Is It Me or My Inattentive ADHD?

Written By Cynthia Hammer, MSW

by Cynthia Hammer, MSW

At an ADHD conference, a therapist presented on this topic. Unfortunately, I didn't hear her as it is a topic of great interest to me. What about me is attributable to having inattentive ADHD? Probably all the behaviors listed in the DSM-V for inattentive ADHD, but my terrible memory troubles me the most.

Someone once asked me why I thought my inattentive ADHD caused my forgetfulness. I answered her honestly, "I don't know, as I have never lived a life as a non-ADHD person, but I can venture a guess."

People without inattentive ADHD would never live a week like mine. That's why I think severe forgetfulness is attributable to my ADHD.

Today I came home exhausted. I had been running errands, and none of them were successful. I drove several miles to a shoe repair shop, only to be told he couldn’t repair my shoes. I wanted to return a jacket I bought because I was in the area, but forgot to put it in the car. I meant to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy, but it was getting late. The car was low on gas, and I had to buy more at the nearby service station, even though the price was much higher. It felt like I had wasted my whole day. I was discouraged and exhausted.

I think my ADHD caused my exhaustion.

When my emotions are high, energy is there for me. But when I have a downer of a day, like today, I am completely exhausted and need downtime before I can function, before I am willing to face that world.

What do you think? Do emotions have a more significant impact on our energy level than on non-ADHD people?

Cynthia Hammer, MSW

Cynthia Hammer, MSW, was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in 1992 when she was 49 years old. The following year she created the non-profit organization, ADD Resources, with a mission to educate adults and helping professionals about ADHD in adults. She ran the organization for 15 years before retiring.

During the Covid isolation she wrote a book about her life with inattentive ADHD which should be published by the end of this year. In writing the book, she was dismayed to learn that children with inattentive ADHD continue to be under-diagnosed and adults with inattentive ADHD often are incorrectly diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

She created a new non-profit in 2021, the Inattentive ADHD Coalition (www.iadhd.org), to create more awareness about inattentive ADHD and the need for early diagnosis and treatment.

https://www.iadhd.org
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