Hi there.  After being pretty sure for the last 10+ years that I had ADD without really doing anything about it, I was finding it harder and harder to do my job.  Last fall my neurologist (who was treating me for migraines) recommended a therapist who gave me the official diagnosis.  So at age 50 I'm trying to figure out how to unlearn years of bad habits and compensating behaviors that I didn't know I had.  And how is that going?  Verrrrrry sloooowwwwwly.  My job absorbs so much of my time and psychic energy that I end up not working on myself (or working with my family) the way I really need to.  But I don't see changing jobs as a good idea unless/until I learn how to work "better" – otherwise I'll just be repeating the same old patterns in a new office.  So that's my story for today…as I try to take a little better control of the next chapter!

Erica Wilder said:

What are your patterns?

Hmm, not sure how to break that down.  There's sort of an overarching vicious cycle of getting distracted (or distracting myself) from the tasks at hand during the work day, then working late into the night to get some of the things done that I promised other people would be done, then sleeping past the time I really need to get up so I can get at least 3 or 4 hours, then arriving late at work feeling like a zombie and starting the process over again.  I've made some progress recently with avoiding some of the distractions and being more productive during the day, but I still haven't been able to manage a bedtime that makes sense (like tonight).  The therapist I saw for a couple of months declared that I had a "commitment problem" and that I just needed to commit to getting to bed at a certain time, accomplishing certain things at work, etc.  She's the one who diagnosed me with ADHD, but she did not "get it."  After that I started working with a coach who was much more helpful, but like one of the other folks on this site described, I get a little overwhelmed at times with the coaching input. Then I forget to go back and review/practice the techniques, so it's a slow process.

All that is just the work part.  Home can be summed up more easily in a word:  avoidance.

That's all I can manage to say for now…work awaits.

Aubergine & Vicious Circles, you sound as if you are talking about me. I can really identify with the distraction, staying up late to get things done that I didn't do during the day, making too many commitments to other people and the avoidance issues. It really is frustrating.