Editors "'A living contradiction:' the AuDHD experience" ADDitude, https://www.additudemag.com/audhd-autism-adhd-experience/ Accessed 4 Sept. 2024

Relatively brief, sources cited. Anecdotes from people's lived experience having autism and ADHD. There are a nice variety of perspectives-- some people talk about adhd conflicting with autism, others find that they compliment each other. One anecdote is from the mother of an AuDHD child, multiple anecdotes from people diagnosed later in life.

Hinze, Emma, et al. “Understanding AuDHD strengths.” Attwood & Garnett Events https://attwoodandgarnettevents.com/what-is-the-neurodiversity-affirming-movement/ Accessed 29 Aug 2024.

References cited. Provides a list of strengths as well as misconceptions about AuDHD. Website appears to be informative- has posts on the neurodiversity-affirming movement, autism in women and girls, autism and ptsd in adults, etc. Also host master classes for “professionals, parents and those on the spectrum.”

Peer Reviewed Articles

Craddock, Emma “Being a woman is 100% significant to my experiences of ADHD and autism: Exploring the gendered implications of an adulthood AuDHD diagnosis.” Qualitative Health Research, 2024. https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/15499/1/QHR_final_accepted_version_190424.pdf Accessed 29 Aug 2024.

This article discusses the gendered omission of women and girls from autism and adhd diagnoses and the theoretical and practical implications of the co-occuring conditions. This research aims to “bridge the gap” since previously late diagnosed ADHD and late diagnosed autism have been researched but not both together.

This study was among 6 participants who were white women between the ages of 34-55 in the UK. Two had PhDs, four worked full-time and two were unemployed. The study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and interviews were conducted via email, which was a much more autistic-friendly approach.

Some women identified being weird and also having to perform femininity, learning to be social was considered important but could be somewhat overlooked if the woman performed well in school. Women internalized their experiences and masked for normalcy as well as femininity. Some said that due to autistic inability to read social queues or adhd inattention to situations could lead to bullying and later SA. Gendered masking weighed heavily on women due to sensory sensitivities such as wearing bras, high heels, and other clothes they wore to mimic other women’s style of dress. One woman said that she had trouble advocating for herself, her coworkers and boss did not see her struggles so it felt like a burden to let others around her know that she was not doing well. All participants said being undiagnosed was a traumatizing experience, that they knew they were different but not knowing why led to negative self judgement. The women also said that there was a lack of post-diagnosis support, leaving them to process the information by themselves.

*I liked that it touched on - barriers around AuDHD includes lack of descriptive language to this day. Women are often dismissed when trying to get diagnosed and are diagnosed later than men. A woman with a diagnosis often dismissed when she states that she is AuDHD or otherwise neurodivergent.

Craddock, Emma “Raising the voices of AuDHD women and girls: Exploring the co-occuring conditions of autism and ADHD.” Disability & Society vol. 39, no. 8, pp. 2161-2165, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09687599.2023.2299342 Accessed 29 Aug 2024

Hamilton, Inga “An Autistic Aesthetic of Connectivity.” Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture, vol. 5, iss. 2., 2024. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1169&context=ought Accessed 29 Aug 2024.

McKay, Erin, et al. “Proactive inhibitory control as a cognitive contributor to social difficulties in adolescents with ADHD traits.” Neurodiversity, vol. 2, pp. 1-13. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/27546330241258329 Accessed 29 Aug 2024.

This article looks at social difficulties between people with ADHD, people with ADHD with social difficulties, autistic people, and a small set of people with AuDHD. The conclusion of this article (that was most interesting to me) was that social difficulties are subtly different between people with ADHD and people with Autism. The subset of individuals with AuDHD they include because of their own interest and the authors note that the group with AuDHD is very small as a limitation.

Rosqvist, Hanna Bertilsdotter, et al. “Naming ourselves, becoming neurodivergence scholars.” Disability & Society, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2023.2271155 Accessed 29 August 2024.

Websites

Neff, Megan Anna, Neurodivergent Insights https://neurodivergentinsights.com/

Some things are behind a paywall but has good blog posts and nice venn diagrams of what traits overlap between different neurodiversities. Author identifies as AuDHD, discussed in some blog posts. Some posts are also about mental illness, appreciate the intersection. Cites sources.

Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture. https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/ought/

This peer-reviewed journal (obviously) focuses on autistic experiences, it includes pieces and articles from/about people with other neurodivergent experiences including AuDHD. 

[normal-with-adhd-is-a-joke]

serious question: should I start a YouTube channel talking specifically about ADHD issues/new research about ADHD?  I love psychology and, while ADHD is getting a lot of scientific attention, it’s still not getting a lot of social attention.  There’s a lot of misinformation surrounding it.  I started this blog because I wanted to provide a source of both scientific and opinion material on ADHD, and I feel like I could do that better on a YouTube channel.  I’m still going to post here, I just think YouTube is a better platform to spread information.  I would accept topics to talk about via this blog, so you guys would be able to weigh in on what you think is a pressing issue in the ADHD community.

I’m also honestly looking for a way to earn money with my social anxiety being as bad as it is.  Just like/reblog this post if you think I should.

[evilvillain123456789]

I'm sorry that you apparently felt "tortured" by my behavior. I personally love experimental research chemicals and would enjoy being force fed them while locked in a windowless cell but I can see how someone with a less positive additude might not enjoy that. Anyway sorry I guess. I hope you can get over your close mindedness since it's clearly a source of pain in your life.

[adhdanalogbrain]

so, question: adhd and dyscalculia are pretty well linked; was reading an additude mag article that about 20% of adhd folks also have dyscalculia. one of the listed things that could be dyscalculia is "difficulty reading an analog clock". does dyscalculia -- can it be a grab bag of stuff?? like I just tested into an advanced math class, but 10 years ago I got a nice analog watch to force me to learn to read it. still not very good at it. any of y'all have trouble with analog clocks?

Analog clocks are the WORST.

Yes, you're exactly right that dyscalculia is very much a grab bag of stuff. Importantly, dyscalculia =/= bad at math. I have terrible dyscalculia and I'm a successful professional statistician.

Here's a short list of the grab bag of symptoms that indicate dyscalculia [source: wikipedia]:

Difficulty reading analog clocks

Difficulty stating which of two numbers is larger

Inability to comprehend financial planning or budgeting

Difficulty with mental arithmetic

When writing, reading and recalling numbers, mistakes may occur in the areas such as: number additions, substitutions, transpositions, omissions, and reversals

Poor memory of math concepts

Ability to grasp math on a conceptual level, but an inability to put those concepts into practice

Problems with differentiating between left and right

Difficulty with time, directions, recalling schedules, sequences of events, keeping track of time, frequently late or early

Difficulty reading maps

Difficulty working backwards in time (e.g. What time to leave if needing to be somewhere at 'X' time)

Difficulty reading musical notation

Difficulty with choreographed dance steps

People with dyscalculia aren't necessarily bad at math. My personal take is that it's more that we have trouble perceiving time the way neurotypicals do. And that gives us trouble with sequencing, i.e. what comes before or after something else. This can affect us in weird ways, that can seem really uneven or unexpected.

As a statistician, I don't do math by hand; I write computer code to do the math for me. I've managed to figure out a lot of workarounds for when my dyscalculia interferes with my work. Instead of looking at two numbers and trying to figure out in my brain which one is bigger, I write code that will flag the bigger number for me. I also write code that will do any arithmetic I need done automatically (because hey, even neurotypicals mess up manual steps sometimes too).

In general, I've stopped trying to force myself to be not bad at sequencing, and instead just accept that it's a part of my life that I need to be cognizant of. When I look up directions on G maps, I use the "arrive by time" feature that will tell me when I need to leave the house in order to arrive on time. I stopped trying to force myself to read analog clocks, and just switched everything to digital. Etc etc.

tl;dr - yes dyscalculia is a common thing. It doesn't involve your ability to math so much as your ability to comprehend time. As such, it can feel like a random grab-bag of symptoms, and the analog clock thing is definitely one of those.

[monriatitans]

The image was made in Canva; check it out at the [referral] link here!

October was ADHD Acceptance Month. Quotes regarding ADHD were shared, along with a resource, ADDitude Magazine, whose "mission is to be your trusted advisor, an unwavering source of understanding and guidance along the path to wellness."

Join the movement!

—

ADHD Acceptance Month Quotes of 2024

QUOTE 1: Edward Hallowell, M.D.

