I have an ADHD brain
In our first meeting, she said she has ADHD brain.
Yes, I understand.
And as I listen to her, I hear all the struggles that come along with living with an “ADHD” brain.
She gets help with medicine to manage the brain.
But she is here with me because she is tired to complete exhaustion from the consequences of living with this brain.
She misses deadlines and appointments. She gets judged by the environment all the time and this judgment is deeply internalized. The internal critical voice gets louder.
This is not uncommon.
Many adult ADHD clients will comment that they do things poorly or don’t get things done,
they let people down and let themselves down time and again.
They constantly experience all familiar feelings of shame, guilt, and feeling insufficient.
They use strategies to manage but can barely cope.
They are frightened of their own emotions.
They go to a behavioral specialist that teaches them what strategies to use and how to use them. But they don’t work.
“I can barely cope”.
The truth is they have learned to see their brain as a liability.
So one important part would be to unlearn it and reinforce that the brain is just a brain.
To do that, I take them to the inner space that teaches them that this brain is a resource.
How do I do it?
I make my clients participants and creators of their own therapeutic solutions.
They come up with the resources that they need; resources uniquely theirs.
This young lady got herself a cat. Sounds easy, and obvious? But when a young adult is struggling with work, living situations, and relationships, getting a cat is huge.
Getting a cat and becoming responsible for this creature is huge!
She has shown so much resilience and resourcefulness, unpacking her own negative emotions to get her to this point.
It’s just a cat, you say, but it is NOT.
All her life she got negative feedback from the judgemental and disempowering environment that she connected to having ADHD brain.
Having a pet was not even in the picture 3 sessions ago.
Now it is a reality.
Simple, but profound.
I know she is changing her life and using the brain she has to create a better reality for herself.
Very proud, very grateful, and very excited.
Comments