#ADHD

[anexperimentallife]

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

Socks. I N E E D socks all the time!!!

Funny Neurodivergent, ADHD, ASD Memes

[future-crab]

ADHD really can make you feel like you’re being attacked by that homophobic vase from the Magnus Archives

[autball]

It starts early. Doctors and others will say to ignore a baby's cries so they can learn to "self soothe." And it continues all the way through school, then into the workplace, and can even carry over into personal relationships. Hell, a lot of us hear it so much we end up doing it to ourselves:

The denial of other people's needs in order to avoid being inconvenienced by them.

We want to start early by making babies more convenient, so that the children are more convenient for the teachers, and then the adults are more convenient for the employers and society at large.

This is just the way much of the world works; everyone will have their needs denied for the sake of convenience at some point. But autistic, ADHD, and otherwise disabled people will experience this at every turn because so many of our needs are not met by the status quo.

Which means schools and workplaces and service providers and more have gotten really creative with all the ways they can deny we even have a need in the first place. 'Cause if they admit there's a need, they might have to <gasp> DO something about it. And we simply can't have that.

So here are some of the many coded words/phrases that someone might use to deny the presence of needs so as not to be inconvenienced by them. How many have you heard?

[byoldervine]

What Common Writing Phrases Actually Mean

For years I assumed a lot of the common writing phrases that get thrown around were just generic things that were never actually going to help people write because it doesn't actually tell you what to do. But recently I've been able to work out the meanings for a few of them and I'd like to share them with my fellow writers, especially for my fellow NDs with literal thinking

"Write what you know" - it doesn't mean that you should only write what you're already familiar with, it means to do your research, gain knowledge and go from there; if you haven't done the research, don't write about it *until you have*, not just shrug your shoulders and find something else without ever trying to write it. Additionally, things will have more of an emotional impact if you write about things you yourself have experienced, or when you tie in your own experiences to something; you’ve probably (and hopefully) never had acid thrown in your face, but you’ve probably gotten shampoo in your eye and can amp that experience up

"Writing is a discipline"/"Write even when you're not motivated" - my reaction to this was always that, since I was only doing this for fun and didn't have any deadline to meet, why should I force myself to write even when I don't want to? But what they're trying to say with this is to make sure you have some level of consistent progress, even if it's only one sentence every week; having a minimum level of progress you can count on is an absolute lifesaver when writing, as well as being motivating in its own right

"Edit as you go" - this one really doesn't mean to change up your entire chapter every single time you get a new sentence down, it means to take breaks from writing new chapters to reflect back on what you've previously written and make sure to fix up any inconsistencies while the next few chapters are still fresh in your mind. Outside of SPAG mistakes or quick one-sentence-or-less tweaks I generally wouldn't advise properly editing the same chapter you just wrote simply because you could easily burn yourself out speedrunning to the final draft before you even get to chapter two

[crippledpunks]

for disabled & neurodivergent folks who struggle with staying hydrated, Jelly Drops might be a good option for you

originally designed for the inventor's grandmother who struggled with hydration, these have become very popular with dementia and alzheimer's patients, as well as the elderly. while this tends to be the primary advertising market for these, i believe these can significantly help a lot of disabled people and neurodivergent people, especially people who struggle with being able to tell when they need fluids.

they are made of 95% water, sugar-free (though they due use sucralose so be cautious if that is not good for you), and contain 6 different electrolytes in each drop. they also have different flavors which can help if you don't like plain water. obviously these are not intended to replace drinking water/liquids, but can give you a boost if struggle to drink plain water, or struggle with being able to tell when you are thirsty, or even folks who become too depressed to get adequate liquid intake.

the website also has Canadian and UK versions as well, they can be accessed in the upper right corner of the website.

[emptygoldstudio]

Hard to do studying when ADHD and autism...

[thewildwaffle]

