Within the next month or so, ADD Moms will be switching focus, from moms helping their ADD kids to ADD Moms helping themselves when it comes to Attention Deficit Disorder. Just like they tell you on the airplane, in order to help your kids, you have to help yourself first.
ADD Student, my other site, will take over where this one leaves off, with advice, tips, and techniques on helping students with Attention Deficit Disorder succeed in school. I’ve sort of taken “mom” out of the equation on this site, because we can be students at any age and need help with our AD/HD when it comes to school.
I hope that these changes will be smooth, easy, and understandable, and ultimately, better for everyone.
As a mom with AD/HD, and as the mother of 3 children with AD/HD, I found out too late that I should have gotten myself diagnosed first. Of course, I didn’t realize that I had Attention Deficit Disorder until my second child was diagnosed, when I was 40 years old. The doctor who evaluated her talked with me during the process, and he was the one who told me that I had ADD.
As moms, most of us are in charge of the family - running the house, keeping it clean and well stocked, keeping all of the family members on track and on schedule. It’s a big job, made even more difficult if you work outside the home.
For a woman with Attention Deficit Disorder, the job isn’t just a big one, it’s an overwhelming one that seems as though it may swallow us whole at any moment. Maintaining a home, remembering to do things on time (including paying bills), and keeping up with everything and everyone is often more than we can handle.
When you add in a child with the same kinds of problems, who needs extra help in order to succeed in school, you wonder how you will ever cope. As moms, many of us are used to putting ourselves last, taking care of other’s needs before our own. This is one time when you need to change that.
If you suspect that you have AD/HD, start doing some research on your own behalf. Look at symptoms and think about whether they are relevant for you. Get a diagnosis if you can, and on medication if you think it’s appropriate.
Taking care of yourself and your own AD/HD is the best thing you can do, not only for yourself, but for your family as well.