David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
People Judge Me Instead of Trying to Understand
by Renee, AdultADDStrengths.com
November 15, 2017
All of my life I believed that I had a learning disability. Finally, after I turned 60, I began hearing about ADHD in adults.
I started to educate myself about it. I have been seeing a therapist for many years because of major depressive disorder. I brought it up to him in one of my sessions, explained my ?symptoms,? and asked him what he thought about my having adult ADHD. He agreed that what I was describing was indeed ADHD. I was relieved to know that there was a reason why I had felt ?dumb? all these years and why my self-esteem was in the basement.
I am a successful realtor. I passed my exam on the first try, and I have always been proud of that accomplishment, since my grades in elementary and high school were not great. Selling real estate is challenging, and it is stressful at times. It takes a lot of effort to keep tabs on all of the details. But I do it. I couldn?t live without sticky notes and a schedule written down in 10 different places.
When I try to explain my ADHD to my family, their eyes glaze over. They see me as they have always seen me: spacey, unable to focus on conversations, or to remember where I was going or why. I want to take them to the therapist and have him explain the reasons why I am the way I am. They judge me, instead of understanding that I have a disorder.
I no longer have the energy to battle the social stigma and get them to take me seriously. I just want to be understood, not judged.
by Renee, AdultADDStrengths.com
November 15, 2017
All of my life I believed that I had a learning disability. Finally, after I turned 60, I began hearing about ADHD in adults.
I started to educate myself about it. I have been seeing a therapist for many years because of major depressive disorder. I brought it up to him in one of my sessions, explained my ?symptoms,? and asked him what he thought about my having adult ADHD. He agreed that what I was describing was indeed ADHD. I was relieved to know that there was a reason why I had felt ?dumb? all these years and why my self-esteem was in the basement.
I am a successful realtor. I passed my exam on the first try, and I have always been proud of that accomplishment, since my grades in elementary and high school were not great. Selling real estate is challenging, and it is stressful at times. It takes a lot of effort to keep tabs on all of the details. But I do it. I couldn?t live without sticky notes and a schedule written down in 10 different places.
When I try to explain my ADHD to my family, their eyes glaze over. They see me as they have always seen me: spacey, unable to focus on conversations, or to remember where I was going or why. I want to take them to the therapist and have him explain the reasons why I am the way I am. They judge me, instead of understanding that I have a disorder.
I no longer have the energy to battle the social stigma and get them to take me seriously. I just want to be understood, not judged.