Effects of Caffeine

This prompt was given by CodyBee on aO3

Arnold had served on crews with humans in the past, but he had never before been quite so perplexed by one as he was with Ruby. She was always moving. Whether she was bouncing her leg while she sat, or swaying slightly as she stood, it was like she was nearly incapable of staying still. The first time they were scheduled at a post together after he joined the team, he had a moment of fear that she was drunk and going to fall over! She has since brought small toys to fidget in her hands, which did help a considerable bit. At first, Arnold worried that bringing the small gadgets would lessen the overall “intimidation factor” they and their crew strove for on duty, but she would discreetly slip it into a pocket whenever facing the public. Ruby was also quick to notice and point out insanely small details. Being on a security detail team, one might think that quality would come in handy. And of course, it did, but sometimes the things she would notice were… odd. For example, part of the crew (Arnold and Ruby included) were hired out to serve as security for some rich erenti politician who fancied themselves as this big “outdoorsy,” “in-touch-with-all-nature” type. Being so rich, and especially being such a prominent proponent in some particularly high-profile legistlation that was being hotly debated at the time, the campaign team decided extra security was a must during the photo shoot of the politician traipsing through the “wilderness” on Earth. It was literally just a ten-mentik drive outside a medium-sized human town, but there were lots of trees, bushes, and tall grass so it looked the part. At some point, while Arnold and the rest of the team patrolled the area, Ruby froze mid-step and leaned in to inspect a nearby bush. Everyone else stopped, thinking maybe Ruby had noticed some security risk. No. It was a tiny red bug with black spots. It wasn’t even a poisonous or otherwise dangerous bug. Lerk, one of the mahbens on the team could barely even see it against the greenery until Ruby let it walk onto her fingers. It was so small, and surrounded by so many other things vying for attention, yet she spotted it immediately as she was patrolling!

That wasn’t the only thing Arnold found odd about Ruby. She was often rather forgetful. It wasn’t like she forgot about meetings or how to do her assigned tasks, nothing super important. Instead, she would forget what she was talking about in the middle of a sentence. And don’t even get him started on how many times he’d seen Ruby walk into a room, stop, and look around with a confused look on her face. When asked, she’d say that she forgot what she came in for and then would leave to “retrace her steps to remember.” There was one day during training someone pointed out a huge dark bruise on Ruby’s arm. She was in the middle of a rowing exercise and as she extended her arm, her sleeve pulled up enough for it to be seen. Ruby claimed it was the first time she’d even noticed it. That seemed absolutely preposterous! It was on her upper arm, just under the shoulder and it was dark. Super dark. Arnold knew enough about human health to know that the bruise was already pretty old at that point, it was large and purple, with a bit of green around the edges. Ruby claimed she not only hadn't seen it before that moment but also that she had no idea where such a bruise would have come from! Humans were weird. And Arnold just figured that Ruby was an especially weird one.

Arnold shut the drawer he’d spent the last 5 mentiks searching through. He’d misplaced his lucky pin. It wasn’t in its normal spot because he’d given it a shine before lunch. He remembered setting it down for just a moment. Somewhere where it wouldn’t be bothered. Somewhere where he thought he’d easily remember. Now he couldn’t remember where that “somewhere” was and he was scheduled for a mission soon. Arnold shook his head and walked along, scanning all countertops, tables, shelves, etc. as he went. Nothing. Maybe he’d check the rec room. As he entered, he immediately noticed it was already occupied by a few of his teammates. “You ready for tonight, Arnold?” Human Gustavo called out from the lounge in the corner. Arnold nodded. “Just about. I can’t find my lucky pin though. Have you seen it?” He tapped on his lapel where he usually wore it. Human Gustavo and mahben Lerk shook their heads but got up and began looking around. “Is it yellow and white?” another voice piped up. Arnold looked over to the opposite side of the rec room. It was human Ruby. She was standing in the small kitchenette area in her on-duty uniform, holding a bottle with a dark red label that she’d clearly been drinking from. He’d seen that drink before. Human Gustavo had ordered a large case of them last megacycle and “stashed” them away. The beverage contained large amounts of a dangerous chemical commonly referred to as “caffeine,” and was thusly banned. It wasn’t dangerous to humans, however, so they often smuggled it. Half the time they weren’t even discrete about it. Instead of exploding their hearts or driving them into paranoid anxiety attacks, it just gave them more energy and made them more alert, so management never said or did anything. The only unspoken rule was that the drinks were not shared among the rest of the team. Ruby, being human, should be fine to drink the beverage, but…

Ruby looked at him staring at her. “What? Gus said I could have one." “That has caffeine in it!” Arnold choked. “You already have so much energy! That’s got to be the last thing you need right now!” He knew they shared a schedule tonight. A super hyped-up human would not be conducive to their mission. Ruby looked a bit confused for a moment. “It’s fine, Arnie. I’ll be fine! This,” she held up the bottle in her hand, “helps me focus. I don’t drink it all that often, but my med delivery is a bit late, so a bit of caffeine kind of helps.” Even Human Gustavo could read the disbelief on Arnold’s face as he walked toward one of the lower storage closets and retrieved another, identical bottle from one of his “stashes.” “It’s true,” Gustavo opened the bottle which gave a short hiss. “Most people get a lot of energy, but caffeine doesn’t affect her the same way.” He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a big gulp, followed by a dramatic, “Ahhh! What a shame. So sad.” Ruby rolled her eyes and took a small drink from her bottle. “It’s not a bad thing. Or a good thing. It just is what it is. It’s how my cute little ADHD brain works.”

