What I Am Looking Forward to at the 2023 International Conference on ADHD
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Now that October is over, it is officially conference month! Yes, most of the 2023 International Conference on ADHD is actually in December, but the conference begins in November. And, I am traveling to Baltimore in November. So, in my mind, we are in the month of the conference. I. AM. PUMPED. I love going to this conference and have gone every year since I started Reset ADHD. I go every year because it is a great conference there is so much to love about it. I want to detail my favorite things about it.
Connection
Without a doubt, the best part of the conference is connecting with other people. There is a strong sense of community at the conference. Everyone there is rooting for everyone there. We all have the same goal, to see those with ADHD succeed. We may approach it in different ways, but we all want the same thing.
Furthermore, it is so fulfilling to be in a room full of people who “get it.” Having ADHD can feel isolating and like no one understands you. That feeling is shattered while you are at the conference. Even those at the conference who do not have ADHD get it or are trying their best to get it. So, if you have ever felt alone because of your ADHD consider going to Baltimore or a future conference.
Lastly, if you are in Baltimore and you see me, don’t be shy about coming up and saying hello.
Presentations
The presentations at the conference are always worth getting excited about. There are many good ones. Sure, every once in a while I attend a clunker, but the vast majority of them are well worth your time.
The presentation that most stands out to me from this year’s lineup is “Inattentives Thrive When They Understand Their Five E's” presented by Barbara Luther who helped train me as a coach. I am super pumped there will be a presentation on the inattentive type of ADHD because the inattentive subtype of ADHD is often ignored and needs to be given more attention.
Book Signing
This is a new one to my list of reasons why I am excited about the conference because this is the first year I will be signing books at the conference. Yes, not only can you buy two of my books at the conference, but you can also get them signed by me. Please, if you are in Baltimore, come say hi during my signing. It will be Thursday evening during the Welcome Reception.
The Talent Show
Yes, the ADHD conference has a talent show, and it is always a good time. One of the flip sides of having ADHD is creativity. As Dr. Ned Hallowell says, “Creativity is just impulsivity gone right.” So many talented people will be attending the conference, and those talented people will be on display during Friday night’s talent show. I have signed up to read some of my poetry, and there are plenty of others who want to take to the stage.
A Funny Side-Note to End This Blog Post
I think about this conference a lot. It is quite often on my mind, and I am sad it is only once per year. However, in my dreams, I’m at the conference more often than once per year. Yes, I dream about being at the ADHD conference. Or rather, I should say I have dreams where I am in the same city as the ADHD conference. You see, in these dreams, I am in the city where the conference is but I’m too busy to attend any conference activities. It’s almost like I have nightmares about the conference. So, here’s hoping I don’t miss anything this year!