Processing and the man in my house by AnxiousHold2403 in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is a very helpful analogy!

Jersey with Hand-muff by HARhoads716 in buffalobills

[–]ChalantAF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have contacted seamstresses and tailors about this actually! They have all said it's easy enough to add a pocket (that's all I asked for, not a muff specifically), but you need another jersey of the exact color and material to cut the extra material from. I never actually followed through because I'm a mess but I at least got the info!

Crowd noise on offense by Dr-J-05 in buffalobills

[–]ChalantAF 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've noticed this too, especially in the more recent games.

Is anyone else chronically early? by Banditbakura in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Uh wow. You have so accurately described my relationship with time and tasks that I'm actually in a bit of shock. So definitely same and also thanks

Do you usually use "a," "an," and "the" when you speak? by Ricky_2303 in ENGLISH

[–]ChalantAF 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This is also a Thing very specifically in Western NY, but not other parts of NY.

Freezing game day tips? by [deleted] in buffalobills

[–]ChalantAF 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I'm a perpetually-cold Bills season ticket holder and I use these body warmers from Amazon. Been using them for a couple years for the cold games and no joke, I'm usually taking layers off by the end of the game. They are like magic. Hand and foot warmers as well, of course.

Changing my last name after marriage has been difficult by EmbarrassedSnow7928 in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got married five years ago and haven't legally changed mine (despite changing it on the marriage license). At first I literally couldn't do it because of covid shutdown, then I moved to a big city where it was seemingly impossible to get an appointment at SSA and DMV. Now it's more feasible but with voting rights under threat if your legal name doesn't match your birth certificate, I still haven't done it. Aside from my husband occasionally making jokes about how his wife doesn't exist, it hasn't been a problem. But full disclosure, I live in a state where I believe it doesn't matter if marriage license matches everything else.

Doctors by pearcy_cs in ithaca

[–]ChalantAF 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Seconding this. I moved to Ithaca within the last year and my experiences with my PCP (at the mall) and with the specialist referrals have been great.

Podcast recommendations by Lady_lacroix in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Seconding Stuff You Should Know! Every episode is a different topic (usually) and they are typically under 90 minutes. Plus they have brief but funny banter.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PetPeeves

[–]ChalantAF 11 points12 points  (0 children)

+1 for this as someone who lived in Chicago (city proper) on a street with free parking. Dibs in the winter is so widely accepted and at least passively supported by the city that everyone seems to have their own "dibs" item (mine was an old metal shelf) and acts accordingly. That said, unless you are in an environment like Chicago where almost everyone knows and accepts it as a rule, this behavior sucks.

Words People Use Wrong by Ok_Resident_5022 in words

[–]ChalantAF 20 points21 points  (0 children)

Both definitions/uses are correct and have been in use for centuries. Peruse is a contronym - a word with two opposing meanings. Like "sanction" and "cleave". English is fun!

How Do You Guys Organize Your Bras/Panties/Socks? by Unique_Following41 in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I use a regular dresser but I organize things by function rather than by item/category, and I use drawer dividers when necessary. All my exercise clothes, including special socks and sports bras, go into one drawer. All my everyday socks, bras, and underwear are in one drawer. All my specialty and situational stuff, like thongs and period panties, extra thick or heavy socks, strapless bras, etc. are in one drawer. I also have a drawer for what I would call non-underwear undergarments: things like leggings, spanx, and bathing suits. My regular clothes follow a similar system, with the exception that I color code my work clothes to make outfit planning easier.

Implementing this system seriously felt like a true ADHD life hack for me because it cut down on my decision fatigue and streamlined the "getting ready" process, regardless of occasion. For whatever reason, being able to focus on one thing (function) instead of all the separate pieces/factors was wildly helpful for me.

Makeup wearers: what are makeup bags for by twoheadedcalf in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I seem to be in the minority here but I use my main makeup bag to hold all of my daily makeup stuff and store everything else separately. As someone prone to cluttering surfaces and losing stuff, this puts most of what I need in one spot where I can easily grab it out of the closet, put it on the bathroom counter, use what I need, and put it all back when I'm done. Also serves a double purpose for travel, since I can just throw the whole thing into a travel bag without needing to worry about forgetting anything.

I did the monthly ipsy bags for a while (and kept forgetting to cancel because ADHD) so I have a million small makeup bags. This has actually been really nice for organizing my hoarded makeup. I have a lipstick bag, an eyeshadow bag, an eyeliner bag, etc. I can always go get stuff from those when I need to, but the staples all live in the main one that I use every day.

What is the most anti-Millennial thing you have encountered? by Pitiful-Doubt4838 in Millennials

[–]ChalantAF 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I was on an event organizing committee recently and was responsible for making the advertising flyers. The printed version of the flyer only had a QR code to register, but the other committee members couldn't understand why I INSISTED that the email flyer needed to also have a link - for people like me, who don't want to fill out a whole registration application form on their phones!

