by Thomas Etienne

It is difficult for me and for those who have my condition to find motivation. We also have attention span issues and a hard time with getting organized. Planning my daily activities is challenging; I am always disorganized, and I am often late. Although my real problems are more behavioural than organizational, I still have difficulty organizing and prioritizing daily tasks. When I observe my brother, the one who doesn't have ADHD, I am always amazed to see that he manages to determine which spots are helpful to him and which sports are not. This ability is probably typical for many. However, it remains a tricky and often defective skill for those who have our condition. Our ADHD brains perceive and process every stimulus, such as noise and movement, equally.Since our brains cannot decide which stimuli are important and which ones are not, we have a tough time focussing. There are also more symptoms than a simple lack of attention and focus. Impulsivity is another primary symptom; therefore, we tend to cut people off during a conversation. We also tend to say certain things when we are angry and regret opening our mouths later because of our lacking inhibitory filter. Therefore, due to all those symptoms, motivation is often absent. How can we not sink into despair, approach life's challenges optimistically, and keep hope? Sometimes, it is challenging. That's why I needed to have a cause.

As my father reminds me, my cause must be personal, and it must be motivated by injustice. I believe ADHD meets its criteria well, I never asked to have it, yet I must deal with the symptoms every day of my life. This discussion with my father is how I decided to write this blog which discusses my experiences and my condition. It serves my cause because it is a way for me to help those experiencing embarrassment and pain due to ADHD and its various challenges. I use the blog to share my perspective on ADHD and some solutions to deal with the symptoms. Hopefully, it can support some parents and young people to keep hope when faced with severe symptoms. I don't have the answer to everything. Still, the comments that many of you write give me this necessary motivation to continue to support those of us who find it difficult to suffer the different symptoms of ADHD. Some of the symptoms can lead to depression for many of us. The support I get from readers motivates me to engage voluntarily and spontaneously in this activity. The blog has also allowed me to find the courage to face certain obstacles during difficult times, with the conviction that we are quite capable of overcoming them. Above all, the reward is that we get something concrete for our evolution.
Thank you! Shain for your comment
Thank you for sharing, Thomas. Your reflections are a wonderful way to work through your feelings. Your blog was shared in an Adult ADHD group on Facebook. I suspect that as you grow, you'll find the "gifts" of ADHD and ways to compensate for the limitations. We're a wonderfully creative and interesting group. Please give my 👍 to your mom. I'm a parent and teacher with my own ADHD and she sounds wonderful!