My name is Lucia. I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was in college, but the signs had been
there all along. I’d always been the “daydreamer,” the one 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, 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 had
floated through my mind before, but I’d dismissed it. I wasn’t hyperactive
or impulsive. I wasn’t the loud kid in class bouncing off the walls. 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 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 relentlessly to achieve
grades that were average, maybe slightly above average on a good day. 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 still take medication, and
it helps, but ADHD doesn’t go away. It’s still a constant juggling act:
work, relationships, having a dog, 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.”
It’s something you 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
resilience, my creativity, and my empathy for others who struggle.
Why I Started Distraction Chronicles
When I was first diagnosed, I felt incredibly lucky to have had that
counselor. Without her, I might have gone through life believing I was just
bad 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. It’s a place to share stories,
tools, and insights. It’s a space for all of us who feel like we’re living
outside the lines, trying to make sense of the tangle.
My dream is for this blog to become a community. Right now, it’s just me
sharing my thoughts and experiences, but I hope it grows into something
bigger—a space where people can connect, share their own stories, and feel
less alone.
A Space for You
Whether you’re here because you’ve just been diagnosed, because you suspect
you might be neurodivergent, or because you’re simply curious, welcome. This
space is for you. It’s for all of us trying to juggle work and life and
relationships and everything else without losing ourselves in the process.
ADHD is frustrating, overwhelming, and messy. But it’s also part of what
makes us creative, empathetic, and beautifully human. Here, we don’t have to
have it all together. We just have to show up and try.
Welcome to Distraction Chronicles. Let’s figure it out
together.