{"id":3137,"date":"2023-05-03T19:30:06","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T19:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lea.adriabox.com\/2023\/05\/03\/how-to-recognize-adhd-my-experience-and-how-it-can-help-you\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T22:19:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T22:19:11","slug":"how-to-recognize-adhd-my-experience-and-how-it-can-help-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/2023\/05\/03\/how-to-recognize-adhd-my-experience-and-how-it-can-help-you\/","title":{"rendered":"How to recognize ADHD – my experience and how it can help you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h4>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

“How can I tell if I have ADHD?” is a question I frequently receive from my clients. <\/p>\n\n

Many people associate ADHD with a very restless, scattered person who never stops talking and “flies everywhere” without a plan, goal, or focus. <\/p>\n\n

Like some hyperactive squirrel.<\/p>\n\n

For me, having ADHD means the opposite (except for the mess that occasionally shows up in my bedroom) <\/p>\n\n

– I thrive best when faced with a big challenge; otherwise, I lose motivation and focus. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n

I LOVE big goals and plans, often so big that they overwhelm me and frequently end up triggering a mini panic attack or burnout.<\/p>\n\n

That’s how I got into entrepreneurship and started my journey of self-discovery of what I had been all my life \u2013 different from the majority \u2013 neurodivergent.<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n

Why <\/strong>was my ADHD diagnosed late?<\/h2>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

My journey to diagnosis was long and confusing.<\/p>\n\n

To begin with, I grew up in a family with dysfunctional<\/strong> dynamics.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

It took me a lot of time through psychotherapy to clear the effects of trauma from my relationships with my parents, which masked the symptoms of ADHD that had always been present.<\/p>\n\n

I was just a “highly sensitive child<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

But they didn’t see what I was going through at home and that I never had a healthy model to teach me how to regulate my emotions of anger, frustration, and sadness. Sensory sensitivities to clothes, food, smells, sounds, and textures didn\u2019t make it any easier. I can hear and feel things at the mere mention (e.g., the sound of styrofoam being cut \u2013 ugh!). <\/p>\n\n

I was “extremely clumsy<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

But they didn\u2019t see that I was very motorically uncoordinated due to dyspraxia, and because of that, I hated any physical activity. I even once received a failing grade in physical education because I was terrified of jumping over the vaulting horse! They mocked me, and I often pretended to be sick to avoid gym class. <\/p>\n\n

I was “calm, an excellent student<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

But they didn\u2019t see that I was always playing with pencils, doodling during class when I was bored, drifting off into daydreams, or crossing one leg over the other. I often secretly read books during class to entertain myself. <\/p>\n\n

They didn\u2019t see that I struggled with writing and reading. I was in speech therapy for a significant part of my early childhood due to numerous speech issues. I only corrected my “R” pronunciation at the age of 21. <\/p>\n\n

I was “that annoying nerd<\/strong> who always needs to be the center of attention.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

But they didn\u2019t see that it was my way of actively participating and staying focused in class and truly enjoying learning more deeply about the subject. Because of this, I experienced peer bullying throughout elementary and high school. I felt lonely, without real friends, as though I didn\u2019t fit in anywhere. <\/p>\n\n

Because I was “too ambitious and had a problem with authority<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

But they didn\u2019t see that I was struggling with self-regulation, impulsivity, and time management.Although I graduated FIRST in my class, I had to record lessons while studying, pretend to teach, and underline things a hundred times to memorize material that didn\u2019t interest me. I quit a job that didn\u2019t fulfill me and where I wasn’t growing, and opened my own private practice after only 2 years of working, while my colleagues with 15 years of clinical experience hadn\u2019t dared to do so. <\/p>\n\n

Because “I need to learn to fit in with others<\/strong> and not reinvent the wheel.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n
But they didn\u2019t see that I had dedicated my whole life to UNDERSTANDING how it feels, thinks, and behaves to be a NEUROTYPICAL human being \u2013 because I am not.<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

