People in my life I've shared this with actually don't believe I have ADD because they think all people with ADD are total messes. It's so not true. I work with so many gifted and productive ADDers who cry at night like I did."
Ariane's story hit me so hard, because I knew exactly what she was going through and wanted to lend my support. It's not easy to hide years and years of struggles and put on a happy face, especially when one is in a field like hers, where expectations are so high for one to be extremely capable in helping others who are challenged with issues of severe disorganization, time management, clutter, and the like.
So, in honor of Ariane and so many like her who are ready to share their inner world of living with ADHD, I'm pleased to share her story. It's her hope- and mine as well- to help others understand that having ADHD is not a recipe for disaster, but it's also not a walk in the park. As she so well explains: "My hope is to educate people about ADD and reinforce that ADD is NOT an excuse for being unreliable, or inconsiderate of other people's feelings. It's also NOT an excuse for prejudging and labeling a person as unreliable and unproductive. You never really know how hard it is to walk in another person's shoes."
Read Ariane's own words on "How I Survived My Life with Undiagnosed Adult ADD and Learned to THRIVE!" at http://blog.neatandsimple.com/2008/02/how-i-survived.html and consider passing her story on to others so that they, too, can begin to understand what life is like with ADHD.
The fight to end myths about ADHD is ongoing and all of us can do our part to educate others who continue to be misinformed.
You can get more information about Ariane's Neat & Simple Guides to Organizing here. Her guides feature ultra-simple, easy-to-implement strategies for people who have "no time" to organize.
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