Throughout my life, I've never felt like I could simply enjoy a moment. Each one felt rushed and incomplete. A new episode of a TV show? I'd watch it while I did my homework. I'd play video games while I listened to a podcast. I'd scramble to write something at the last moment, just before a deadline.

Almost every day, I tell myself I'm going to start work at 9:00 a.m. and be productive. Almost every day, I'm disappointed with myself. In my head, I'm a person with a million ideas, a million goals, and a million ways of making things happen. In practice, I'm easily distracted by, well, basically everything. It's frustrating. I want to push myself. I want to do amazing things, but I regularly find myself lying on the couch watching YouTube videos and barely paying attention. I struggle to be motivated.

I've tried making morning routines for myself to focus, following classic self-help tips: meditation, yoga, going for a run first thing in the morning, ensuring I get eight hours of sleep, etc. None of it stuck. More importantly, none of it helped. I never felt more productive or focused on my work. I never felt like it contributed to my success or happiness. Frankly, most of my success has come from moments of pure, chaotic frenzy--which might have something to do with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

After receiving a clinical diagnosis for "mild inattentive attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)," something strange happened. What I thought would be liberation turned into weeks, if not months of self-loathing and debility. Instead of learning how to coexist with my ADHD, I became it.

I hate to say it, but my mental health hasn't changed much since the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Despite working directly with COVID-19 patients as a healthcare worker, lack of protective personnel equipment (PPE), and a limited supply of masks—my attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) remains intact.

Is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a gift or a disability? There is much debate about this topic. People feel very strongly about this ADHD issue, perhaps because the question is tied to our identity. In my opinion, there is no easy answer, and it very much depends on the circumstances. 

A number of children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) supposedly outgrow ADHD, but quite a few do not. It used to be thought that most children lose the diagnosis as they age, but theories increasingly suggest that most people still have ADHD throughout adolescence and possibly adulthood. Certain experts even theorize that ADHD never disappears; its symptoms simply morph and become more subtle. This made me wonder why some supposedly grow out of ADHD and what it means to know that ADHD might never go away.

Starting a new job with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be particularly difficult. If you have ADHD, remind yourself that this is a big change, which is both exciting and challenging for someone with ADHD. Below is a video with a few questions you might want to ask your employer before you get started at your new job with ADHD.

I want to talk about suicide and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) because September is Suicide Prevention Month. Though ADHD has a reputation in our society for being either a punchline or an excuse, it is important to note that people with the condition have a 30% higher risk for attempting suicide or dying by suicide.1 There are a number of reasons for this, including high comorbidity (when multiple conditions exist in the same person) with other disorders, such as depression or anxiety. Read more to find out what contributes to this high suicide rate in people with ADHD and what we can do to help prevent it.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can make shopping for clothes difficult. Some with ADHD love shopping for clothes, while others (like myself) find it tedious. Whatever the case, our sensitivity, impulsiveness, and prioritizing problems throw a wrench into the works. Since I am currently replacing my wardrobe, bit by bit, I would like to offer a few suggestions to make ADHD shopping easier.