Actually ADHD

People who have good Cognitive Flexibility are able to kind of “go with the flow”. They handle sudden changes in situations or in the environment without a lot of freaking out. Yes, ADHDers have a reputation for being laid-back and easy-going, and great in an emergency. Lots of us end up working in jobs like emergency medicine, after all. So if we say that ADHDers struggle with Cognitive…

The new video is up over at YouTube!

Also, I see the Asks in the Inbox and I will try to get them answered over the weekend. I hope everyone is doing well!

Hi everyone!

First things first, for long-form blog posts full of all kinds of information, plus the FAQ and stuff, check out the Actually ADHD web site.

This is your reminder that this blog has been around since 2012 and there are pretty good odds that your question (or a variation of it) has been answered at some point in that time.

Before you send in your question, please check the following places to see if I’ve covered your situation:

Tags - I tag every single post, so look for your topic.

FAQ - I have covered the most common questions here — you won’t get a different answer, so please do check here before you ask!

Popular Questions & Posts - some things are so common I have a page I go to for linking in our answers, but you can access it yourself and save me some time!

Resources - I have links to places you might be able to find more information!

Reading List - I have a list of books that might be helpful for you to read; if you’ve read some of these books and would like to write a review for me to link, please do!

From the sidebar:

The more specific your question, the better the answer. Don’t just ask for tips on “how to manage ADHD”; that’s too broad a topic. Instead, choose something specific that you need help with and ask about that.

I will no longer be attempting to answer general questions like this. Please check out the links in the list above or try to narrow down your question.

In addition to this, please remember that this is an ADHD blog. If your question is not directly related to ADHD in some way, this is probably not the right place for it. I recommend @mentalillnessmouse for non-ADHD related mental health questions. Also, do check out their resources; they have emergency numbers and chats and stuff as well as informational web sites all listed in their pages.

There is one other thing you need to be aware of, and that is that there are a few topics I don’t respond to anymore. Typically this is because I have said everything I can about the topic (in which case you will find it in the tags and/or on the FAQ). In some instances this is due to my (and/or past mods’) limitations.

Currently I do not respond to questions about dermatillomania (skin picking), especially not if they are incredibly detailed, due to personal difficulties dealing with the topic. If you look in the tag (right here) you will find some information and links to other blogs that deal with the subject.

I will also not be answering questions about whether or not it is okay to use the term special interest as I have answered that many times in the past. Questions about hyperfixation may also go unanswered. Please check the applicable tag (right here) before asking your question.

This list will be added to as necessary.

Thanks for understanding, everyone!

Actually ADHD is on YouTube! Please subscribe and watch the videos and like and comment and recommend… all that good stuff.

Supporting Actually ADHD

Sometimes I get asked how to support me, so have a list!

Ko-fi

Buy Me a Coffee

Patreon, which has a free level as well as paid.

All funds received through these accounts will be used to help keep this blog and its related social media (etc.) running. Thank you so much for considering making a donation!

If you'd rather spend your money on physical or digital possessions, I have that too!

Mini e-books with tips & tricks

Paper notebooks containing some of the printables posted to the Actually ADHD web site

POD merch items with the Actually ADHD branding

A paper workbook is in development, as is a full-on book that will be available in both e-book and paper formats.

If you have any suggestions for products I could add to the list here, please let me know via Ask!

The mini e-book covers:

Anonymous's Submission

I feel like my adhd makes me see patterns other people don’t, which is fun and very occasionally useful!

It’s Feel Good Friday!

Send us an Ask or a Submit with anything you find positive about having ADHD (this is not achievements, that happens on Tuesdays). You can be anonymous or not, we don’t mind! We’ll collect them into one post and share them at the end of the day. Please mark your submissions as being for FGF.

This is an attempt to get us to think a little differently about ADHD. Yes, it is definitely a pain in the ass sometimes (or most of the time). However, do you have some skills that you might not have developed if you didn't have to deal with ADHD on a daily basis? Have you figured out how to harness some of your symptoms so that you are successful at things that nobody would ever imagine from someone who has ADHD? Is there something about how ADHD affects you that actually makes you feel good about yourself? This is the day to tell us about one of those things!

New video is up! This one is shorter than usual and it's about Working Memory. And penguins.

Send us an Ask or a Submit with anything you are proud of having accomplished in the past week and mark it as being for TT. You can be anonymous or not, we don’t mind! We’ll collect them into one post and share them at the end of the day. Then hopefully other people will reblog and let you know that they’re proud of you, even if you’re anonymous!

kay-jay-comic-art's Submission

I'm a writer/artist with ADHD, and I have to admit, once I start working, I don't stop! It might take me a while to stop procrastinating, but when I finally enter the hyperfixation zone, nothing can pull me out of it! That's one thing I enjoy about my ADHD.

