By Jeff Copper, MBA, PCC, PCAC, CPCC, ACG – January 16, 2023
Evidence suggests that, with a proper diagnosis and treatment, those with ADHD can live a very fulfilling life. But many people reject or delay seeking a diagnosis out of fear or even disinterest. Also, the love/hate label of ADHD may prevent some from getting a comprehensive evaluation. However, that attitude makes it difficult to treat something if you don’t know what to treat. Continue reading “ADHD: Why Get a Comprehensive Diagnosis”
During the COVID pandemic, many people had no recourse but to work from home. Unfortunately, they struggled with getting things done and their productivity declined, perhaps for one simple reason. There’s no one around to take off some of the stress on your working memory. The home environment is much different from the workplace where others are around and are readily available for interaction. So, working at home means you often don’t have an accountability partner. 
We are living in a DIY world. It’s convenient for society if we all conform and do it “their way.” More and more, systems are being created to supposedly make things easier through automation and other technologies, but the user experience is usually not considered. Makers of these systems don’t give enough consideration to what the customer experience is like, and as a result, we end up feeling like we must case manage our day-to-day lives. 
Knowing what works for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is just as important as knowing what does not work. Some of the tactics you use might not be helping. In fact, they might even exacerbate your symptoms. For example, pressure to perform based on other people’s ideas of how you should perform almost always leads to failure because it doesn’t work and it’s detrimental. For those with ADHD, doing things that do not fit their natural way of doing things can often paralyze them at most and at least inhibit their performance. 
It’s a high-wire act without a net when you talk to children, because you never know what will come out of their mouths, and particularly so with ADHD kids. Or is it that ADHD kids have such great insight? That’s the case with Lucy, a seven-year-old, who is very interesting and articulate about sharing her ADHD insights, experiences, and strategies. 
Organizing things is a real challenge, especially for those with ADHD. They think they’ll just jump in and start organizing until they get into a mess and then things seem to explode.
Time and again, I have written about attention, and time and again, I have tried to illustrate that whatever seems to be obvious to you is a function of what you are paying attention to. So, if you want to pay attention to the right thing, then you need to pay attention to how things work by focusing on the process, not the result. To demonstrate that I really do practice what I preach, I will share with you an experience of how I put these principles into play a few days ago in my own life. 
Since the early 19th century ushered in the Industrial Revolution, we as a society have evolved from a one-size-fits-all way of doing things to a more highly customizable system of producing consumer goods. Now, humankind itself is finally starting to develop a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the diverse makeup of its people. More and more advocates are focusing on differences in ethnicity, sexuality, and gender. When it comes to neurodiversity, however, for the most part, many are still silent.