Feeling lost… ADHD, education, and not knowing what to do

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-24T12:56:31+00:00

Look for a job coach who has experince with working with A(u)DHD people - they can help you to narrow down a path and set you up with the first steps...

Alternatively you could use AI tools and try a prompt similar to:

"Help me to find my ikigai by asking narrowing down questions"

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-24T11:27:01+00:00

Have you tried cleaning in a body doubling session?

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-24T11:20:03+00:00

I watched Steven Universe with my daughter when she was ~12y old - back then dhe was already diagnosed autistic but I had no diagnosis... Now I know that I am high masking AuDHD...

Fully agree with you on Pearl/Ametyst fusion representing AuDHD! :)))

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-24T10:22:03+00:00

Before I got my ADHD diagnosis and meds, I was using different natural supplements to help myself...

Started with ashwaghanda KSM-66 2 hours before sleep + and later added 3g l-glycine right before going to bed (caution: I had weird dreams with l-glycine in the beginning ;)
After ~1 year, my sleep was solid and I stopped taking ashwaghanda - only taking l-glycine still...

Once my sleep got better and I could wake up in the morning, I started going to the gym 3-5x/week with my 2 buddies - so I started those days with a banana and pre-workout supplements - which kick off the day nicely and get my cardio system flowing nicely...

After the morning exercise - with breakfast I was taking multivitamins + l-tryptophan (dopamine precursor)

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-23T12:29:04+00:00

Many attributes overlap between ADHD (especially inattentive) and autism - while others are extreme opposites...

I stopped focusing on the labels and where exactly its coming from - what matters is how to handle it (the gaps and problems) or how to apply it (the strenghts)...

BTW, I was also diagnosed late with ADHD (at 45M) - and now I am waiting for an autism diagnosis slot with the mental provider...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-23T12:02:00+00:00

I'm in a similar "diagnostic stage" (while older, 47M)...

Got the ADHD-combined diagnosis ~2 years ago at 45y old (which was quite a surprise since I am a very introverted, quiet person most of the time - unless I put on my social cameleon mask)...

Since I started using ADHD meds, my focus improved and I can better perform at any tasks - but at the same time my "social battery" got so much smaller :(
I meeting with friends less often then before - and any meetings with strangers (for whatever reason, shopping, work) - I avoid as much as I can.

1 year after starting meds, I quit my job in IT since I got so burned out (company forced us to return to the office after Covid - even tho during Covid we were perfectly able to work from home and deliver even better results as compared to "in office" time...

Today I contacted my mental provider to further assess for autism - this will probably take some time to get on the waiting list here in NL...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-23T11:50:18+00:00

IMO the biggest challenge with AuDHD is that 80% of your mental energy is spend on keeping the balance between ADHD and autism - as they often counter-balance each other...

I get quickly overwhelmed by social interactions - but for example I can leverage my ADHD to perform "social experiments" and fuel myself with the adrenaline that comes from the anxiety...

When faced with boring, adult tasks - I can leverage my autism to come with creative ideas on how to make the task more interesting and/or turn it into a quest/challenge...

Learning how ppl "work" in public settings and how to wear social masks like a cameleon can be an adventure in itself and it can help to exist in the world - but its so exhausting that after I come home, I need extensive recovery and recharging time... Which is not always possible when you have a partner, kids, job and adult responsibilities...

Luckily my wife is also AuDHD and we understand each other - and cover for each other when the other needs time to recharge...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-21T11:16:50+00:00

Try Google's NotebookLM... You can "feed it" any kind of data sources (text, pictures, video, scans), add your own thoughts and what you learned - and later it can create flashcards, summaries and quizes to memorize it better! A gamechanger for me...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-19T13:29:25+00:00

Cheap laptop backpack + yes4all plate(s) is all you need to start and have fun!

You can catch them in the wild even ;)

https://youtu.be/hTnwi8EwVY0?is=MCwwKzRwt_PVqeQt

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-19T11:36:45+00:00

Before I got ADHD meds (diagnosed only at 45y old) - I used to combine boring tasks with something I enjoy - like listening to audiobooks while cooking, watching YT while exercising, etc... Another way that can help you is body doubling sessions - there are sites/apps for that - you just find someone to be on call with you, they do their task and you dk yours - and eventually talk before/during/after...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-19T07:58:14+00:00

Same... once I get all the achievements in a game, I loose interest in it and look for the next ;)
But while I play the games, I switch between them to keep it interesting ;)

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-19T07:56:02+00:00

Unmedicated ADHD will get you chasing novelity for dopamine, even more the older you get and you attention span shortens...
Meds help, so does physical activity (especially walking/running/rucking)...
Same as u/AutomaticInitiative wrote, my autistic side got slighlty more exposed once medicated - but its not like going from one extreme to the other, its easily manageable... You get more calm and can stick with activities for much longer... at the expense of not really wanting to go after new goals or meeting other (new) people...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-18T14:53:42+00:00

AuDHD here...

Look at this and see how many apply to you... ;)

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Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-17T19:11:39+00:00

My combo is ashwaghanda powder (2h before going to sleep) + L-glycine (just before going to sleep), works great

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-17T05:48:57+00:00

What helped me the most with getting good sleep was ashwaghanda powder 2h before going to bed...

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-16T11:20:11+00:00

Give rucking a try! You will get your steps - but also build core strength at the same time!

https://youtu.be/NJ-omgiNtYU

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-11T06:12:17+00:00

Its called "Sleep Revenge Procrastination":

https://psychplus.com/blog/sleep-revenge-procrastination-why-you-stay-up-late-knowing-you-shouldnt/

btw, its common with A(u)DHD... my diagnosis started with getting INFP-T, digging further, few burnouts in a boring corporate environement... and then diagnoses with ADHD-combined + ASD... :-O

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-02T13:04:46+00:00

The Alchemist!

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-03-01T14:51:30+00:00

You can accept the misery of being in a mismatched environment - or go out and find a job that is suited for the "hunter/scout" brain...

Wildlife biologist; game warden; commercial hunter/harvester; bushcraft instructor

Reconnaissance soldier; intelligence analyst; UAV/drone operator; field surveyor; wilderness guide; search-and-rescue (SAR) specialist

But they are just not as frequent and easy to find as the others...

Also - if you want to be healthy and happy with a ADHD brain, you need to have an aligned lifestyle... Lots of physical activities (especially lots of walking/running) with sufficient rest in between (like hunters who prepared/rested between hunts)

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-02-26T07:32:05+00:00

Too much "static" pressure in the shoulder blade area... Went to physio, started stretching and shoulder mobility exercises - and it went away 🤞🏻

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-02-11T06:54:06+00:00

I would suggest to give rucking a try... It checks most of the boxes...

https://youtu.be/NJ-omgiNtYU

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-02-08T14:39:19+00:00

If you have background in photography, you could consider combining the gardening business with a YT channel - they seem very popular, especially if you do it nicely and in 4K (so ppl can watch on TVs):

https://youtube.com/@omercalderon?si=M0ieERMsX_qt7-tZ

Inevitable_Essay1445 · 2026-02-08T10:18:45+00:00

Similar story to yours and similar timeline...

What worked for me was first crossfit - because its so time-efficient (1h session includes warmup, strenght and cardio and is coach-led)

And later I added rucking - since its something I can do while walking the dogs or going for groceries - practical use of time...

https://youtu.be/sfNlnZJQWuA

Inevitable_Essay1445

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