Sent May 9, 2025

The rough part about not having a diagnosis is that you won't be able to access medication or formal accommodations at school or work.

However, there are several good things about being sure you do have ADHD, even if you can't get a formal diagnosis.

For example, you know where to look for help with the things you're particularly struggling with: ADHD-specific web sites and books! Most self-help books are meant for neurotypical people, so while some of the advice in that arena might be useful or helpful, it's not likely to be useful long-term since it expects you to have stronger executive functioning than you do if you have ADHD.

A lot of the strategies on this Tumblr could be useful for you, as well as the other resources I've put together (available at http://actuallyadhd.org).

Think about what specific things you're having trouble with. You can always ask here for help or try to look through the archives.

When you're talking to other people about things you're trying to figure out, it's totally okay to say that you think you might have ADHD, but a lot of people have really weird reactions to that sort of thing, so it's probably better to just talk about the things you're working on without mentioning it. (This is advice for people who are formally diagnosed too, unless you're looking for formal accommodations.)

Followers, do you have any advice for this anon? What's your favourite tip or trick that you've found really helps you in your everyday life?

It’s Feel Good Friday!

Send us an Ask or a Submit with anything you find positive about having ADHD (this is not achievements, that happens on Tuesdays). You can be anonymous or not, we don’t mind! We’ll collect them into one post and share them at the end of the day. Please mark your submissions as being for FGF.

This is an attempt to get us to think a little differently about ADHD. Yes, it is definitely a pain in the ass sometimes (or most of the time). However, do you have some skills that you might not have developed if you didn't have to deal with ADHD on a daily basis? Have you figured out how to harness some of your symptoms so that you are successful at things that nobody would ever imagine from someone who has ADHD? Is there something about how ADHD affects you that actually makes you feel good about yourself? This is the day to tell us about one of those things!

Anonymous's Submission

I figured out the planning for having to move out soon! I did so many planning things today, that i have been postponing for a long time! So I'm very proud about that!

Send us an Ask or a Submit with anything you are proud of having accomplished in the past week and mark it as being for TT. You can be anonymous or not, we don’t mind! We’ll collect them into one post and share them at the end of the day. Then hopefully other people will reblog and let you know that they’re proud of you, even if you’re anonymous!

Anonymous's Submission

(FGF): Some of my favorite things about having ADHD, in no particular order: - Being able to make quick associations and carry complex, evolving conversations with my wife, who also has ADHD. We use a lot of association and inference to construct constellations of ideas that wouldn't make sense to someone without ADHD and the ability to keep multiple trains of thought with rapid shifts. - Hyperfixations on topics! I love being so fascinated by something that time melts away and it's just me and the topic, dancing around in my mind. I love turning things over in my head and investigating them thoroughly, and I love surprising people with how much I know about some random topic because I hyperfixated on it last year and gained an understanding that I carried forward. - Related: I can identify a lot of birds on sight because I was hyperfixated on birding during the pandemic when I had to isolate out in the woods where we lived. People are so surprised when I know what the bird on campus is, but I just see them as friends I met during COVID, lol. - I'm actually way more organized than a lot of other folks without ADHD, because in order to succeed in school, I had to find methods that work with my ADHD and not against it. My dry erase board is colorful and interesting, and my calendar is maintained because I will NOT show up to something if it's not in there (things not in my calendar lack object permanence for me). People comment on how organized I am and I'm honestly proud of that because it took so long to find ways that work for me, but now that I have, they work amazingly.

It’s Feel Good Friday!

Send us an Ask or a Submit with anything you find positive about having ADHD (this is not achievements, that happens on Tuesdays). You can be anonymous or not, we don’t mind! We’ll collect them into one post and share them at the end of the day. Please mark your submissions as being for FGF.

This is an attempt to get us to think a little differently about ADHD. Yes, it is definitely a pain in the ass sometimes (or most of the time). However, do you have some skills that you might not have developed if you didn't have to deal with ADHD on a daily basis? Have you figured out how to harness some of your symptoms so that you are successful at things that nobody would ever imagine from someone who has ADHD? Is there something about how ADHD affects you that actually makes you feel good about yourself? This is the day to tell us about one of those things!

I forgot to post this last night. Enjoy it now!

Anonymous's Submission

I've made a lot of progress packing for my move! With any luck, I might actually be ready for moving day without having to pack frantically through the night 💪

Send us an Ask or a Submit with anything you are proud of having accomplished in the past week and mark it as being for TT. You can be anonymous or not, we don’t mind! We’ll collect them into one post and share them at the end of the day. Then hopefully other people will reblog and let you know that they’re proud of you, even if you’re anonymous!