Sobriety and ADHD

I was diagnosed with ADHD at the beginning of the year and I’ve been seeing a physiatrist to help treat it. Im now 1 month sober, and feel my adhd symptoms have been amplified! Has anyone else dealt with this??? It’s becoming more and more apparent that I have it…

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Yea i have it :upside_down_face: nice to meet you by the way im Trucker J ADHD as im sure you know can get us in some sticky situations here and there not to even mention the concentration congratx by the way on 1 month sober your doing great ! Well all i can share is my experience and knowledge no one elses throughout my journey has my adhd amplified ? Yes because now instead of using substances to mask our adhd we now are left with our real selves to deal with our REAL selves RAW and it gets real but it gets better each day each month dont sweat it and ride the wave some days are good some days you have to push but your doing it sober wich is the most important thing YOUR IN CONTROL always remember that :upside_down_face: hey i wish you the best in your journey and if you ever need to talk some more feel free to message me :pray:

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Yes I have it too. I find that sobriety forces me to live my ADHD life in different but more helpful/healthier ways. Here’s how I do it:

First, I understand that ADHD is a condition I have, a physical/neurological one (a lot like diabetes - which I also have). I am not broken. I am different. Millions of people live fulfilling lives with diabetes every day. The same is possible w ADHD.

Second, I realize that I have an emotional self that is intimately connected to shame and escape, related to my ADHD. I’ve been struggling to live in a neurotypical world, and I’ve been feeling frustrated and ashamed of my fits and struggles and difficulties.

Re: my emotional self - this is the same thing I’ve been numbing with my addiction. As I work my sobriety, I am learning how to live my emotions in sober ways.

Third, I actively seek out understanding and advocacy for ADHD. I join seminars and working groups on adult ADHD at a cognitive-behaviour therapy clinic in my city. I participate in conferences of my national ADHD advocacy organization. I develop my ADHD community. (They’re awesome!) As part of that I’ve started following some cartoonists who I think capture the experience well - like this one :innocent:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGLEidvhCX4/

There are many more online, including Jessica McCabe (HowToADHD) and a bunch more whose names I forget but you’ll find them.

Fourth - and this kind of arises from #3: I see ADHD as a strength when it’s used right. As a person with ADHD, my mind operates at a very free and inquisitive and exploratory level. I can walk into a room and notice a million things that other people (who are more focused on the plan they had entering the room) might miss. What this means, is that I need help with structure and follow through - so I seek out environments (like my company, which is a very structured place) that have lots of structure support. But what this also means is I often, often notice opportunities others don’t. That is valuable in the right places and to the right people.

Keep searching keep working it and never give up. One day at a time :innocent:

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Thank you :slight_smile:

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