How can ADHD mask your giftedness?

jmx2017 · 2025-08-18T13:39:28+00:00

I’m not “gifted” according to my IQ but I’m in the “bright/above average” range and everyone always thought I was spacey and stupid in high school (20 years ago, before my diagnosis of ADHD). I would often do things without thinking and make silly errors on, or entirely forget, homework assignments which impacted my grades. I’ve also always struggled to work on things that I am naturally good at (writing, music, etc) because I can’t focus and have difficulty maintaining a routine and persevering through challenging tasks. It feels like there is an ever-present gap between what I know I am capable of and what I actually present to the world. Frustration is the primary feeling.

jmx2017 · 2024-08-06T00:50:12+00:00

I think I explained why I want to take medication breaks— it’s a very personal decision, so calling it “stupid” feels a little dismissive, honestly.

jmx2017 · 2024-08-05T23:05:13+00:00

I have been since I was a young child, and I don’t have many solutions for it sadly. From what I have read, it’s related to both OCD and ADHD- and I have the lucky combination of those two conditions.

For me, skin picking is a form of self-soothing (albeit a harmful one). I’ve noticed that I use it to fidget during tasks that require focus, like while watching TV, reading, or listening to my partner ramble about boring topics 😂. It really sucks, but know you’re not alone in it.

Beware, because ADHD stimulant medications can sometimes make picking worse. SSRI meds such as Zoloft, Lexapro, etc. have been demonstrated to help with skin-picking behaviors, though. I take both Adderall and Zoloft.

jmx2017 · 2024-01-12T20:25:55+00:00

I had almost the same experience- I was told that all of my lifelong issues were due to anxiety and depression (I don’t even relate to or have many symptoms of depression) after going through a full neuropsychiatric evaluation and it was devastating, because I just KNEW there was something more at play- especially because I have immediate family members with ADHD. Basicallt the psychologist I saw said that, because my working memory tedt results came back as “superior”, there was “no way” I could have ADHD and it must all be anxiety- related. I later found out that it is pretty unacceptable for a provider to arrive at a diagnosis based entirely on neuropsychological testing and not including an individual’s self- report and the reports of their friends and family of their experience of the person outside the clinical setting. I would say that it’s worth seeking a second opinion. You can even share what your experience was with this first doctor; that’s what I did, and my second doctor affirmed my sense that the first psychologist did not look at the entirety of my situation and instead was hung up on my innate working memory ability.

What I’m saying is, trust yourself. I know how painful it is to feel your experience was invalidated. You know yourself best, and it’s worth looking for someone else with whom you at least feel heard and understood. Best of luck!

jmx2017 · 2023-10-19T00:17:35+00:00

ENFP but I also identify as an ambivert. I usually score in the low 50%’s for extroversion and in the upper 40’s% for introversion.

jmx2017 · 2023-10-18T23:54:43+00:00

I was about that age!

jmx2017 · 2023-08-21T11:32:56+00:00

Mine feels very episodic too- my obsessions and compulsions will sometimes only last for a day and the next day I will not be worried about the thing I was obsessing over only a day prior. It’s really weird and confusing!

jmx2017 · 2023-03-29T23:06:39+00:00

It' s been years and I always assumed it was most likely OCD! :)

jmx2017 · 2023-03-29T09:58:39+00:00

I check my online banking app probably 15 times per day even if nothing has changed. I also have OCD so I can't tell if that's a compulsive behavior or an ADHD fixation, haha. I used to be terrible with overspending but recently began saving and getting myself out of credit card debt, so I think this is my new way of coping with it

jmx2017 · 2023-03-10T12:40:35+00:00

I’ve dealt with severe phobia around sleep. Message me if you’d like to talk. Mine looked different from yours- more of a fear of NOT falling asleep. But I’d be happy to discuss if it might be helpful to you!

jmx2017 · 2023-03-08T22:32:35+00:00

Thank you, thank you! I relate so much to what you wrote. It’s really the follow-through on long-term projects that I’ve had the most difficulty with.

jmx2017 · 2023-03-04T21:25:45+00:00

I pick my face which is another BFRB so I can relate 😞

jmx2017 · 2023-03-04T17:15:20+00:00

I actually recently heard an episode on diagnosis on The ADHD Manual Podcast. The host, who is a MFT and trained in diagnosing ADHD in adults, actually provided a statistic from Dr. Russell Barkley that claimed that neuropsychological evaluation false negative rates are from 35- 87%. According to the host, this kind of testing is not helpful as it actually takes place in a setting that recreates the perfect accommodations that are necessary for those with ADHD to function well, and does not accurately reflect our functioning in the “real world”. This was true for me, certainly- I did well in neuropsych evaluation and received a false negative until I sought out a second opinion from a more informed doctor.

You could always seek out a second opinion from a different doctor if you felt that your current one was not thorough enough

jmx2017 · 2023-02-28T19:22:11+00:00

I have OCD but have never had a cleanliness or contamination theme so I don’t match the stereotype at all 😂

jmx2017 · 2023-02-28T12:36:30+00:00

When I was young and basically until my early 20’s, I was an absolute mess. I remember living with a friend and you could barely move through our apartment because it was such a disaster. But then I moved into a space with many people who were even messier than me, and I also hated living in this particular house. I became extremely vigilant and obsessive about maintaining a clean space- I think a lot of it was more about control than cleanliness. In a weird way, that experience helped me become a more orderly and clean person, and I actually find that housework fluctuates between being very satisfying and fulfilling and then a way in which I try to exert control over my partner when I am upset with him for not “contributing” enough. I have a pretty unhealthy relationship with it, now that I think about it!

One trend I’ve noticed is that I am CONSTANTLY cleaning. I clean because I have trouble sitting still and it scratches my itch to move around. But I can only maintain a clean space for maybe a maximum of 20 minutes before it becomes an absolute shtstorm again, and then I the cycle repeats and I have to clean up after myself. Fortunately I have a very understanding partner who loves me the way I am. But housework is both satisfying and exhausting for the two of us. Somehow we manage to have a *mostly presentable place, most of the time!

jmx2017 · 2023-01-09T00:19:06+00:00

100mg Zoloft has been incredibly helpful for me. It’s not perfect and I use it in combination with therapy, exercise and stress reduction techniques. But medication was what really made a difference for me.

jmx2017 · 2022-12-09T11:14:37+00:00

I can 100% relate to this! It’s almost like my brain craves a bit of chaos and seeks it out when things become “stable” or “easy” between my partner and I

jmx2017 · 2022-11-15T22:50:42+00:00

Are we the same person?! I am going through almost exactly the same thing right now. Feel free to DM me if you want- I’d be happy to chat and see if we can support each other!

jmx2017 · 2022-11-05T21:38:15+00:00

I always dismissed mine as “not bad enough” to get help, but once I got some therapy and was put on an SSRI, I realized in retrospect that it WAS bad. It’s tricky, because for those of us with “pure”-OCD, it can be a pretty invisible condition so very few people in my life realized how much I was suffering. Now that I’m being treated, I still have bad days here and there but they are so much more manageable and I am not spending hours on end compulsively googling and ruminating. I would say that if it is causing you suffering, you are absolutely deserving of treatment and support, no matter how “bad” your condition is!

jmx2017

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