Learning compassion for those suffering from complex trauma — “Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort.” Bessel van der Kolk Let me start by saying that this may be a trigger warning for some, and I apologize to anyone who may find this emotionally disturbing, but I…

Postural instability and characteristic Autistic & ADHD walks — Postural Sway I’ve seen a sudden uptick in conversation about Postural Sway in ADHD and Autistic people, but what does it actually mean, and why is it important to understand? For one thing, because issues with postural instability and proprioception can have an impact on a person’s quality of life. …

How I look after myself when my ADHD gets too hard to manage — It’s me, hi! I’m the problem — usually. But often, the problem is my ADHD. ADHD and I are one and the same sometimes. It gets hard to distinguish where my ADHD ends and I begin. If, like me, you’re also trying to manage your life around your ADHD or…

My elementary school teacher had a novel approach to discipline. He was a big soccer fan — which was weird in my working-class neighborhood, where the only Real Sports were football and baseball. And he used a card system, not unlike soccer referees do, to help us learn about boundaries…

Every week, I fill my little pill box and inventory my prescriptions. I fill the nighttime spaces with my nighttime drugs, like an allergy pill (spring in the Pacific Northwest is brutal), lithium, and sometimes a melatonin or CBD tab. In the daytime spots, I put my anti-anxiety meds, my…

Look out for these signs — ADHD is often considered a childhood disorder; in fact, many people still believe that children diagnosed with ADHD will outgrow it when they are adults. However, this is not the case, as ADHD is a lifelong neurological condition. ADHD presents differently in adults than in children, so listed below are…

How partners, employers, and loved ones can support people with executive functioning difficulties — Executive functions Neurodivergent folks struggle with executive functions (EF). There are roughly five categories of EFs, and each person will struggle in different areas. In this article, I will provide concrete examples of how each EF might look at home or at work, as well as strategies for supporting ourselves and our…

Essential information about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder — What is ADHD? A.D.H.D. stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, meaning our brains develop and function differently from the majority of the population. The primary symptoms of ADHD include: Inattention (not being able to keep focus); Hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting); and

Why this so often happens to people who are already marginalized — In January of 2010, I was labelled “Borderline”. After two years of battling serious health issues, I had finally received a diagnosis of Celiac disease. This was good news. After many specialist appointments, we finally had an answer, and the treatment was strict adherence to a gluten-free diet. …