Thank you SO MUCH for this! Perfect timing -- I had a meltdown situation literally yesterday (thankfully by myself in my office) and felt so much of the shame you're describing because it hadn't happened in so long. I kept feeling like WTF is wrong with me? But everything you described makes so much sense for the situation I was in. I've also had the realization that what I thought, for my whole life, was anxiety, has been ADHD all along. I'm grateful for the work you're doing!
Thank you for reading! Yeah, that last attack threw me for a loop. I was fine, and then I was VERY NOT FINE, and I woke up the next day like WTF WTF WTF. The shame is the worst part, mostly because I feel like I totally lost control of myself and I thought it was my fault for being "too much" or having a couple of glasses of wine or whatever. I can work on having a better idea of what triggers them and avoiding certain things, but knowing it can just happen and my brain just does it is freeing in a way. I'm not a failure. Lord. What a journey, right???
Oh the shame for being TOO MUCH thing! That is a whole book in itself. But yes -- just having a vocabulary for what can happen, to describe these experiences (and the vocabulary is not "I'm clearly just a weird shitty human") is life-changing. And it is a journey, I've been reading and researching every since I got diagnosed a few years ago, and this is the first time I've stumbled on ADHD meltdown vs shutdown (and it not only explains my experiences it explains so much in my family as well but that's also a whole other book). Thanks again for sharing your research and what you've gone through!
Thank you SO MUCH for this! Perfect timing -- I had a meltdown situation literally yesterday (thankfully by myself in my office) and felt so much of the shame you're describing because it hadn't happened in so long. I kept feeling like WTF is wrong with me? But everything you described makes so much sense for the situation I was in. I've also had the realization that what I thought, for my whole life, was anxiety, has been ADHD all along. I'm grateful for the work you're doing!
Thank you for reading! Yeah, that last attack threw me for a loop. I was fine, and then I was VERY NOT FINE, and I woke up the next day like WTF WTF WTF. The shame is the worst part, mostly because I feel like I totally lost control of myself and I thought it was my fault for being "too much" or having a couple of glasses of wine or whatever. I can work on having a better idea of what triggers them and avoiding certain things, but knowing it can just happen and my brain just does it is freeing in a way. I'm not a failure. Lord. What a journey, right???
Oh the shame for being TOO MUCH thing! That is a whole book in itself. But yes -- just having a vocabulary for what can happen, to describe these experiences (and the vocabulary is not "I'm clearly just a weird shitty human") is life-changing. And it is a journey, I've been reading and researching every since I got diagnosed a few years ago, and this is the first time I've stumbled on ADHD meltdown vs shutdown (and it not only explains my experiences it explains so much in my family as well but that's also a whole other book). Thanks again for sharing your research and what you've gone through!
I think I could write like four different books at this point because family alone might be a two parter!!!!
Right!?!
The first time that I have read information like this. Thanks so much for having the courage and allowing us to share and learn
First of: I never thought of having meltdowns until I read this. It all make sense. And no person have ever told me this...
Also I had panic attack every night for many years. But I rarely get them anymore, because of my dog. He really saved me.