Knitting with ADHD – part 1
In the spring of 2022, my colleague Beth at the design circle said, "I believe you are like me. You have ADHD." WHAT!? No way, I am not a Zappelphillip (a German fiction character, as in a boy who can't sit still). Those were my first thoughts exactly...
Beth and I have been discussing time and project management to give you some background. I have been struggling with both topics, and she offered unusual advice. Beth also knew from personal experience all the problems I have been dealing with. So, the longer we talked, the more I felt she might be right with her assessment…
In hindsight, this talk marks the beginning of my journey with discovering (my) ADHD. I started to research what ADHD is, and if you have no clue what I am talking about, please look at this excellent YouTube Channel How to ADHD and this video What is ADHD!? in particular. It explains to you the neurodiverse mental disorder of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
For the following months, I ran down the analysis rabbit hole (which is total ADHD behaviour). First, I tried to understand if I might have it, and after accepting that it is highly likely, I tried to find out in which way it affects me and what I could do.
What I tried to avoid were negative talks. I have been afraid of a new depression – a mental health disorder I have been struggling on and off with my whole life (again, a classic problem for people with ADHD).
To this day, I love listening to Tracy Ontsuka's podcast ADHD for Smart Ass Woman, in particular, because she always tries to spotlight the bright side.
It is thanks to her that I got into testing. Tracy Ontsuka offers an excellent checklist for women who believe they have ADHD. I went through it with my husband and mum, which was exciting, enlightening, heartbreaking, and even more fun. Who would have thought!?
Getting tested is in every country different. So, I shy away from giving you any advice on this. Please figure out how it works at your place, whether you must pay for it or if your health insurance covers it.
After I got my diagnosis, my approach shifted. Since then, I have been facing the negative aspects a lot more. It brought me into a hyper-aware state and, unfortunately, what I already feared – a bit of depression. At the same time, I tried to figure out more about what I could do to improve my life and the consequences of my ADHD condition. It is a journey, probably one that will never end. That's okay!
I like to recommend these two books:
ADHD 2.0
By Dr Ned Hallowell and John Ratey, MD
I listened to this one, but you can get it as a paperback, in eReader format, and audiobook.
Self-Care for People with ADHD:
100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Prioritize You!
By Sasha Hamdani, MD
I read this one during the summer holidays on my Kindle. It is also available in all formats.
If you like to follow people on Instagram, check out the author over there @thepsychdoctormd.
I hope all these resources will help you to understand ADHD better, and if you feel like you might have it too, give you a starting point for your discovery journey.
Like you might have experienced yourself, knitting came as a friend to me during a dark time. Initially, it had nothing to do with my ADHD (or at least I thought so...), but it helped me with my post-partum depression. I believe my obsession with this craft is, for a good portion, based on my neurodiverse disorder. It helps me cope with so many things. At the same time, ADHD can be counterproductive, and you might struggle with the combination. That's why I want to share with you my tips & tricks in this mini-series – Knitting with ADHD.
Stay tuned until next time!
