By: Jane Thompson
Updated: August 21, 2015
Originally Published: February 14, 2010
When my son was diagnosed with ADD, I immersed myself in research to better support him. Through this journey, I began to suspect that I might also share this condition. I’ve always been disorganized, a master at procrastination, and have faced challenges in both starting and finishing tasks. I often found myself wondering how others managed to juggle so much while I struggled to meet basic responsibilities. After a consultation with a physician, I learned that I too have ADD, which illuminated a lifetime of behaviors that had often caused me distress and hindered my progress.
A Glimpse into My Typical Week
Monday – You wake up to find a notice from the local courthouse on the fridge, placed there by your partner. It informs you that you missed jury duty two weeks ago and may incur a fine. You call the provided number and breathe a sigh of relief when you reach an automated system, avoiding the embarrassment of explaining to a person that the original summons likely got lost in the chaotic stack of bills, artwork from your son, school notices, and other random clutter in your perpetually overflowing “in basket” on the kitchen counter.
Tuesday – You feel irritation when your phone rings, displaying your credit card company’s name. What could they possibly want? You ignore the call and return to browsing on social media. You know you’ve paid your last bill; they must just be calling to remind you to activate your new card, which you haven’t seen in weeks. Out of caution, you check your online account and are shocked to discover that your payment is overdue. How did this happen? You calculate the potential financial repercussions and begrudgingly pay the bill.
Wednesday – You have a dermatologist appointment this afternoon, but you forgot to note the time in your calendar. You think the reminder card is in your bag, or maybe you left it in the clutter? After a frantic search, you finally find it under a glass of water on your nightstand, only to realize your appointment is in a town 15 miles away and starts in 15 minutes. Rushing to the car in your damp hair and pajamas, you arrive just five minutes late, trying to ignore the judgmental stares from others in the waiting area. You push aside thoughts of the biopsy you’re about to undergo for a suspicious spot.
Thursday – The day is spent racing to finish an essay for a contest with a deadline that night. Although you’ve known about this contest for months, you only started writing yesterday. You feel good about your progress until you remember it’s also your son’s back-to-school night. Assuring yourself you’ll have time to finish after the event, you hurry to school. Later that night, as you near completion, a panicked thought hits: was the deadline based on your time zone or Eastern Time? After a frantic search through the contest rules, you realize you missed the deadline.
Friday – You receive your car registration renewal in the mail—something you kept putting off, thinking you had plenty of time. Knowing you should immediately apply the new stickers, you feel too tired and hungry to bother. After all, you still have two weeks until the old tags expire. You toss the envelope into the kitchen basket, dismissing any worry about getting another ticket.
Saturday – You are perplexed as to why the credit card company continues to contact you. They should have processed your payment by now. After logging into your bank account, disbelief sets in when you see no record of the outgoing payment. Frustrated with yourself, you submit the payment again, triple-checking to ensure it goes through—only to wonder if it really did.
Sunday – You hurriedly go to the ATM to deposit a collection of checks you’ve been holding onto, including a birthday check from your mom and payments for articles written months ago. As you drive away, you realize you forgot to withdraw cash. Perhaps that’s for the best since you’ll need it to pay your credit card fees and cover any tickets for expired tags.
As the week concludes, I reflect on my accomplishments. I completed an essay ready for submission to other publications, ensured my son got to school on time each day, fed and walked the dogs, prepared meals, and even picked up dry cleaning for my partner. Additionally, the biopsy I had been procrastinating on came back normal.
While I briefly tried medication for my ADD, it didn’t yield positive results. However, understanding that there is a biological basis for my behaviors has been a significant relief. I’ve also utilized support groups, broken tasks down into manageable steps, maintained concise to-do lists on my phone, and incorporated exercise into my routine. Now, I manage to pay my bills on time most months and haven’t been contacted by collectors in over a year.
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Summary
Living with ADD can be a chaotic experience, filled with challenges in organization, time management, and task completion. Recognizing the condition has provided clarity and relief, allowing for improved strategies and support systems. Through various techniques, individuals can better navigate daily life, achieving personal and family responsibilities effectively.
Keyphrase: Living with ADD
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