Here is a hint: it starts with M, is a 4 syllable word and research shows it is the most effective treatment for ADHD….medication. Not convinced? Read these comments on Reddit from people who take medication for their ADHD.

I felt immense relief after being diagnosed with ADHD. It was great to finally know why I was struggling with my daily activities. It wasn’t laziness, it wasn’t a lack of intelligence, and it wasn’t “just a quirk.”

Having to explain what ADHD is like to those who’ve known me for most of my life has probably been one of the most challenging parts of my late ADHD diagnosis.

It was one thing to struggle for over 20 years. But it was another to revisit the past. All the decisions I made just to get by — like placing my goals and plans on hold simply because “things just weren’t working out this time.”

I haven’t always felt comfortable disclosing my ADHD — especially in the workplace. I’d have a lot of anxiety about being vulnerable and honest with people who in the end may not even understand my challenges. So instead of sharing, I’d mask my ADHD and try my best to hide my challenges.

In Latin culture, learning differences are rarely talked about. They’re silenced and ignored out of fear that admitting these issues makes one seem “weak.” And in my household, my parents were no different.

For a long time, my mother didn’t want me to meet with a psychiatrist to find out why I was anxious all the time.

But throughout my academic years, I struggled to get through each assignment and exam. I was frustrated, I cried, and I wasn’t sure what to do. The help my parents could give was limited because they faced a language barrier that made it difficult. So, I fought hard for the grades that got me labeled as the “smart one.”

While I was in college, I studied long and hard for exams. I needed to. And I thought everyone else did, too. So, it drove me insane to hear other students talk about how little they would study, and how unprepared they felt the day of an exam — only to find out they aced it. They always aced it. Not me.

My constant state? Tired. I can sleep through the night, drink coffee in the morning, and sit in the sun for optimal vitamin D absorption. But even after my midday coffee and my prescribed stimulant medication that helps me focus, I’m still tired.

When I first received my ADHD diagnosis—and started treatment — I thought life would begin to work out the way I thought it was supposed to. But I quickly learned that wasn’t going to be the case.

Imagine someone has invited you for tea and they keep filling your cup until it is overflowing. You are surprised, and cry out them, “Watch what you’re doing! Can’t you see that the cup can’t hold any more.? It’s overflowing.”

As you look at each item, ask yourself:

· What are my reasons for keeping this? Are they valid reasons?

Today, I realized that ADHD is no longer a big issue in my life. Initially, I couldn't put my finger on when it became a nothing burger for me, but it has. Perhaps learning how I journeyed to wholeness will benefit you.

The journey to unmasking starts with yourself. A foundational first step can be writing your personal essay. Reflecting on your life and the trials, tribulations and successes that brought you where you are today can be a way to ground yourself in authenticity.

  Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?

"It all works…until it doesn't," in a recent article about ADHD in women made me see red. I wanted to shout at the author, "Your life wasn't working! It never worked for you, for any of us, until after our ADHD diagnosis and treatment!”

I want to spread the word to women ADHD-ers in particular that the worst possible thing you can do is try to be like everyone else. Why fit in when you can stand out?

Bite your tongue when others are talking. Let them finish, and don't try to finish what they are saying because you think you know what's coming next.

Immediately put upcoming obligations on your phone calendar

My brain is either a sampler platter of all my responsibilities and interests that I will think about in random 5-second bursts or a dinner table-size steak of a new niche that I will DEVOUR non-stop for a week straight and then lose all interest in. The problem with both of those scenarios is that I ordered the salad.

*I remember very little of my childhood and only remember my kids' childhood with the help of photos.

*I have so much I do not remember, even when reminded. It is frustrating.

Here are some of the highlights from a recent conference about adult ADHD.