The two humans started laughing and teasing. Mahben Lerk shook his head as he continued to try looking around for the almost-forgotten lucky pin. “Oh!” Ruby started. “I nearly forgot! I saw a yellow and white pin somewhere recently! Hold on, let me think… it was on a counter with a sink. I remember there was a large bright light because it made the pin very shiny... it was catching a lot of light... and I liked the color. Is that the one you’re looking for?” Everyone looked to Arnold. That did sound like his lucky pin. By a sink? “Ah, I remember now.” He turned and went down the hall to check the washroom. Sure enough, there was his pin. He must have set it down after shining it when he was trying to get some excess polish off his hands. He grabbed it and walked back into the rec room.

“Was it there?” “You found it?” Arnold held up his lucky pin to confirm it had been found and then looked to Ruby. “You noticed this little pin even though it wasn’t yours and you didn’t know I was looking for it?” He didn't mention how she only remembered small details where she’d seen it. It was enough for him to find it and he was indebted to her after all. “Yeah, I do that all the time,” Ruby shrugged. “It drives me nuts when I only remember random details about things I’m looking for sometimes, but I guess some clues are better than none. “Yes, that's true."He paused. Something she'd said earlier intrigued him but he didn't want to be rude. "And that is a common occurrence? With the A-D- uh… the thing you said about your brain?” “ADHD, and yeah, kind of common, at least for me." She folded her arms and gave an exasperated sigh. "Especially when I haven’t been able to take my medications for it. Like, I still remember things, but it feels harder, muddier, if that makes sense?” Arnold nodded. He wasn’t sure what mud had to do with memory, but he thought he understood the idea of what she was explaining. “And that…the ADHD... that’s why the caffeine affects you differently than the other humans?” It was mind-boggling to him that the same chemicals and medications could have such wildly different results in humans. How did they know how anything would work for anyone? “Yeah,” Ruby nodded casually, “Instead of getting an energy buzz, I get a boost of dopamine, which my brain naturally doesn’t produce enough of on its own. Caffeine helps calm me down a bit and focus more. But,” she paused, “it doesn’t always work the same way for everyone. Brains are complicated. Like, it took a while for my doctor and I to find the right dosage of my meds, but we figured it out eventually. It's sometimes a bit of trial and error for people.” The conversation then turned to medications, to discussing reasons the shipment containing Ruby’s meds must have been delayed to comparing who had ever waited the longest for a shipment while off-world, to a back-and-forth mixture of complaining and gushing about how long or how quickly news and media were able to be transmitted throughout the star systems.

Arnold didn’t join in. His mind was elsewhere as he secured his lucky pin to its normal spot on his lapel. ‘Trial and error,’ ‘it doesn’t always work,’ ‘figuring it out eventually?’ By the stars! Human doctors must have their hands full trying to balance all the ways different things affect different humans! What could kill one human could probably save another. How did they figure all that out and keep everything straight? It was madness! An alert sounded from Arnold’s comm timer. It was time to get ready for the mission. Ruby heard it too and began disengaging from her conversation with Gustavo and Lerk. The two of them bid their teammates farewell as Ruby followed Arnold out of the rec room. They walked quietly for a while towards the briefing room where they’d go over last-minute notes and pick up any needed gear. Even though Ruby could have easily outpaced him with her longer legs, she stayed by his side. “Hey, before I forget to ask,” Ruby smiled, “did you have anything fun planned for tomorrow?” “Tomorrow?” Arnold frowned in confusion. “Well, we have our debriefing once we get back. I don’t have anything planned after that. Why? Is there another mission? They usually avoid having us doing back-to-back jobs.” “Oh. No, it’s not another mission. I just thought you might have something fun planned since tomorrow is your one solar-cycle anniversary of joining our team.” Arnold stopped. Was it? Had it already been a whole galactic-standard year? He’d been on several crews and teams so far in his career, but he’d never done anything special for any anniversaries. He’d hardly paid them much mind, let alone have someone else remember them! Ruby stopped as well. “I actually got you a gift. It’s nothing big or anything, but it’s something I thought you’d like. It’s just… it might be a bit late. It’s on the same shipment as my meds. Hopefully. I would have just waited to tell you about it when I gave it to you, but I just can’t wait anymore!”She watched his face for a reaction before smiling mischievously, “Don’t ask me what it is though, I won’t tell ‘till I give it to you. I’ll at least keep that much a secret.” Arnold wasn’t sure what to say. He stumbled out a “Than- thank you. You- you really didn’t have to get me anything. I was, uh, I was really not expecting anyone to remember. It’s not as if it’s some big milestone or anything.” “Oh I know,” Ruby’s smile got bigger. “But I wanted to! Humans usually celebrate birthdays, but when you have to start considering births, hatchings, emerging, constructions, and on and on, things get a bit complicated. So I decided to celebrate the anniversaries of when everyone joined the team!”

