In Sickness and ADHD

Hey did you miss me?
Sorry for a longer absence than usual, I had a horrible nasty virus that knocked me for six and I’ve just been focusing on the things that weren’t really optional. Do you not think us ADHDers make the worst patients? I mean for one we hate having to sit still to recover, but also those of us who like being productive feel utterly useless.

What hit me most this time wasn’t just the physical side. It was that strange ADHD-specific restlessness that kicks in the moment you have to stop. When your brain is used to running in twelve directions at once, suddenly being forced horizontal feels like being trapped in a body that’s glitching. You’re exhausted but your mind is pacing. You know you need rest but every part of you is itching to do something.

“For me, the constant guilt of doing something or not doing something is one of the worse parts of ADHD. No matter how many times you tell yourself you’re good enough, it remains.”

ADHD gIRL

And then there’s the guilt.
The voice that says: You haven’t written today.
You haven’t updated the blog.
You haven’t ticked off your list.
As if recovery itself isn’t a full-time task.

The truth is, when ADHD and illness collide, it’s not just “feeling poorly.” It’s a whole temporary shutdown of the routines, coping strategies and bursts of motivation we rely on to get through a normal week. So, the blog had to take a back seat while I clawed my way back to feeling like a person again.

But I’m here now, on the mend, back at my desk, and ready to get stuck into everything I’ve missed.

If you’ve also been ill recently, especially with an ADHD brain on board, consider this your reminder: you weren’t lazy, you weren’t failing, and you didn’t fall behind. You were recovering. And that counts.

Before I go, a quick update. The next blog article will be posted on the 18th of December and that will be the final one before we kick things off again on the 8th of January. And remember don’t let the pressure of Christmas fool you. It’s about who’s around the tree, not what’s under it. Catch you next time.