Dec 11, 20214 min read

6 ways to motivate ADHD minds

Wow, that GIF gives an artistic but quite accurate and startling image of the mind of an ADHD individual.

I have been open and candid about my journey through anxiety/depression and later in life, diagnosis of ADHD-inattentive. I will never forget the day I took my first ADHD med.

I. was. petrified.

I thought my psychiatrist ( a specialist in adult ADHD and quite holistic minded herself) was nuts! "I'm gonna have a stroke. This is going to blow my heart up! This is going to make me more anxious and crazy than I ALREADY am! What is she thinking?!"

In fact, I held on to that Rx for a month before I even filled it. I remember taking it, and thinking, "Well, here we go! Good thing Joel and I have our will in place!" I am not kidding even slightly either. For those of you know me well, know that I am not a big fan of med pushing and only take them in EXTREME cases. I am SO grateful for them. Antibiotics have been lifesaving. Pain relief for long, complicated labors and meningitis? MIRACLE. Antidepressants for severely depressed post partum mothers, who 100 years ago were put in an insane asylum, but today, through a med, can go back to functioning to 100% what they were before their illness set in? Mirales and blessings. 100%. Yet, as we in the health world know, they are gravely overprescribed, and as of today's current mode, downright scary what is being pushed and forced, in the name of unreasonable and irrational fear.

So yeah, back to that med......as I swallowed it down waiting for imminent demise...I slowly noticed over the hour, crisper air. Bluer skies. I could hear the birds tweeting so clearly BUT ALSO could focus on the flowers I was pruning outside. When people talked to me, I noticed they sounded so clear and direct. I guess for those who do not suffer with ADHD, (and lifelong undiagnosed until 39 years of age) there really isnt any other way to describe it than, miraculous.

Now, do I think meds need to be used in all situations for ADHD. Absolutely not. I also believe when we do choose to use meds, THAT ALONE cannot be our crutch. We must continue to put in the work of exercise, cognitive therapy, intention, diet and much more. However, I noticed when I started meds, doing even all of THOSE things became something that wasn't as overwhelming. It was a beautiful marriage. And to this day, Dr Wochos, God bless you. xoxo

With that said, even with all of those things I mentioned before, ADHD never "goes away." There are so many books on ADHD and if you, a child, a spouse or loved one live with ADHD, I encourage you to read and study up on in. Talk to my husband! Since my diagnosis, he has dove into books and research, and it has helped him greatly understand the "whys", and that what he used to take as personal insult, truly wasn't insult at all. It has helped our marriage and it has made him an ever better father, husband, and pastor, then he already was. The guy has put up with a lot. (Although, let's face it, marriage is always give and take). I don't pretend to be a victim, but I also don't pretend I have the gifts of someone without ADHD. Some of the world's greatest inventors, CEOS, and entrepreneurs have ADHD. Some I am all "Yeah, woot woot woot!" when I hear they are a fellow neurodivergents. Others, I turn the other way and pretend I didn't hear that. lol ( ahem, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates...sorry not sorry). Here are familiar names of those who have battled the world of ADHD and come out on top:

Michael Phelps

Ty Pennington

Howie Mandel

Adam Levine

Paris Hilton

Simone Biles

Albert Einstein

Benjamin Franklin

Justin Timberlake

Will Smith

Mel B (Spice Girls)

John F. Kennedy

Jim Carrey

Zooey Deschanel

Michael Jordan

Lisa Ling

Walt Disney

So, as we can see, those are just a few of those "annoying kids" who seemed to make some impact on the world or success in life to provide for themselves, their family and bring joy to others.

Service. That is why we are. Whatever can be done in our means to improve that, why would we not want to try?

ADHD is neurodivergency.

What happens in the brain with inattentive

Brain networks — the way the different regions of the brain communicate — work differently for people with ADHD. That impacts inattention, impulsivity, and emotional regulation. Inattention, a primary symptom of ADHD, may bring a shortage of focus — or an abundance. The connections between neural networks are underdeveloped and weak, which means… •The signal to ignore distraction and refocus is lost. •The person with ADHD keeps playing or zoning out with no reminder to reset. In other words, focus is not a matter of willpower or motivation. Focus is a function of the axonal fibers connecting different regions of your brain, and that is complex science. Joel Nigg PhD them??mm