It takes a lot to persevere in the face of daily challenges — especially when many of those challenges are unseen. In honor of May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting our top 6 resources for ADHD to make persevering through those challenges a bit easier.
#1. CHADD (chadd.org)
It’s easy to think having a fidgety kid or losing focus during one episode of Friends counts as ADHD. That’s why Maryland-based non-profit Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or CHADD, creates science-backed educational content that’s tailor-made to support anyone seeking to better understand ADHD.
Why We Love Them: CHADD offers a wide range of ADHD resources. For example, its National Research Center on ADHD (a collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities) provides up-to-date information on ADHD, a biweekly newsletter, and access to on-call specialists through their Helpline. The organization also publishes a bimonthly magazine, Attention, with articles on topics like how to navigate social situations, what parents can do to help their college-bound students, and study skills for those living with ADHD.
Who They’re Best For: Professionals in the field will find science-backed education courses and training. Meanwhile, podcasts like ADHD 365 and All Things ADHD dive deep into what it’s like to be neurodiverse and of color, how to talk to a doctor about a child’s ADHD, and more. CHADD’s website even features two online communities — one for adults and one for parents and caregivers — in need of communal support.
#2. ADHD Awareness Month
Do any of these girls have ADHD? reads the caption on ADHD Awareness Month‘s website under a picture of three smiling school girls. Diagnosing a child, parent, or loved one isn’t so simple. That’s why ADHD Awareness Month has an entire page dedicated to myths and facts about ADHD. As part of its mission, the coalition partners with the ADHD Coaches Organization, the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, and one of our top favorites — CHADD — to provide interviews with ADHD experts and stories from real people.
Why We Love Them: Living with ADHD can at times feel lonely and debilitating. But the stories, interviews, and art on the ADHD Awareness Month website are empowering. In her personal story for the website, Carol A. Vincie credits the strengths of her ADHD — creativity, high energy, persistence, out-of-the-box thinking, confidence, and leadership — as the hallmark of her success. Experiences like these abound on the website — from family physicians, entrepreneurs, artists, and Ph.D. students. Real people with real stories talk about what it’s really like to live with neurodiversity.
Who They’re Best For: Mythbusters looking to set the record straight on diagnosing ADHD, building healthy relationships with interabled individuals, and effective lifestyle tips for everyday management. While ADHD Awareness Month’s website features facts, real questions and answers, it also features audience-submitted memes for those days when you need a touch of laughter and humor.
#3. Lisa Woodruff Organize 365
If you’ve ever spent hours decluttering, organizing and re-organizing, only to find you’re still digging through a pile of miscellaneous clothes and books to find that one set of notes, then Lisa Woodruff might just be your new best friend. Lisa started Organize 365 in 2012 to dig herself out of the clutter that was her home. The Organize 365 website helps you discover how to get started on your organizing and provides you with a clear plan on how to finally tackle your space.
Why We Love Them: Most blogs and websites on organizing will laud the to-do list as a major productivity tool. Lisa’s approach is different and includes color-coding, task batching and dedicated “stations” for drinks and lunches. Part of her approach includes teaching foundational principles so that organizing becomes not just a one-and-done habit, but a lifelong virtue. Lisa also provides tips in her Organize 365 and Friday Workbox podcasts, where she invites guests to talk about their organizing successes and mindset shifts.
Who They’re Best For: Homemakers, business people, or educators who would like to learn how to become more organized at home and in their work. The Sunday Basket System, for example, is a physical filing system with color-coded dividers and pockets to organize paper clutter in the home while the Friday Workboxes can help executives, entrepreneurs and employees organize their desks for greater productivity.
#4. RenaFi
“Adulting” is hard enough without having to worry about budgeting and keeping your finances in check! RenaFi understands that financial stress can exacerbate ADHD. It helps you get to the heart of your financial challenges with a 12-week program designed to transform your relationship with money. As part of the program, members enjoy live coaching calls with people from all over the world, a mobile app, and a supportive community. Previous members emphasize the mental health benefits they receive from the program, such as feelings of hope, confidence and a renewed sense of creativity.
Why We Love Them: Renafi’s program doesn’t just focus on the how-tos of managing your finances. It also takes you deep into the psychology of money, so that you learn about the emotions and behaviors driving your financial choices. The platform’s live courses are designed to help members learn about their feelings towards money, what drives their financial story (and where that story came from), as well as how to create positive money habits.
Who They’re Best For: Individuals, professionals or caregivers interested in uncovering how they can improve their financial habits while navigating a life with ADHD. Those who are tech-savvy will particularly enjoy RenaFi’s Youtube videos with tips and strategies for ADHD and personal finances, live Zoom conversations with certified ADHD coaches, and accountability groups.
#5. Terry Matlen (The Queen of Distraction)
Founder Terry Matlen is an ADHD coach and writer helping women deal with the day-to-day stressors of living with a neurodevelopmental challenge via her website ADD Consults. Through her private Facebook group, The Queens of Distraction, Terry motivates members to take action and beat procrastination in a supportive space. Every Thursday evening, she hosts a live chat in the group related to different aspects of ADHD. Prefer a more individualized approach? Terry also offers one-on-one consultations via email, phone or video.
Why We Love Them: Terry’s a licensed psychotherapist who also knows what it’s like to be a woman with ADHD. On her website, she shares her own personal experiences and answers many of her readers’ questions about how to safely take medication, being a mom with ADHD, and reframing symptoms in a positive way. The varied approaches to counseling also mean that clients can find what works best for them — either working through challenges in a supportive, online group environment or one-on-one with a knowledgeable ADHD expert.
Who They’re Best For: While men can benefit from Terry’s expertise, she primarily specializes in working with women. Those 18 and over will benefit most from the content, answers and resources found on ADD Consults. The website touches on such themes as motherhood, cooking and money management.
#6. Melissa Orlov
Marriage consultant Melissa Orlov specializes in helping adults build healthy and successful relationships when one or both partners have ADHD. Her website, ADHD & Marriage, shares marriage tips and ADHD resources as well as offers a community forum for people to submit their questions, reflections and advice. Couples can also book live counseling sessions with Melissa to work on things like building good communication skills, setting personal boundaries and rebuilding trust in a relationship.
Why We Love Them: From talking about how to deal with negative emotions to how to make self-care part of your relationship, Melissa gets to the heart of issues that those impacted by ADHD face on a daily basis. We also love that the web content is created to help both partners in the relationship and not just the person affected.
Who They’re Best For: Couples who are in a relationship where one or both persons have ADHD will benefit from the tips on Melissa’s website. Whether you’re just looking for ways to improve your relationship or learning how to manage when both partners have ADHD, you’ll find timely answers that will help you manage.
Whether it’s being more organized, managing distractions or learning to thrive in a relationship, living with ADHD comes with its curveballs. With the breadth of resources available online, persevering with ADHD can take on new meaning.
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