Top Tips for Advocating For Yourself With ADHD

If you have ADHD, you probably know that it can be difficult to get people to understand your condition. Some people brush it off as a TikTok trend, while others assume it’s just an excuse for naughty children, and this basic lack of understanding can cause problems when it comes to getting what we need as adults. I’ve put together a list of ways you can make sure that your needs are catered for, for days where you are feeling misunderstood. Here are my top tips for advocating for yourself with ADHD.

Let your work know about reasonable adjustments

One way that ADHD can manifest itself is through our work. For some it is that we are able to hyperfocus and achieve high volumes of work at times, yet suffer from a lack of motivation in other ways that our employers might not understand. For others the problem is more closely linked to RSD, and the all-consuming feeling of rejection that comes with receiving any kind of critique on our work. If you feel comfortable letting your employer know that you have ADHD, this might help them understand the way that you work better, so that you can work together to create a workload that works the best for your brain. This is also important when it comes to reasonable adjustments – for example, a reasonable adjustment for ADHD might be that you are able to wear noise cancelling headphones when you are working on a project in the office so that you can eliminate any distractions.

Make sure your medication is right

Finding the right medication for treating your ADHD – if you choose to go down the medication route – can be a difficult balancing act. Not only are there various brands you could try, but differing doses take a lot of trial and error, and it can be quite a frustrating process to find the right quantity for you. However, persistence when finding the right combination of medication for you is one of the best ways that you can advocate for yourself, as you are reporting back to your prescriber to let them know what you are experiencing and what changes you want to be able to see with your next change of medication.

Keep learning about ADHD

I cannot believe what an explosion of education about ADHD there has been in the last three years or so. I strongly feel that the more information that is available about ADHD, the better – particularly when it pertains to women and ADHD, as so many of us were chronically overlooked as children. An increase in available information normalises ADHD and reassures us that others are going through the same things, helping us understand the way our minds work better so that we can use that information to thrive and – in many cases – forgive ourselves for being ‘different’. The more you know about ADHD, the more you learn that certain traits of your personality might actually be symptoms, and this is vital information when it comes to being able to advocate for yourself effectively.

Give yourself time before responding

We all know that a huge symptom of ADHD can be that we struggle with impulse control, which is why I find that I am able to advocate for myself best when I take the time to step away from a situation for a little while, and think about what I really want to be saying before I respond. Unfortunately there have been times I have responded based on feelings of rejection that have been heightened by my ADHD, but if I give my emotions a chance to subside and think clearly about the situation I am often able to better communicate the end result that I am hoping for.

 

How do you make sure that your needs are advocated for when you are speaking to somebody who might not understand your ADHD? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments below.