At that moment, a second alert sounded from Arnold’s comm timer. He always set two just in case he didn’t hear the first one. Ruby started walking toward the briefing room again. “Well, let me know if you do plan something tomorrow. We’d better get going though or we’ll be late for being early!” Arnold stared after her. She remembered his anniversary of joining the team? Not only that but had she actually memorized when everyone joined? She often forgot what time events were scheduled throughout the solar rotation. She sometimes forgot where she put her favorite pair of sunglasses until someone pointed out that they were resting on top of her head. Yet she remembered something so small as when he joined the team. He shook his head and started walking again. He didn’t want to miss being early. Humans, as individuals and as a whole, were so weird. He’d met so many, on so many different crews, but he had never before been quite so perplexed by one as he was with Ruby. Maybe he should plan something for tomorrow.

[clowniconography]

did anyone else accidentally lean so far into the bad ADHD habit of telling white lies to cover up missing information to the point that you actually forgot to develop a sense of morality surrounding lies. or is that just me

[ghostyclay]

I unironically get the zoomies everytime joel and etho interact LMFAO

See, minecraft/mcyt is my special interest (cause autism) and I'm currently hyperfixating on hermitcraft, especially joel and etho (cause adhd)

So seeing joel and etho interact on hc....

My brain literally can't handle the dopamine rush i get when i see those two even MENTION each other. I need to pause the video and just run around my room like a feral animal. If i dont get rid of the excess energy i will simply explode into confetti.

[yandere-writer-momo]

I love talking to other people with adhd because the conversation will never end. We will just keep adding topics in the more we talk 😭

Like “Oh yeah! And this! And that! Oh and I forgot to add this to that!”

Or the fact that I can know so so much about people, but then not retain basic information. Like names. I’m awful with names 😭 I still don’t know half of my coworkers and I’ve worked with them for 6 months now

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

ADHD & Sensory Overload

Future ADHD

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

[chocoee]

This took arounddd

WOAH 6HRS!??

I fell into the swanatello rabbit hole and also ballet in general

😭💀 so here's some birdenardo....

The name is so silly lmao

[millportisntreal]

I know I’m new to aftg so I’m sure I’m not the first to say this but STILL Neil is so ADHD-coded because the boy who spent half his life running and never stable can’t NOT have attention and impulse issues!! Exy as his hyperfixation and something that calms him down. It’s all he can talk about, even when other people don’t care (*cough cough* Andrew) The cigarette smoke/smoking as a stimming behavior, not being able to focus in class, can’t NOT run his mouth even when he really shouldn’t. Imagine that boy on Adderall

[emberwritesinsight]

I was able to clock Luz Noceda as a Fellow Neurodivergent based on vibes alone within, like, the first episode of The Owl House, but sometimes I do wish I'd gotten to see her fighting the Executive Function Demons. Like, I think the canonical reason we don't see that is because magic is interesting enough to her that she doesn't have to squeeze her brain for 5 hours to get a single drop of motivation to learn about it, and honestly good for her I wish that were me. But for personal reasons (and also the good of the upcoming generation of ADHD children) I think more cartoons need to depict the absolute hellscape that is wanting to do something and being very anxious about not doing something but being unable to start. It'll help the ADHD kids feel less alone and the neurotypical kids understand what their ADHD friends and peers are going through. Anyway, the point of this post is not to say that Luz is bad ADHD rep- I think she's pretty good, honestly- just that we should have more ADHD rep, and more explicit ADHD rep.

A while ago I saw some clips floating around of characters in recent cartoons explicitly saying they're autistic, and that's great! Love that for them. I would like the same thing for us ADHD folks (though there is considerable overlap between us). Like, I want characters in kids TV (and everywhere, but it's especially important there) who explicitly have ADHD. Characters all over the spectrum of how they feel about it, how they deal with it, how well they deal with it. Characters who take meds, characters who don't, characters who wish they were "normal", characters who enjoy a lot of aspects of how their brain functions, even if it can be inconvenient, etc etc. Characters who display the more well-known symptoms- fidgeting, distractibility, talkativeness- and characters who display some of the lesser-known ones- emotional sensitivity, sleep problems, time management issues, etc. Characters who display combinations of both. I love my headcanons but I can't subsist on headcanons forever, and neither should all the kids with ADHD growing up in a world that doesn't understand and isn't designed for them. More ADHD representation in media, please.