That misunderstanding and lack of recognition from my surroundings cost me my mental health and the decisions I made as an unaware teenager.<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n
\"adhd\"<\/figure>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

How did I master my ADHD?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

The first significant support in embracing MYSELF and who I am was, of course \u2013 personal psychotherapy<\/strong>, which I started at the age of 17. <\/p>\n\n

Even in high school, I knew I wanted to become a psychotherapist.<\/p>\n\n

The study of speech therapy was the space where, through working with neurodiverse children and children with developmental disabilities, I somehow embraced my inner little girl<\/strong> who lacked time for play because she had to study more than others due to the challenges she overcame “by sheer force.” <\/p>\n\n

I also developed empathy for the role of parents who are truly doing the best they know with the best intentions.<\/p>\n\n

However, it was only through entrepreneurship<\/strong> that the following happened:<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n

I built honest and supportive friendship<\/strong>s in adulthood.I learned to choose myself<\/strong> and outgrew my attraction to toxic and emotionally unavailable partners.I learned to set healthy boundaries<\/strong> for myself and others.I built a supportive relationship with myself<\/strong>.I got to know myself, my desires, and needs, and placed myself first<\/strong>.I allowed myself to make mistakes and learn from them<\/strong>.I\u2019m learning to prioritize rest<\/strong> \u2013 play before homework. <\/em><\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n

What is it like inside my head?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
<\/div>\n\n

I’ll try to explain it through images and associations.<\/p>\n\n

A mind that never stops<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

I always have at least six thoughts equally loud, as if you’re listening to a radio, a podcast, watching TV, having a phone conversation, and giving a presentation. All at once! <\/p>\n\n

A restless feeling<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

I take all kinds of poses because I can\u2019t stay in the same position. I\u2019m always fiddling with something in my hands, crossing my legs. My body is constantly in motion. <\/p>\n\n

Impatience<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Waiting in line, waiting at the traffic light, waiting for someone to finish a sentence for me is too slow. I want everything now, immediately. <\/p>\n\n

A puppy’s attention<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Without control, my mind is like a puppy released from the leash in a park. Everything must be sniffed and explored. <\/p>\n\n

Boredom<\/strong> is a nasty word. <\/p>\n\n

But it quickly appears, whether it\u2019s hair color, relationships, hobbies, work, a place to live, or career paths. A constant hunger for novelty. <\/p>\n\n

Either I’m a genius or a lazy person<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Either I accomplish the impossible in a few hours or I drag around one decision for weeks or even months.<\/p>\n\n

15 open tabs<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Multitasking is my reality.Small but explosive<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

I function great under pressure, but I explode over tiny things.Either I\u2019m everywhere or I\u2019m shut up in my house<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n

Either I’m the life of the party or I’m a strange introvert with a book.<\/p>\n\n

Great memory \u2013 for irrelevant things. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

I\u2019ll remember the whole playlist, but not the name of a person I just heard a few seconds ago. And yes, I regularly forget everyday objects and rarely leave the house with everything I need on the first try. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n

And finally,<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

it’s not enough to just know that you have ADHD, the rest of your life awaits with it. <\/p>\n\n

It can’t be cured, it’s a neurodivergence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

My purpose is to support you in understanding<\/strong> it, embracing<\/strong> it, and transforming<\/strong> your neurodivergence into your strength, not a limitation.<\/p>\n\n

If you recognize yourself in the symptoms of ADHD, take the ADHD self-assessment test<\/a> and contact me for psychotherapy support here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“How can I tell if I have ADHD?” is a question I frequently receive from my clients. Many people associate ADHD with a very restless, scattered person who never stops talking and “flies everywhere” without a plan, goal, or focus. Like some hyperactive squirrel. For me, having ADHD means the opposite (except for the mess […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2411,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[67,68,91,78,116,92],"class_list":["post-3137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adhd-in-adults","tag-adhd-en","tag-adhd-in-adults","tag-adhd-therapist","tag-counseling","tag-how-to-recognize-adhd","tag-therapist"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3137"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3166,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3137\/revisions\/3166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leaivanciczic.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}