30 in 30: No. 4 - The Diagnosis

I’m writing this blog post appropriately today, because my “gift” of ADHD got the best of me this morning. I call it a gift, because my incredible friend Sharon thinks it makes people exciting. I can get on board with that. Travis (my twin brother) was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. For some reason, it NEVER occurred to me that I might have it. One thing that I learned in researching ADHD is that it manifests much different in men than in women, so my struggle would have looked much different than his.

It was Sharon who challenged me to explore the possibility of me having ADHD. I did extensive research online and eventually took a self-assessment. Not only did I complete the assessment, but I took detailed notes about how I experience some/most of the symptoms in my life. After I finished that process, I thought it best if I saw a specialist. The specialist confirmed what I had suspected.

How has this discovery shaped me? This disorder has caused many things in my life to be like fighting an uphill battle. The hardest battle that I have fought through this is the one in my mind. I lived in shame because I couldn’t explain why things that seemed so easy for most people proved to be so challenging for me. This discovery provided clarification to some of these things and a consciousness that encouraged me to modify my life in order to be more successful in some areas in which I've struggled.

Now they say that knowing is half the battle. Days like today, I am reminded of the other half. My challenge is to remember that my worth is not determined by the failures that I face. But, I am intelligently designed by a God who knows exactly who I am supposed to be. And on MOST days… I really like that person.