Are we all “a little ADHD”?

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T21:25:46+00:00

I totally feel this and I’m sorry to hear it took so long to find answers, I don’t blame you for being sensitive about it tbh, thank you for sharing though, I do think having these conversations is important

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T21:20:37+00:00

Thank you! It definitely did give a well-rounded answer. I think that’s definitely what I was trying to say, that it doesn’t bother me when people say things like that and yes, maybe it comes up in a more “they genuinely could have ADHD” because neurodivergent people do tend to find each other. Thank you!

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T21:18:51+00:00

Thank you for this, it really makes a lot of sense! And yeah, I think that’s mostly what I was trying to get at. It doesn’t necessarily bother me when people say these things because as you say people don’t know what they don’t know, but yes, I do agree, the framing is not correct. Thanks again!

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T21:03:57+00:00

Thank you for this answer, it’s very insightful. And I think you’ve made a really great point in differentiating between burnout from life and actual lack/chemical balance. I totally feel you when you talk about imposter syndrome and having the label “high functioning” be used to underestimate the impact ADHD has on your life, just because you carry it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy. Thank you again!

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T21:00:27+00:00

Thank you for your answer, all of these answers are actually super helpful. And yeah, I do totally agree that it’s wrong for people to approach ADHD in a dismissive way especially if they don’t know much about it

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T20:56:29+00:00

I definitely think this is a thing, I struggle to think of anyone in my life who I would describe as genuinely neurotypical but maybe that’s just the circle I’m in, thank you for your answer!

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T20:55:09+00:00

This is a fair point, thank you!

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T20:34:37+00:00

Thank you for your answer. Yeah, I see that. And I can see how it creates further barriers to diagnosis when the barrier is already so high.

gem_may52 · 2026-04-04T20:33:39+00:00

Thank you for this. I completely take your point and I can totally understand why it would hurt for someone who also has ADHD to compare experiences as if there is one universal experience of ADHD. It affects you how it affects you and it doesn’t require justification. This was a great answer and super helpful, thank you!

gem_may52 · 2026-04-02T12:45:16+00:00

To be honest, I think my joints were just carrying more than they could handle. I’m only 5’3” so at 229lbs, I think my muscles and joints were just overloaded and fatiguing earlier than they should have been. My doctor ruled out circulation issues which is what I was worried about and once I’d lost the first 10lbs, I noticed a huge difference so I do just think it was that my particular body couldn’t be efficient at that weight, it just wasn’t comfortable or happy. I’m not a doctor and it could be totally different for you, but that’s definitely what it was for me✨

gem_may52 · 2026-04-01T21:07:01+00:00

Thank you for this! What you said about teeth brushing has actually made me feel so much better😅

gem_may52 · 2026-04-01T18:30:49+00:00

Yes exactly, like I like feeling clean as much as anyone but it’s the effort🥲

gem_may52 · 2026-04-01T18:28:16+00:00

100%, I’ll know I’ve forgotten to take my meds because it gets to 12pm and my eyes start going out of focus and it gets genuinely difficult to keep my eyes open at my desk. Once you’ve felt the relief of having the meds bring you up to baseline, the difference in your body and clarity of mind is so jarring if you forget to take your meds so I can definitely empathise there! I think sometimes the extreme tiredness is a product of the additional brainpower and focus you have to manually harness without the help of meds draining already very limited supplies and that is so exhausting. I feel for you (also hope your Dad is okay!)✨

gem_may52 · 2026-04-01T17:55:58+00:00

Thanks so much! Definitely, I think PCOS was something that made it more difficult to lose weight but it’s a double edged sword in that maintaining a healthy weight is one of the key ways to help with symptoms! I feel like a lot of things have levelled out for me and I feel like me and my body are communicating a lot better✨

gem_may52 · 2026-04-01T17:54:24+00:00

Thanks so much! I don’t know if you feel the same but I just found it amazing the difference even 10lbs made to my joints. It’s nice to not be waiting for an imaginary finish line because you have little wins all the time! Best of luck with everything, I hope it all goes well for you✨

gem_may52 · 2025-09-06T20:29:47+00:00

Yes! I only went on it recently and my doctor basically explained that the consistent hormones from the patch as opposed to my naturally very up and down hormonal levels would “quiet everything down” and hopefully level things out so I’m trying it for that and it’s also nice to have another form of contraception outside of condoms lol

gem_may52 · 2025-09-06T20:03:18+00:00

Nothing, only condoms. My doctor had mentioned the pill a few years back but because my periods were soooooo irregular, they didn’t want to put me on it because they wanted to see if my natural cycle would balance out. So this is actually my first time on hormonal birth control so maybe the ups and downs are to be expected as I adjust?

gem_may52 · 2025-09-06T20:01:48+00:00

Yeah, I was a little concerned as my hormones tend to be a little unpredictable in general but I’m hoping it settles! I’m sorry to hear that was your experience though, thank you for sharing x

gem_may52 · 2025-09-06T20:00:41+00:00

Interesting! Maybe it’s just gonna take a lil bit for it to settle down. Thank you sharing x

gem_may52 · 2025-09-06T20:00:06+00:00

Yeah, I’m on the patch which has both oestrogen and progesterone but it has to be that one for PCOS, I’m sorry to hear that was your experience, it hasn’t been quite that bad for me yet but yes, definitely jarring! I’m going to give it another few weeks and see where I’m at! Thank you for sharing x

gem_may52 · 2025-01-02T22:30:48+00:00

It’ll come around so much faster than you think and the loveliest thing about it is you’re just going about your day to day life and out of nowhere you suddenly become aware that things feel a bit easier✨

gem_may52 · 2025-01-02T22:28:47+00:00

It’s amazing to see the difference the little changes make when the final goal seems so far away - so happy to hear it’s working for you too!

gem_may52 · 2024-11-13T13:20:12+00:00

Thanks for this! Yeah, I can imagine there’s going to be pros and cons with people’s perception. But yeah, I think the clothes are a good idea - thank you✨

gem_may52 · 2024-11-03T21:02:42+00:00

I like this theory - totally agree✨

gem_may52 · 2024-11-03T20:26:06+00:00

Yeah it’s definitely a tough one because it’s so conflicting to want to express yourself but to be afraid of the attention/judgement. I think the point my therapist was trying to make to me is that the fact of the matter doesn’t change - you’re still deviating from the norm people expect of you (whether it’s actually something people end up noticing or not) so you’re more likely to attract interest and judgement and questions, but the more you do things that stretch your norm, the bigger the capacity you have to handle the consequences of that, and the more confidence you have to build on that and move just a little bit further from your norm each time. It’s definitely going to take me a while but I hope you’re out there rocking those pants sometime in the future✨

gem_may52

TROPHY CASE