Why ADHDers Need Other ADHDers
Growing up, I always felt like I was different. I could not put a finger on why, though. It was definitely clear that I was not like everyone else. When I got diagnosed at the age of 20, things started to make sense. I could see why I always felt so different, but it was not until I started to meet others with ADHD that I feel better about those differences. They were no longer something to hide.
Not Alone
Meeting others with ADHD made me want to appreciate my differences and explore them. I realized I was not the only one who had these quirks and experienced the same struggles. In short, I felt I was not alone. There were others like me. There were others who understood what I go through on a daily basis.
Understanding
When discussing ADHD with others with ADHD, I have discovered that I have an inner restlessness that calms. It's as if there is a voice within me that says with a sigh, "Ah, you get it. You get it."
One of the worst parts about feeling different all of those years is feeling like no one truly understood me. When I speak with someone who has ADHD, the sense that they understand me is incredible. I love feeling understood. When my girlfriend read a book I wrote on ADHD, she said, "I feel like I understand you better." That was an amazing response. Feeling understood by someone I care a lot about is a deep need that I have, and in that moment, I felt that need being fulfilled. That is not something I have often felt in my life.
No Judgemnet
You know those things that you struggle with as an ADHDer? There are others out there who have the same struggles. Even if ADHD does not cause those same struggles in another ADHDer, that ADHDer won't judge you because they have their own struggles. Getting together with other ADHDers provides an opportunity for judgement free community.
Community
Human beings are social creatures. We were created for community. Hermits are rare. We live near other humans. On a daily basis, we talk to other people because we need to feel connected to others. A need for community is wired into every human being.
Getting together with other people with ADHD creates a sense of belonging. It helps fill our need for community. There is a special connection between ADHDers.
Sharing of Ideas
When ADHDers get together and form a community, they can share ideas about how to manage ADHD. While the struggles of a person with ADHD will not be exactly like the struggles of another person with ADHD, there will, nevertheless, be some commonalities. Sharing these commonalities will naturally lead to sharing how everyone deals with these struggles. Those conversations can help everyone in the discussion improve their ADHD management strategy.
Through talking with other ADHDers, I have also discovered that some of my quirks are not just quirks, but ADHD traits. This has helped me learn more about myself. Furthermore, I not only learn more about my ADHD by talking with others, but I also learn more about ADHD in general.
Moreover, ADHDers have no shortage of ideas on a variety of topics. If you spend some time around other ADHDers, you are bound to hear some ideas you have never heard before. Whether or not they are good ideas is a different issue, however...
Fun
People with ADHD are fun. Why wouldn't you want to spend time with them?