Stories of Success

When Sally first came to Navigating ADHD for coaching sessions she was a very frustrated 15 year old girl.  She was not happy that her parents were “making her” come meet me.  She claimed that she didn’t need help with anything and she stared at the floor most of the time.  I did most of the talking and talked about how a lot of people misunderstand ADHD because they aren’t educated.  People with a lack of information usually say things like, you should try harder, put in a little more effort, I guess you just don’t care, or you should try it my way.  I added that what these people don’t know is these challenges are real and they are exhausting and frustrating to the person who has them.  I also mentioned that when you figure out strategies you can use your ADHD to your benefit.  People with ADHD often have a drive and passion for what they love which means there is no stopping them.  By the end of the session that day, Sally said she would come back.  She definitely didn’t look excited, but I knew she was a little bit intrigued.  Over the next couple of sessions Sally came in and still had a pretty big attitude about not being sure she wanted to come BUT she kept coming back.  Around the third session or so Sally came in and started asking lots of questions about her ADHD.  She was so eager to have answers and validation for how she experiences the world.  She knew there was no judgement in our sessions so she was free to be her true self. Over the course of her sessions, Sally’s confidence grew and she developed systems for organization and made a study plan that worked for her and started communicating better with ther teachers, friends and family.   Well, Sally went on to take honor classes in high school, argued way less with her family, and the last time I saw her she was headed to college to pursue a career that fit her strengths,   The power of self awareness is life changing and when you have answers to your questions barriers that have been imposed start to fall down.