Living With ADHD

Written By Casey Wegner

Living with Attention-Deficit-Hyperacticity-Disorder is not easy.

However, there are things that you can do to help yourself and those around you that may be struggling due to symptoms of ADHD. 

First and foremost, be forgiving.

Life is not easy. Especially with the expectations placed upon us both individually and as a society.

So, when you mess up, do something that you do not necessarily love, or when any negative thoughts, feelings, or emotions arise, practice compassion and forgiveness. 

Do you feel that you do your best when you are in a calm, level-headed state?

Well, it is within your power to stay there.

Now, if you’re not feeling that way currently, I sympathize and empathize with you. I too have felt helpless and like I cannot always dig myself out of holes and/ or that there’s just no way that my mood can be shifted. 

Staying grounded and practicing self-soothing techniques, checking in with yourself, noticing how you feel physically, if any part of your body feels tense, like it’s tightened up.

Loosen it, shake it out, and let it go. Give yourself a moment.

Take a moment to close your eyes if you can.

Begin to bring your awareness to your breathing.

  • Notice how you are breathing

  • Plan to inhale for a count of 4 seconds

  • When you are at the height of your 4 second count down, hold your breath at the top of your inhale until you can’t anymore

  • Then, slowly begin to breathe out for a count of 8 seconds until there is no more breath for you to release.

  • Then, do that again until you begin to feel a bit better.

Remind yourself that you are only human.

You deserve the forgiveness and compassion that you so graciously give to others, and when you are kind to yourself, you are more likely to feel better sooner. It may not be right now. Although here’s hoping…

Through the practices of:

  • Self-witnessing

  • Taking a moment (or as many as you need or want)

  • Pausing

  • Giving yourself the time and space to assess how you feel

  • Thinking about what may be bothering/ troubling you

  • Giving yourself grace

  • Moving forward with a sense of ease, acceptance, and a willingness to choose forgiveness.

  • Accepting that the moment has now passed you

  • Dealing with it

  • Processing it

  • Strategizing how you can make your next moment better than the last, where you may have felt negatively.

I am a 23-year-old female identifying person that has lived with undiagnosed ADHD for 22 years. Some symptoms of ADHD  that I remember noticing as early back as 1st grade, when I was 6 years old include:

  • Not being able to follow anything that my teachers had said

  • Never turning in assignments on time, if at all 

  • Really struggling with anything related to math

  • Never being or getting organized

  • Always feeling tired, sluggish, and uninterested

  • Always arriving late to things

  • Underestimating the amount of time it would actually take me to get things done, 

  • Overeating

  • Feeling like I am going to fall asleep half way throughout my day

  • Making impulsive decisions

  • Not being able to focus on my goals

  • Having trouble establishing any sort of routine or consistency 

The list goes on… 

However, when you learn more about ADHD and helpful tips for those of us struggling with symptoms of ADHD, you can better manage them.

All it takes is a good amount of redirection, determination, and a willingness to work on establishing the kind of consistency that it will take to achieve all of the things that you would like to accomplish! 

The great thing is, at Pendulum, we are right here with you!

We aim to provide a safe space that enables you to feel supported throughout your journey. Where you feel empowered to analyze, process, and better understand your current behaviors. We hope to help you in the process of identifying certain blockages and strategize how we can effectively help you get to where you would like to be. 

We know that living with symptoms of ADHD can seem hopeless, daunting, and overall difficult. Having a support system of people that understand this is crucial. Also, I hope that this post encourages you to be your own biggest supporter. Which I know is not an easy task when struggling with very real symptoms of ADHD. 

Being undiagnosed isn’t easy.

Being diagnosed isn’t easy. Like most everything in life, every day is a choice. I hope that you make one that will help contribute to your overall health and wellness. 

Every step matters. Even the smallest of them. Celebrate each and every positive one that you take towards achieving goals/ objectives that are important to you. 

Sometimes the word “goals” is intimidating to me.

If you feel similarly, “objectives” may be a less scary one! If not, I’m sure you’ll find something unique that frightens you less! 

Either way, I believe in you and have faith that you can be and achieve anything and everything that you want and more! Here at Pendulum, we are here to help you get to a point where you believe it too! Until next time, 

Brooke Lynch

Pendulum Counseling Services Corporation 


Casey Wegner
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