My name is Lu. I’m 28. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 19 years old and in college, but the signs had been there all along. Growing up and to this day, I’ve always been the “daydreamer,” the girl who lost track of time, missed key details, and felt overwhelmed by the simplest things.
Still, it wasn’t until I was sitting in a counselor’s office at my university’s mental health clinic, overwhelmed and falling behind in one class, that the pieces started coming together.
At the time, I didn’t even go in thinking I had ADHD. I went because I was stressed, anxious, and barely holding it together. The idea of ADHD hadn’t even floated through my mind before. I wasn’t hyperactive or impulsive. I wasn’t the loud kid in class bouncing off the walls. That was my sister who got diagnosed when she was 7 years old. That was the boys who would play, fidget, yell while the teacher was talking. That’s the image I’d always had of ADHD, and it didn’t look like me.
But my counselor saw something I didn’t. She had me take an assessment that strongly indicated ADHD, and then she referred me to a psychiatrist for a formal diagnosis. Soon after, I started medication, and for the first time in my life, it felt like the fog was lifting.
Everything Clicked
That diagnosis changed everything. Suddenly, the constant missteps, the forgotten assignments, the hours spent re-reading the same page in a textbook – it all made sense.
I wasn’t lazy.
I wasn’t careless.
My brain just worked differently.
Looking back, I realize how much of my struggle flew under the radar. I have the inattentive type of ADHD, which often presents as quiet and distracted rather than overtly hyperactive. It’s the kind of ADHD that’s easy to miss, especially for girls. We learn to overcompensate, to sit still, to work twice as hard just to keep up. But inside, it’s exhausting.
For years, I silently suffered, feeling like a misfit. I wasn’t failing outright, but I wasn’t thriving either. I worked so hard to achieve grades that were average.
Every success felt like it came with a price: burnout, anxiety, and the nagging sense that I was falling short of some invisible standard everyone else seemed to meet effortlessly.
Navigating ADHD as an Adult
Now it’s been seven years since that diagnosis. I take medication, and it helps, but my ADHD doesn’t go away. It’s still a constant juggling act: work, relationships, taking care of the dog, hobbies, nutrition, remembering to text people back, working out, keeping up with emails, not forgetting the laundry (again).
Some days it feels manageable; other days, it doesn’t.
What I’ve realized over the years is that ADHD isn’t something you “fix.” Though, I wish it was.
Medication can help if you’re lucky enough to find one that works and is covered by insurance.
ADHD is something I’m learning to live with, learn from, and occasionally laugh at. It’s part of who I am, and while it’s frustrating, it’s also shaped my curiosity, resilience, my creativity, and my empathy.
Why I Started Distraction Chronicles
When I was first diagnosed, I felt incredibly lucky to have found that college counselor. Without her, I might have gone through life believing I was just bad at being a human and even worse at being an adult. But not everyone has access to that kind of support. Not everyone has the chance to get answers that make everything click.
That’s why I started Distraction Chronicles. I wanted to create an inclusive space for people who have ADHD – or suspect they do – and for anyone navigating neurodivergence as an adult. But especially for those of us inattentive types.
My goal is for this to be a safe place to share stories, resources, maybe at some point become a community. It’s a space for all of us who are trying to make sense of the tangle in our head.
Right now, it’s just me sharing my thoughts and experiences.
A Space for You n me
Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, suspect you might be neurodivergent, or because you’re simply curious, welcome. Mi casa es su casa. This space is for you.
Welcome to Distraction Chronicles. Let’s figure it out together.
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