Our Favorite ADHD Blog Posts of 2022

“ADHD emotions are not only unstable and mercurial; they overlap, butt heads, and fight for our attention. The fight to rein in our emotions is emotionally and physically exhausting; it also chips away at our self-worth and overall well-being.” —Kate Moryoussef

The flood of emotions associated with ADHD often comes on fast and furious, submerging everyone in its path. Here, a reader shares 14 transformative “micro-techniques” — like binaural beats, EFT tapping, and breath work — that she uses for stress reduction and emotional regulation.

• Read “How I Calm Down My ADHD Brain”

“A 2e individual may have to work twice as hard to do ‘basic’ tasks. And, while an average person may eventually reach their full potential, a twice exceptional person can often envision exceptional potential without the ability to reach it. Life becomes a series of ‘could-have-beens.’” —Gay Freebern

A reader, diagnosed as an adult with ADHD and autism, shares her journey of self-discovery as she came to understand what being twice exceptional truly means: not just for her, but for her 2e children as well.

• Read “Twice Exceptional Is a Cruel Double-Edged Sword”

“Because I’m such a restless sleeper, my cognitive functioning rarely gets up to speed before 10 a.m. I’ll wake up at 7 a.m., no problem, but I’m on autopilot. There’s no real thinking in my head beyond the atavistic functioning of a caveman or managing simple, routine tasks. To resolve this, I’ve devised a morning routine for people with ADHD.” — Les Steed

In this hilarious essay, a reader shares his tried-and-true antidote for grouchy mornings, a common hurdle for people with ADHD whose circadian rhythms don’t always match those of neurotypical folks (or 9-to-5 jobs).

• Read “My ADHD Morning Routine: Noise-Cancelling Headphones, a Double Espresso — and Intimacy”

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“Kids with inattentive ADHD don’t consciously choose what grabs their attention. So, while Blaise’s hyperfocused research into cryptozoology has him beating adults in trivia contests, he often forgets dinner because he’s programming Roblox.” — Elizabeth Broadbent

For a kids-eye view of what inattentive ADHD feels like — from hyperfocus to emotional dysregulation to cleaning woes — read this honest recounting, chronicled by a mom who has ADHD herself.

• Read “Inattentive ADHD, According to a 12-Year-Old Boy”

“I am a physician who specializes in ADHD and who also happens to have ADHD – and I’m on TikTok. No wait, it gets better. I am on TikTok and I’m over 30 years old. If you haven’t already stopped reading in anger, please let me explain myself.” — Sasha Hamdani, M.D.

“The ADHD Doctor” went from dismissing TikTok as a time-suck for tweens to embracing it as a platform to reach marginalized communities who’ve been excluded from conversations about ADHD and mental health. She recounts her shift in perspective in this blog post.

• Read “I’m ‘The ADHD Doctor’ on TikTok. Here’s How the App Has Changed Me.”

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“Like so many other moms with ADHD, I bump and rattle through life. We are smart, savvy, and resourceful — just out-of-sync with the neurotypical crowd. My mothering style doesn’t quite qualify as mainstream but I’m no less (or more) a parent.” — Susie B. Cross

In this tender and funny essay, a mom with ADHD describes the ways in which her parenting style differs from that of neurotypical moms. While little things, like permission slips, might fall through the cracks of her executive functioning, love and nurturing never do.

• Read “To My Kids: A Love Letter from Your Scatterbrained, Unpredictable, Truly Lucky Mom”

“As a pediatrician with a specialty interest in children with ADHD, I know that sleep problems are practically the rule, not the exception, for this group. It’s an issue that frustrates and concerns many parents, who come to me after they’ve run out of ideas for getting their child to fall and stay asleep.” — Richard Steinberg, M.D.

Sleep is a crucial building block in the architecture of our physical and mental health — but for kids with racing minds and restless bodies, dozing off can be difficult. In this blog post, Dr. Richard Steinberg offers his advice on everything from sleep hygiene to mind-quieting strategies, to make bedtime better for all involved.

