unlockdestiny

as in, "I should really do [x] right now.... continues playing Skyrim for another 7 hours"?

Because that's my life. You just described my life.

Hey, Jessica! I'm very thankful for your channel--because of it I've realized that ADHD has impacted my life more than I originally thought (i.e., I'm not "just a ditz"). My question pertains to persistent motivation. I'm working on my masters thesis, and OMFG I AM SO TIRED OF WORKING ON THE SAME FREAKING PAPER. This is hella important, so how do you suggest I sustain interest in the same thing for.....months and months....? O.o

FOLLOW-UP QUESTION: Any tips for picking up on social cues? I talk too much in social interactions, and by the time I realize what I've done, the other person is getting shifty-eyed looking for a way out. Help!

This is excellent advice. The shame usually comes and when that happens, the allure of digging deeper into whatever fun activity caused the mental derailing becomes stronger.

Psychology grad student and adult aDHD brain with comorbid depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

For me, I recognized and sought help for the depression/anxiety for over a decade before stumbling upon Jessica and Edward's channel. The pervasive feelings of failure, the panic, the lack of organization....it just created emotional, social, and psychological messes for me throughout my life, despite the fact that my SSNRIs did bring a world of improvement.

Since medicating the ADHD and learning about my neurological difference, the depression and anxiety have pretty much self-corrected. But that's me, and I still think that my prior bouts of suicidal ideation would have necessitated treating the depression/anxiety (same chemical: serotonin) first. What I will recommend is make sure you're under the care of a doctor, because you never can truly anticipate how your brain will respond to certain chemical changes. If you have a close friend or a roommate, tell them whenever you're put on a new medication because then they can look out for warning signs if your behavior changes significantly. The biggest danger here would be if you stopped taking an antidepressant/antianxiety medication that you need to be taking, and your emotions nosedive hard--that downward swing is always a high-risk time----unless you're doing a controlled taper under a doctor's supervision.

So, as lousy as it sounds, see a psychiatrist and keep a journal, even if it's just using the Daylio app to track moods. If after 3-4 months you're not feeling that you're making the improvement you need/want, talk to your doctor and they'll adjust your medications. By process of elimination, you can usually figure out the chicken-egg scenario.