ADHD
-
They Asked for Help. They Were Told to Wait.
Twenty children. Twenty families. Twenty times the system had a chance to step in and didn’t. The Times investigation into the deaths of children with special educational needs and disabilities isn’t a sad one-off. It is a spotlight on something many of us have felt in our bones for years: mental health “support” in this…
-
Thanks Mate, Pass the Ball – Andy’s Man Club
Last night one of our facilitators shared that his long-time ill dad had passed away. This morning the group chat felt heavy. No one wanted to be the first to move it on. I said: Nobody wants to be the first to move the conversation on from what was shared. And I suppose that’s similar…
-
I’m Struggling (Mentally) and I Don’t Even Know Why
I am struggling a lot lately. That’s the cleanest way to put it. Not in any obvious way. Just quietly, persistently, in a way that sits behind the eyes and won’t bugger off. And I don’t fully know why. Last August, in the middle of what I thought was a routine conversation, a GP looked…
-
The Agony Of Hidden & Confusing Icons
I absolutely lost my rag earlier. All I wanted to do was post a quick message in a Google group chat, yet somehow I managed to post inside an existing thread. The layout looked exactly the same as starting a new one, so of course I assumed that’s what I was doing. Turns out, I…
-
Why I Say Hello to Dogs Before People
When I see a dog, my instinct is to say hello. Same with cats, or even horses. They get my attention straight away, usually with a smile and a bit of fuss. When I see a person, it’s different. My first thought is often to look away, avoid eye contact, and keep walking. Not because…
-
Facebook’s Hostile Interface Harms Neurodivergent Users
Try typing a bloody comment on Facebook these days. Your cursor hovers near a word, and boom: a pop-up suggesting pages you don’t care about. You’re mid-sentence, and Facebook’s autocomplete hijacks your keyboard to shove names and suggestions down your throat. You can’t move, type, or think without being interrupted by something trying to “help”…
-
ADHD Time Struggles Are Real but The Advice You’re Getting Isn’t.
You’ve seen the posts. Green thoughtful creature pondering past, present, and future. Relatable meme, thousands of likes, comments full of “this is so me.” Then comes the advice: Feels helpful for about five seconds. Then you’re late again. Then you’re replaying yesterday’s cock-up whilst simultaneously catastrophising about tomorrow’s 2pm meeting, and you realise you’ve just…
-
ADHD, Starvation, and Doing Absolutely Sod All
Welcome to the glamorous world of executive dysfunction. Where your brain is so bloody busy it forgets to tell your stomach it’s starving, and your to-do list becomes a to-don’t list so long it could be sold as a scroll. Today’s special? Self-neglect, served with a side of shame and a sprinkling of existential dread.…
-
ADHD Diagnosis – Stuck in Limbo Without Treatment or Choice
You know something’s wrong. You’ve known for years, maybe decades. You’ve seen the comments online from people who finally got diagnosed with ADHD or autism in their 40s, 50s, 70s or even older. People who say medication changed everything (life changing, many say). People who say therapy saved them. People who found both, or neither,…
-
Mental Health Isn’t Entertainment – The Raw Truth
I’ve just written about my own brain and how it works. Or doesn’t work, depending on the day. ADHD, depression, anxiety, the whole bloody catalogue. And I kept it raw because that’s how it needs to be. But here’s what’s been winding me up lately. Mental Health Isn’t Your Next Binge-Watch Turn on YouTube. Open…