Everybody Feels Like That Sometimes

Expressing what it is like to have ADHD can be a challenge as many of the symptoms involve everyday experiences.

People with ADHD frequently encounter well-meaning but dismissive responses like "everyone feels like that sometimes."

While this response stems from a place of empathy, it can minimise the unique challenges faced by those with ADHD.

Key symptoms of ADHD may involve challenges with executive function, including forgetfulness, difficulty organising, overwhelm, and procrastination.

Whilst everyone may experience these at some point in their lives, they differ significantly in intensity and frequency for those with ADHD compared to what most neurotypical individuals will encounter.

Consequently, individuals with ADHD might feel misunderstood, feel inadequate for not being able to do things ‘the right way’ or compelled to justify their experiences to others and themselves.

One effective method to help individuals express their ADHD experience(rather than justify it), is using metaphors and analogies.

These devices can resonate with the creative nature of the ADHD brain, enabling better comprehension and expression of their experiences.

Metaphors can also be used as an effective tool to explore how individuals can find ways to manage their experience by talking within the metaphor.

For example, an individual may explain a sense of overwhelm with everything they are trying to do as the metaphor ‘trying to spin lots of plates but they keep falling.’

By asking ‘what could the plate spinner do?’ can direct individuals to their own solutions such as, ‘start by spinning one plate at a time’ which can apply to the way they are working.

What are your favourite ADHD metaphors?