66 years of life, described in 30 seconds.

"Masking" is a huge part of my life, it has been for decades - long before I got the diagnosis. I remember years ago explaining to my ex how this social/emotional mask of mine works, and speaking more broadly, how a lot of people are masking something to some extent or another. He reacted very negatively to this otherwise casual discussion and began to view me as some sort of Machiavellian sociopath after that. Even without the diagnosis, I still had the language to tell him why I was so exhausted and burnt out to deal with the people and events he tried to force on me. I'm glad I know what this is now. I've spent the longest time feeling broken in some fundamental way.

my life right now... did a career change at 48 im 51 and have gotten several awards, and rewards from my boss, still feel like an imposter.

Your stuff just speaks to me, i NEVER knew these things were ADHD!!! Ive always just thought it was yet another part of me that made things harder. Its nuts, my whole life I've told my family i thought i had autism ( before it was popular) on a lower level. I knew there was a reason i saw the world so much differently, a reason i felt like i spoke a different language, Saw this world through a different lense... so ya, Thanks😊OMG how do you put words to these thoughts and feelings???

The "being carefull what you say" part is soo true🙂

Masking is low key exhausting asf

Let's be honest: People with ADHD or others that are doing that are the best actors alive. I can 100 % relate to this and it's sad that many others can. Always try to be yourself and try to not attach yourself to people who crave your fake self.❤

A daily affirmation of *"I believe in myself"* repeated several times in the morning and throughout the day is a small antidote against the vicious cycle of _Impostor Syndrome._ I believe in You, if you've read this far! 💯😎👊🏽

Almost brought me to tears Thank you for the wonderful job you’re doing!

Yeah..Ive changed so many things about myself because of someone's criticism throughout my life, especially when i was younger that I'm not sure what I really want or what I even really like anymore.. lol.. i mean i kinda do..i guess

Ugh yeah this is absolutely true. Thank you for showing me that I'm not the only one

Totally!! Years ago, friends had commented I was "always on" (indicating that was a bad thing) and recommended a life course that focused on "authenticity." I feel it messed me up. I started having problems at work because I couldn't put the mask didn't fit any more and I wouldn't stay on. I started consciously using acting techniques to "keep it together" in certain situations, and it's exhausting. I think masking is useful if you can activate it when needed and hopefully have a place where it's ok to remove.

This describes me so well. I recently got promoted in my job, and since then, all my motivation has disappeared. I don't think I should be in that position, and I don't want to delegate anything to my coworkers, who used to be my friends.

I feel this on so many levels!😱

I've described myself like a Swan before - serene appearance, but paddling manically underneath. These shorts are brilliant, thank you.

Going on out with a girl from work for a drink, known her for a week, and ive got a little worried about how i present myself... which me does she know? If i act different will she still like me? I tend to mimic some personalities, but thats the mask not me.. man adhd is weird...

Protect myself. That's 100% right

I try not to resonate with my ADHD diagnosis, but it just hurts me in the end. You’re the first person I’ve seen that makes me feel like it’s a strength and I now know it’s crucial to embrace it to live authentically. And it feels good. Thanks home dogg

ouch! that hit me deep. I need to re-evaluate some things.

This describes my life entirely - currently also going to undergo an autism assessment. My son got diagnosed last year with ASD & Anxiety, curious as to what my psychological evaluation will say.

Either that or the other extreme.. brutal honesty!

Exactly me I don't know that it was my ADHD

Stop reading my mind it’s uncanny.

I don't celebrate my success because my mind is full of other goals to achieve. So, my mind will be like "Tick. Next" 😅 unfortunately, this eventually leads to belittling my accomplishments, and not seeing how good they are.

This almost brought me to tears!! This is so accurate and validating.....sad to hear that so many of us experience this.😢

Like a voltage of electricity, this video shook me., especially about the achievement part.

I mix words up when I speak, if I am not careful. So, I'm additionally careful about opening my mouth, especially with people I don't know.

I got offered a job, I felt happy but I was not sure if I should be excited or stoic. I muster a small smile and expressed gratitude. I let others help me react and feel the way I'm supposed to.

People get to a point in their lives where they have zero fucks about what others think of them. I hit that point at 45, 57 now, and much happier and being myself.

Walking on egg shells for over a decade + is really really draining indeed😓

Omg this has been me since i was a child. My brain can work at hyperspeed and when I couldn't felt i was letting everyone done, being lazy etc.

I've been masking since I was very young. Then I had a period where it stopped, because being 'weird' became the new normal. But I'm back to masking now since I no longer have people around me that can accept my true feelings, thoughts or words or even let me be...and now I can't unmask anymore. I've forgotten who I am without the mask. I'm screaming on the inside but no one will open their ears, and I can't seem to either... So I often lay at night and ask myself, what I truly thought about the day, or a person, or an event, and all I can hear inside is, silence.

Why am I being stalked?💀👀✨

Some of these things are very correct for very different reasons than intended.