• Read “Bedtime Strategies for Buzzing ADHD Brains”

“Navigating life as a Black, neurodivergent woman is complicated. Growing up, these parts of my identity presented a trifecta of unique challenges, some of which follow me to this day. Others, I’ve been able to overcome in my journey toward understanding and accepting my neurodiversity — and helping others accept theirs.” —Alyssa Tundidor

In this stirring and insightful essay, Alyssa Tundidor shares her experience growing up as a Black girl with inattentive type ADHD, and she explores the impacts of outdated, gendered, and racist stereotypes surrounding perceptions of ADHD.

• Read “I am a Neurodivergent Black Woman — and I am Filled with Hope.”

“The most consistent and complicated source of discord in our household is not our teenage son’s ADHD. It is the fact that my husband and I are often at an impasse about how to manage his behaviors.” —Megan Taylor Stephens, M.A., ESL; M.S., CCC-SLP

Problematic kid behaviors are always tough to respond to, but when that child has ADHD, the toughest part is often getting all caregivers to agree on the right response. Here, Megan Taylor Stephens searches for ways to reduce friction in the household by asking for practical tips from an expert.

• Read “Emotions are Contagious”

“When my eating disorder was at its strongest, I never saw my friends. I did not talk to my family. I secluded myself, hiding away like a hermit in my room, consumed by everything negative swarming my mind. At school, my usually vibrant and positive personality vanished and I became someone unrecognizable — even to myself.” — Maddie X.

In this honest and poignant essay, a teen girl shares her story of reckoning with an eating disorder, explains how her self-destruction was halted, and reflects on the meaning of recovery one year later.

• Read “I Became Someone Unrecognizable — Even to Myself”

“Diary of My ADHD Hyperfixations: My Brief-But-Intense Obsession with Pressure Washing”

“I am not saying that this high-pressure hosing hyperfixation is finished forever. (I would still totally be up for starting a hose-based art movement). But I know, after a lifetime of so many fleeting enthusiasms, that there always will be more. And I will love them just as fiercely and passionately as I did this one, for however long they last.” —Ruth Clare

“Medical Gaslighting Convinced Me That I Didn’t Have ADHD”

“Why did it take one-fifth of my life to get a medical explanation for why my brain works the way it does? I want to point the finger at the doctors, to cite their in-expertise or failure to really listen. But the fact is, I spent so long adhering to whatever “the doctor ordered” that I never truly learned to self-advocate.” —Susie B. Cross

“If the Story of My Unplanned Pregnancy Helps Just One Person, It Was Worth Sharing.”

“The suggested solutions for ending a pregnancy were dangerous. Only impulsive girls prone to risk-taking would attempt them. I picked one and followed through.” —Elizabeth Broadbent

“Happily Neurodivergent — at Last”

“I spent two decades of my life trying to mentally and chemically force myself to be as neurotypical as possible. But that day forced me to confront the fact that my desperation to be neurotypical was not only never going to bear fruit, but it was doing me real harm.” —Jenna Dodson

“When Your Child Is a Trigger: Reliving My Own Childhood with Undiagnosed ADHD”

“My daughter triggers me not because of who she is, but because of how the world treats those of us with ADHD. Most days, I’m able to drown out all the trauma and worry with love.” —Miranda Wallace

“New Semester, New Start”

“A new semester can bring a whole new rhythm to your days as a college student with ADHD — and sometimes change is hard. Avoid headaches, undue stress, and common pitfalls, and start the new semester off strong, with these simple tips.” —Christina Young, M.S.Ed., LPC.

“My ADHD Unleashed a Workaholic. ‘Quiet Quitting’ Is Saving Me.”

“My workplace burnout and everything leading up to it made sense after I was diagnosed with ADHD. I was able to see patterns of intensity, compulsion, and hyperfocus in my schooling and throughout my professional career. I even learned that studies have linked workaholism and ADHD.” —Jason Pitman

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