ADHD

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A casual community for people with ADHD

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Acceptance, Openness, Understanding, Equality, Reciprocity.

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Discussing other neurological problems like autism, anxiety, ptsd, and brain injury are allowed.
Discussions regarding medication are allowed as long as you are describing your own situation and not telling others what to do (only qualified medical practitioners can prescribe medication).

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Questions on confusing situations.
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Relevant Lemmy communities:

Neurodivergent Life Hacks

lemmy.world/c/adhd will happily promote other ND communities as long as said communities demonstrate that they share our values.

founded 3 years ago

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MrPoopyButthole@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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Cumulative effects of ADHD burnout in middle age. (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/adhd@lemmy.world

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I've always made up a person to fit in. Masking has taken a toll and I hate the person I've pretended to be. That person is boring, polished, and an over achiever. Since.I was punished severely on a daily basis at 4 years old and afterwards, my true self never was known to me. Only my self who could survive.

Where do we find our unmasked real self after reaching "the big one" burnout? When your braim stops working, you're no longer functional, and the person you made can no longer be sustained, what do you do?

I'm in my 40s and it's rough.

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[–] Zarobi@aussie.zone 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Same boat. I was increasingly exhausted from pushing myself and masking who I was for decades. I decided one day to just be myself, I couldn't take it anymore.

Lost almost everything: Job, life-long partner, house, etc. Those things simply weren't compatible with the new me. They tried to cram me back into the box of conformity, but I don't fit anymore. I think at some level I knew that, which is why it took me so long; I was clinging desperately to the life I had. Had to throw it all away and jump into the abyss.

Hard to call it a good decision, but I'm still here, and I'll do it better this time.

Edit: realised I forgot to answer your main question. After a long time of having nothing, I started discovering things about myself. Oh, I like this. I hate that. X feels more like me than Y. Illegal thought crimes for my entire life, that I'm allowed to think about now. After a while you figure out who you really are, not who you had to be.