QUOTE 2: S. Kelley Harrell

QUOTE 3: Russel Barkley

QUOTE 4: Sarah Grunder Ruiz

QUOTE 5: Annie Eklöv

QUOTE 6: Chris Bailey

QUOTE 7: Cat Marnell

QUOTE 8: Rowan Reeds

QUOTE 9: Niedria Dionne Kenny

QUOTE 10: Jesse J. Anderson

QUOTE 11: Jessica McCabe

QUOTE 12: Emilie Pine

QUOTE 13: Paris Hilton

QUOTE 14: Rebecca Schiller

QUOTE 15: Jackie McShannon

Check out ADDitude Magazine, whose "mission is to be your trusted advisor, an unwavering source of understanding and guidance along the path to wellness."

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To expand the Opinions & Truth (O&T) blog, I started The Weekend Game Show (WGS) to educate on and discuss different aspects of game development, and to show why video games can take years to make, to prevent another Cyberpunk 2077 launch scenario. Watch me on Twitch, YouTube, Rumble, and Odysee!

To provide educational material for game designers and artists, and some fun reads, I created a bookshop, the Rendezvous Point (RP), powered by Bookshop.org! Check it out here!

In addition, I share educational quotes to promote literacy, the legitimacy of video games as an artistic medium, and regarding a Cause of the Month to raise awareness, while giving Artist Shout-Outs to human artists to combat AI’s spit. Want to learn more about the Artist Shout-Outs? Click here! #createdontscrape

The Artists Shout-Out posts can be seen here, Discord, and more!

I’m also an artist under the handle TitansMonriArt.

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[bigmammallama5]

Ok, this is a GREAT source, the doctor's office I go to for my ADHD sends us ADDitude articles often and they're always great and constantly getting updated/adjusted when new research comes out. 10/10 awesome source for ADHD peeps and families with kids who have ADHD.

When I got diagnosed with my ADHD in 2021 this food topic came up when we were discussing medications and how they can affect diet (and the biggest clue if meds stop working well is that The Hunger comes back). Probably one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give based on my own experience and my doctor's treatment is: eat more protein for snacks in addition to your diet. It's more complex food to break down and won't have that super quick burst of sugars, but it fills you quicker (helps you not over-eat) and provides more lasting energy in the form of amino acids. That snack can be as easy as a spoonful of peanut butter, some greek yogurt, apple and peanut butter, nuts, edamame, a slice or two of cheese, or you can find some bars or shakes that work better with your lifestyle. Find the snack that tickles that hungry part of your brain but trick it so it isn't a processed piece of sugar that will make you crash harder.

But like. It's hard to reach for those when your brain wants the quick fix of sugars, so be kind to yourself. It's a constant tug of war with how your brain has developed and it takes time to figure it out. Give yourself the time and grace to do that while you navigate putting your brain on a kiddie leash.

UH WHAT

UH…… WHAT………

[mindboogling]

Maybe pay attention instead of doodling

Hello! This is a different post than what I'm used to making, especially because the post being referenced is one I made back in 2019 which you can view here! This isn't the first time I've received messages/comments along these lines, but after 4 years of personal evaluation, there are some things I think need to be mentioned.

The message of that vent comic was to express what it felt like to need stimulation in order to pay attention. Asking me to "pay attention" back then (and even now) would have been just about as helpful as telling someone who has persistent anxiety, "just don't be anxious." From anecdotes in my post, the message especially resonated with people who have ADHD, Autism, or even auditory/visual learners who need to process more than one way of learning at a time to retain optimal information. Here are some easy-to-find sources to back up how effective doodling can be for those who struggle with keeping attention and focus in the traditional sense! The Body-Brain Connection: How Fidgeting Sharpens Focus - Roland Rotz, Ph. D [ADDitude]

The Thinking Benefits of Doodling - Srini Pillay, MD. [Harvard Health] Doodlers, Unite! - Sunni Brown [TEDTalk] Study: Doodling Helps You Pay Attention - John Cloud [TIME] I hope this helps us both better understand a real issue that exists, outside of myself or my lone experiences. Embracing neurodiversity and the different ways people choose to process information is integral to an effective learning environment. Additionally, I was a sophomore in high school at the time I made that post and now I've graduated, continuing to doodle happily every day.