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Feeling Lost

Ka1986

Hello,

I hope this is the right place for this post, but I’m looking for some advice. I’m feeling really lost right now, and no matter how much I try to push through, I just can’t seem to focus.

I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for a long time, and I’m currently going through a particularly difficult period with my mental health. I am also dyslexic.

Last week, I had an appointment with the mental health practitioner at my doctor’s. During our conversation, she suggested that I might be neurodivergent—possibly autistic and ADHD. She mentioned that these conditions are often overlooked in women and that there’s still a lot being learned.

She gave me some resources to look through and said I could come back if I wanted to pursue an assessment. While she was kind and supportive, I feel a bit overwhelmed—like I’ve been handed a lot of information to process when I’m already struggling. Now, I’m not sure what my next steps should be.

If anyone has been through something similar or has any advice, I’d really appreciate it.

Many thanks 

K

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  • Ka1986 said:
    I feel a bit overwhelmed—like I’ve been handed a lot of information to process when I’m already struggling.

    You might need to trust (listen to) yourself on this aspect.  If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed it might mean you need to slow things down a bit (and give yourself plenty of time to think about and research the new things - but only at your own pace).  

    You mentioned dealing with a mental health follow up and now you are trying to take onboard a lot of potentially relevant information about Autism / ADHD.  It is a lot to think about, and certainly so in combination with your mental health recovery journey.  It is good to pace yourself, rather than rush at trying to understand everything all at once.

    (With the benefit of hindsight, that is what I wish I had been able to do when I was in a similar situation - instead of trying to juggle lots of new things at the same time).

    The mental health practitioner lady was right to mention the possibility you might be Neurodivergent - I am confident she was trying to be helpful (and you may yet find out / decide that her idea was really, very, helpful and could help you navigate things more comfortably). 

    What you don't need to do: is feel anyone is expecting / pressuring you to quickly understand everything (and then make your mind up about what you would like to do / explore next about Autism / ADHD).

    How do you best like to learn about new information - what works best for you?  (e.g. would you prefer some ideas about Autism / ADHD via ...):

    - eBooks,

    - audio books,

    - podcasts,

    - videos,

    - website links,

    - video call groups of people / webinars.

    For me, to slowly get more back on track, I found it useful to pick one topic at a time (ideally about something I found it felt like, or I suspected: "I have been doing things the difficult way", or "people don't usually seem to understand how difficult this thing is when I do my best", or "it is frustrating".  Then I looked up that one topic and asked people about that one topic.  Thought about what I discovered for a while.  Tried out a new way of handling a challenge .  Then moved on to the next topic. 

    The hopeful news is: that there is a good chance (here on this community) some people will have potentially tackled something similar (helps you to feel heard) and be able to share hope that there might be a strategy / technique or reasonable adjustment to make things more appropriate to you (celebrating your strengths and better supporting your struggles).

    To feel less lost is a good goal (we now know you too).  More than that, if the lady turns out to have been correct: gradually, your new knowledge about Autism / ADHD might help you to know more about yourself, why some things are a challenge, what tactics might better suit you, and how people / organisations can better support you to navigate them / their services.

    If, along the way, you come to feel that assessment / diagnosis around Autism / ADHD might be right for you - there are plenty of people here with lived experience to share about those pathway options.

    Welcome, and best wishes.

Reply
  • Ka1986 said:
    I feel a bit overwhelmed—like I’ve been handed a lot of information to process when I’m already struggling.

    You might need to trust (listen to) yourself on this aspect.  If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed it might mean you need to slow things down a bit (and give yourself plenty of time to think about and research the new things - but only at your own pace).  

    You mentioned dealing with a mental health follow up and now you are trying to take onboard a lot of potentially relevant information about Autism / ADHD.  It is a lot to think about, and certainly so in combination with your mental health recovery journey.  It is good to pace yourself, rather than rush at trying to understand everything all at once.

    (With the benefit of hindsight, that is what I wish I had been able to do when I was in a similar situation - instead of trying to juggle lots of new things at the same time).

    The mental health practitioner lady was right to mention the possibility you might be Neurodivergent - I am confident she was trying to be helpful (and you may yet find out / decide that her idea was really, very, helpful and could help you navigate things more comfortably). 

    What you don't need to do: is feel anyone is expecting / pressuring you to quickly understand everything (and then make your mind up about what you would like to do / explore next about Autism / ADHD).

    How do you best like to learn about new information - what works best for you?  (e.g. would you prefer some ideas about Autism / ADHD via ...):

    - eBooks,

    - audio books,

    - podcasts,

    - videos,

    - website links,

    - video call groups of people / webinars.

    For me, to slowly get more back on track, I found it useful to pick one topic at a time (ideally about something I found it felt like, or I suspected: "I have been doing things the difficult way", or "people don't usually seem to understand how difficult this thing is when I do my best", or "it is frustrating".  Then I looked up that one topic and asked people about that one topic.  Thought about what I discovered for a while.  Tried out a new way of handling a challenge .  Then moved on to the next topic. 

    The hopeful news is: that there is a good chance (here on this community) some people will have potentially tackled something similar (helps you to feel heard) and be able to share hope that there might be a strategy / technique or reasonable adjustment to make things more appropriate to you (celebrating your strengths and better supporting your struggles).

    To feel less lost is a good goal (we now know you too).  More than that, if the lady turns out to have been correct: gradually, your new knowledge about Autism / ADHD might help you to know more about yourself, why some things are a challenge, what tactics might better suit you, and how people / organisations can better support you to navigate them / their services.

    If, along the way, you come to feel that assessment / diagnosis around Autism / ADHD might be right for you - there are plenty of people here with lived experience to share about those pathway options.

    Welcome, and best wishes.

Children
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