Ouch! That hit hard 😞 Especially now that I’m a parent, there’s SO MUCH I have to stifle because letting it out would be a bad example for my child.

It's knackering, though I've told my undiagnosed colleagues, and they understand why I sometimes look so shattered.

I think this describes most people. Like reading a ramdom horoscope.

Cried so hard. So true

Whoa, buddy. I am ✨️uncomfortable✨️ with how seen I feel lol

Exactly. "you are sooo talkative!". The next day: "hey, why are you so quiet?"

Thank you 🙏💚

I always say everything i think and gets me into trouble sometimes i like being as free as possible

my whole life described in a 60 second video

It's scary to be in the city when you think something wrong has been done and it's not, it's not, but it feels like it, but my ADHD, but it's bad and autism makes the voices high if I'm in the center somewhere

Agree never really thought about it like this ..

Ouch that hit close to home😟

Is the world map poster on the bed-room wall a must-have for ADHD?? I 'm keen of world maps posters.

This is SO TRUE!

I went to therapy at school for stress, however i couldn’t help but just react the way the therapist wanted me to react and never really open up and she sent me home because she thought I was improving but really i just never took off the mask.

That's so sad 😢 and so true ...

Goddamn… I felt as if you knew me in person

i just had another psychologist looking over me for about 6 weeks, and they weren't able to see any adhd stuff, despite having the diagnosis secured... so they said, i should get a more thourough diagnostic going. i originally came to them, to get back into work. Looks like i still wouldnt they literally said to me, that i would certainly be intelligent enough to plough through it all, i had completed any task and test with excellence, but they werent sure whether i could really hold it together for 2 years in a row. they werent able to see that i wasnt just living like that for tge past 6 weeks, but the frickin past decades. yes, it's exhausting. but no, it's not unnormal/wrong to be on edge like that all the time. i have damn proofen it more than i could count! i still feel like no one knows what to do with me. but maybe next year will be better😂

Right in the feels. Again.

It can be exhausting, can’t it?!

Once, in a class for grad and undergrad students, a professor told me that during the time my classmates went from point A (what was said or asked in class) to point B, I’d gone through A, B, C and on to D, by the time I commented. So it wasn’t that I was dumb; I was so fast (b/c of knowledge, experience and maybe my undiagnosed ADHD), that they had no clue what I was talking about.

I don't think I've ever cut down on my conversation! Can you be quiet for a minute?? I'm talking!! 🙊🙊🙊

Slavs with ADHD. I can relate.

Why bro gotta call me out like that...?

Accurate 100.

So me! I have spent my entire life either apologizing or isolating. I prefer isolating. Though I’m not creative in an artistic way, I am drawn to these people because they can be quirky and don’t usually care that I can’t stay inside the box “society” has put us in.

Bingo, bullseye, nailed it!❤

OMG! This is ALL so true 😮

YEP. Well said

You are the best

So true.

3/4 of the day I’m a different personality instead of my own

thank you for not having that bright light setting on this video 🎉.. for some neurodivergents, bright light is off putting.

By some miracle of God im learning not to give a rats a star star what people think anymore. Or maybe its just part of being nearly 50😄

I feel this is in the high-function autistic side of my adhd.

why is it trendy to say that you have adhd

Very nice❤

A common thing with men and adhd is mouth breathing

100% yes !!!!

Haha. Well, that explains a lot

wtf i always thought of that

Jesus!! Ok how do i find it, really going thru a low..too fast period

Thankfully, as Ive gotten older, i see clearer. Know solidly who God has created, formed and shaped me to be. Because I know He made me the way I am, I trust more and more that the way I am, the core of what is right in me, is from Him. So-- i am less and less, not ensared by the world of men. When we began to understand that we have God's love, it is His love we dwell in-- safely, securely, joyfully-- all authentically 💗🌷🕊🌈🕊🌷

Ooof, the last one... I got a bad grade, on an important thingy on my diploma, so in my mind: Diploma = worthless To be honest though, I wish I was able to go back to masking, because it is SO clear people don't like me when I don't mask

I havent seen all your videos but wonder if you have a had time with emotional regulation and anger.

hi, question…… i’ve watched a lot of ur vids, and i relate to everything… how do ik for sure? how can i get professionally diagnosed? ty

How do u read my mind 😭

which country is he from? Russia or another Slavic country? Just interesting. Nice channel about ADHD ❤

💔

Be yourself guys...we are amazing, we have a hibter brain in a farmers world... no eed to apologise for it!

💙word

😮

So it is.... 😢

How to change this too?

😭😭😭🙆‍♂️

Sht😢

Work in tech

Stay too quiet

This sums me up perfectly. Multiple qualifications, moving very quickly through the career ladder but I still feel like a fraud 🫣

I cannot celebrate my achievement because 1. I procrastinated way too long to achieve them and I should have achieved them aooner and 2. If I am able to achieve it it is nothing special anymore and anyone could have done that so why celebrate 🥲

Either that or the other extreme.. brutal honesty!

😮