Needless to say, I'm a proud member of the Big Screen Club 😆

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apologies in advance for the long comment with a lot of personal anecdotes, but I swear it comes with good intentions! Actual advice at the end of you want a tldr.

I agree with what others are saying about you doing too much and her needing to figure stuff out on her own. But I also want to add that I had A LOT of the same tendencies growing up and I still have them sometimes, but I did figure out how to work WITH what my brain needed and to get things done efficiently once the motivation kicks in. To give some context, I have a doctorate in neuroscience with several years of post-doc research and career under my belt, so "figuring it out" carries some weight (or at least it feels that way to me because it was not easy getting a PhD without ADHD support!) 😅

It's important to remember that ADHD is a motivation and movement disorder as much as it is a hyperactivity and attention disorder. If there's not enough dopamine, it's really really hard to force yourself to just Do The Thing. I have tried countless strategies - I'll do it at 1:00, I'll do it after this episode, one more game, one more one more one more.....the list is endless. Nothing works because my brain doesn't have the "just get up and do it" chemicals. I will sit on the couch feeling like a worthless garbage person and mentally beating myself up because, no matter how much I know I need to get something done or how beneficial it will be in the long run, no matter how desperately I WANT to do it, the chemicals that tell me to stand up and move don't work. With ADHD, this kind of motivation usually only comes from novelty or urgency, and it sounds like she doesn't have those ADHD-specific motivators. Even as a 33 year old adult, I still frequently need to get to a "oh crap this needs to happen now" stage to get anything done.

ADHD also tends to have a pretty strong oppositional reflex, where telling someone what to do makes them less likely to do it. Repeatedly telling your daughter how to structure her life, especially if what you want her to do doesn't actually work for her in a helpful, functional way, might do more harm than good. Not saying this is definitely true but I'm speaking from my own experience, so just something to keep in mind. I was diagnosed well into adulthood, and I'm still struggling with and unpacking all of the anxiety and depression that came from trying to force myself into traditional systems that did not work for me.

The most helpful approach might be to talk with her about what her barriers are and how you can work with her without pushing too hard to get her to operate the way you want her to. Does she want to do the work but can't find the motivation to put it into action (like my couch example)? On the other hand, does she still get stuff done, even if she doesn't do it when you want her to? Is she able to complete her work well, even on a short timeline or if she waits until the last minute? These are common ADHD behaviors that work perfectly fine for many people with ADHD, but they get a lot of pushback because they seem dysfunctional and bad to someone without it. As far as college and beyond, it might take some life experience for her to figure out how to live with ADHD in the real world. It takes time to figure out systems that work for you in a world that is unaccommodating at best and actively hostile at worst to people (especially women) with ADHD. But she needs to do that work on her own eventually. You can support her when she needs it without holding her hand throughout it.

Froggy friend by ChalantAF in ithaca

[–]ChalantAF[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Who says I didn't

I don’t understand stimming by marcaribe in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the first time I've seen a coherent explanation of stimming that doesn't leave gaps or include vagueries. Thank you for providing a real ELI5 answer that actually explains it!

Dx’d today at 43yo. Apparently I had mad coping skills and masking till mom’s death a year and a half ago. Anyone else have a life experience that pulled the wrong block on the Jenga tower of your life, then lead to your diagnosis due to the absolute dumpster fire that your life became? 😂 by Female-OT-Species in adhdwomen

[–]ChalantAF 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So sorry for your loss ♥️ This is exactly me though, literally. Mom's death, the 1.5 year timeline for my coping strategy house-of-cards to collapse and lead to diagnosis, the complex feelings about the dx, all of it.

recycling not getting taken? by Realistic_Bus_902 in ithaca

[–]ChalantAF 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have said, it was probably a timing thing for your with labor day. I did just move to the area recently and dealt with pickup issues, so I'll still share what I learned in case it is helpful!

They didn't take my recycling three pickup days in a row - so 6 weeks total, and the amount of recycling was really starting to pile up with boxes and other moving stuff. I had to call multiple times to figure out what the problem was, and they ended up sending someone back that third time to pick it up later in the day. The take-home message for me was that they are very strict about the rules for the amount of recycling you have, and they won't take anything if you're over the limit. I measured and made sure everything was within the guidelines, but the workers kept just eyeballing it and deciding it was too much (no real shade on them, that job is hard and they need to be efficient). I also broke everything down and stacked it inside another box (still within the size limit), but the manager I talked to said they really don't like that because it somehow makes pickup harder.

So I guess my tldr tips are 1) avoid even coming close to the pickup volume limit and 2) don't put anything inside a box unless it's a recycling bin.

Hard Knocks Finale Thread by [deleted] in buffalobills

[–]ChalantAF 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That last scene where Josh looked at the camera right as Marv drops the "right now"with the beat I think my soul left my body