ADD/ADHD Tropers, Unite!

I was almost diagnosed with aspergers when I was younger but it turned out I didn't have it. Despite it being blatantly obvious me and my brother were ADHD almost every school we went to treated us like we were autistic. Now luckily I'm getting an official diagnosis as soon as the learning support teacher at my school comes back from maternity leave.

Forgot to post about this, but phoned the relevant dept a while ago to double check I was still on their waiting list, and I am. It'll probably be another 3 years before I get seen though, given that there are people on that list from 2014 (I was added in 2017 apparently). I was hoping to be seen by the end of the year, so that was a bummer when I found out. I'm just going with the assumption that I have it for now, and maybe seek therapy/counselling to try and cope, as well as look for potentially affordable opportunities to get diagnosed sooner.

How do fellow ADHD Tropers handle writing? There's the saying that all good writers are avid readers.

I rarely read novels, much less actually finish them, so I often wonder if I'm meant to be a writer. Is anyone else here like that?

Do you have any strategies to start finishing stuff you read as well as finishing your own projects?

Actually, I once heard someone give the advice that you shouldn't read what you intend to write. Presumably this is to help come up with some more original ideas since you don't have your mind cluttered with the ideas of others. So if you write fantasy read less fantas or write sci-fi read less sci-fi. This isn't to say don't read it at all, just don't read as much as you might normally do.

I dunno about that though. I like reading (but I'm very picky).

As for my own writing... I am very distractible so... I have trouble getting writing done.

I mean, I can see the logic in taking precautions against regurgitating the common tropes within your genre, but I think actively avoiding your own genre is taking it too far - I think you should make a point of being aware of what's currently going on in your chosen genre if you're going to to be writing in it - where the envelope is currently being pushed, what are current trends, what new ideas and concepts and stories are out and about in your back yard. And recognise that a lot of what's new and fresh and/or experimental within the genre will probably be brought in from other genres - so read them too. Not only will you be exposed to a whole new landscape of tropes you might not always find within your chosen genre, you'll probably read different kinds of writing styles than you're used to as well. Generally broadening your experience is the way to go IMO. For example, I write speculative fiction pretty much exclusively - I don't know what the hell I would do if I was told to write something set in the real world. But my favourite books pretty much bar The Lord of the Rings are Jane Austen novels as well as the Aubrey-Maturin series - sometimes better known as the Master and Commander series due to the big screen adaptation.

As for managing to write, I'm very bad at it, and my attention span barely keeps me reading these days unfortunately either.

I used to be able to turn out at least a chapter a day before I discovered the internet.

Most of the stuff I like are in the science fiction genre, and that goes for various mediums, but I noticed that I tend to write more fantasy. I enjoy reading both, I just have a mild preference for sci-fi.

I'm sp picky I don't have a favorite genre.

I guess Urban Fantasy's neat. And I read a lot of meta fiction.

I have adhd i am an aspie and a fangirl so this site is deadly addicting for me

I also have ADHD so before going on here i tend to go and read a LOT of tropes, TV tropes did, indeed, ruin my life.

Admittedly, I think I may or may not have ADHD. Well, most certainly, although I wonder if its symptoms are of other things.

Sometimes after doing a chore, I feel dazed, and I can barely find myself managing my focus despite having my mind constantly on edge. Absolutely nothing gets done. I have no idea anymore what goes on.

Heard this is about ADHD? I got it myself and it seriously sucks sometimes.

I have never officially been diagnosed with ADHD, but I suspect I have it. So much trouble focusing on things.

Hi, SignoreMcSchneider here. I have ADHD, I've been taking Ritalin for it since school but I only found out about it (and every other condition besides my Aspberger's) in my senior year of high school. Regardless, I struggle with distractions every day, and this site doesn't help.

Edited by SignoreMcSchneider on Dec 2nd 2021 at 8:37:48 AM

I've been thinking of going back on medication since I got hired by my employer

I see that this thread has been inactive for over a year, but let there be a necromancy!

Hi, I just got officially diagnosed with (adult) ADHD couple months ago. I've always suspected it for nearly a decade and upon hearing the psychiatrist's diagnosis, my reaction was "Welp, that checks out."

I'm not officially diagnosed but I heavily suspect I have ADHD, judging how its conditions match up consistently with things I've been doing for years. Pretty sure it's just ADHD though and not that with something else like Aspergers or Autism, since I don't have many matching conditions with either of those.

I'm officially diagnosed. Didn't suspect it until after my dad's diagnosis, as I'm a lot like him. But apparently he'd suspected it of himself for years, and the symptoms were getting worse.

The more I learn about ADHD, the clearer it is that I've always had it. One of my clearest symptoms is emotional disregulation, which isn't talked about much.

I am diagnosed with ADHD and autism

Oh man, that's terrible and you have my sympathies.

Did you at least get medications for the former (I have no idea if there is any for the latter).

i did not lol