8 Comments
Jul 30, 2021Liked by Rach Idowu

Hi! I'm so grateful I found this space :) I've been working with my psychologist on ADHD diagnosis. And she specifically asked if I was "gifted" in primary school, which was true. She shared with me some journal articles about the prevalence of ADHD and perfectionism/imposter syndrome in adult "gifted kids". Further-- they're more likely to be diagnosed later in life, not only because ADHD is generally a struggle for diagnosis, but because of intelligence, performance, and even success in their profession. It was such an "ah-ha" moment for me and it has since been like a weight has lifted that I've been carrying around my whole life. It has allowed me to let go of some of my perfectionist tendencies and change the way I talk to myself. Exploring this diagnosis has changed my life-- and it's only been about a month of this!!

Thank you for this space :)

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author

Hey Sydney! Glad you found it too and happy for you! I’ve found that I’ve never stopped exploring ever since I’ve been diagnosed.

Thank you so much for reading - I appreciate you

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This comment (and OP) is right on. Found myself nodding along silently in self recognition.

I, too, was labeled gifted early on. The sole supportive relative, my grandmother, put enormous expectations on me to excel at every level. It became an identity, and with both undiagnosed epilepsy and ADHD, I just powered my way through to be a valedictorian and career success in the software field.

Which was a great achievement in hindsight, but it came at great cost to my overall well being. It’s really important that neurodivergent children are identified early and supported for who they are, not a projection of their caregivers’ psychological needs.

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Hi, would you be able to post links to the articles you mentioned? Thank you!

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Apr 4, 2021Liked by Rach Idowu

I'm definitely a perfectionist. I wouldn't say it benefits me in the same way it does other people (probably neurotypical). For example, I've developed a very rigid daily routine, mainly to manage my chaotic sleep patterns. I get way too upset if something disrupts it.

Very interesting read! :)

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author

Thanks for sharing your examples! Routines are a good way to stay on top of things. I struggle to stick with routines

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Hi so I’m a new comer I’ve read this as well as a few other of your posts I wanted to ask if you could discuss how perfectionism can affect how you feel about how other ppl do things such as if my self has adhd and I do things a certain way and my girlfriend does it a total opposite way it gets us to bump heads do you have any info on that and how we can get through it and what can help

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This was enlightening. The chart especially! I really want to get on meds.

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