“My Life Did Not Make Sense Prior to My Diagnoses”

I’m a member of the growing group of people who are learning of their neurodivergence in adulthood. At 37, I was diagnosed with ADHD and autism.Daily life is interesting, to say the least, with two conditions that try to pull me in different directions.I don’t really lose car keys or paperwork.

Still, my home office is a mess.I can focus for hours on my favorite topics and watch video after video on YouTube. But I seriously lose focus when I have to read lines and lines of text, especially if the information does not engage me.I have quicker access to my emotions than most men, I suppose, which I’ve been bullied and teased over since childhood.I wait until the last possible moment to get something done. (Though procrastination is something I’m getting better at addressing.) And I used to struggle a lot more with anxiety, especially over changing plans, and experience frequent meltdowns that left me feeling angry and ashamed.Sensory sensitivities?

I have a few. Noise-cancelling headphones are my source of comfort. I cover my ears when an ambulance blares by. Wood floors prevail over carpeted ones.

You’ll seldom catch me barefoot.Much of my life did not make sense to me prior to my diagnoses. I was the quirky kid who struggled to fit in and who didn’t think and act like his peers.