Living With Adult ADHD Is Spooky: Explained in Comics
Muahahaha — 4 spooky things that might happen to ADHDers and other innocent souls this Halloween
ADHD CHRONICLES
Muahahaha — 4 spooky things that might happen to ADHDers and other innocent souls this Halloween
What is an ADHDer* most afraid of? Spiders, snakes, cemeteries at night? Wrong! Try again. Muahahaha, the gods have cursed us, for life alone is very scary for us. Here are 4 spooky things that might happen to ADHDers and other innocent souls this Halloween, told in ADHD-friendly comics that can grab anyone’s attention!
*A person with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
1. Everyday life
Dishes soaking in their dirty water, waiting to be washed with my own hands, oh no! Forms piling up, waiting to be filled and handed over to mean people behind counters… People telling me how they feel fulfilled after cleaning the whole apartment and completing their tax returns, while asking me if I am also looking forward to the good weather forecast for this week… Is your skin also crawling with fear?
2. Hyperfocus annihilation
Most ADHDers looove hyperfocus because this is the only time we get to be productive. But danger lurks behind this highly coveted ADHD symptom. Go on for too long and you might drop dead.
In the bliss of finally feeling productive, an ADHDer won’t stop working because who knows what distractions might capture our soul if we venture to go to the toilet or grab a bite. And working at this moment just feels sooo good. Until it’s too late.
Jokes aside, I do feel like a skeleton after being in hyperfocus mode for hours. I get hangry, all dried up, and almost peeing my pants… In fact, I am feeling a bit like that now, but I have to finish this post first! I love to do things in one sitting because a) I am guaranteeing I will actually finish them, and b) I get the dopamine hit once I’ve finished them. For all ADHDers reading, this is not a good strategy, see exhibit A in the comic above.
3. Regretful chestnuts
Oh, the beautiful colorful leaves and shiny chestnuts! We love everything that is beautiful and we want a piece of it — more specifically at home with us. How many chestnut and leaf collections I imagined having, but somehow always forgot about all those chestnuts and leaves until they rot away. If only my attention matched my enthusiasm.
4. Costumes for mental health
This ADHD hack is just brilliant. Why try to solve a problem when you can cover it up? Literally. This Halloween, the ghost costume will allow us not to skin pick. Well, at least while we are wearing the sheet over our heads. Because what is out of my sight is out of my mind: “Can’t see skin” means “can’t pick skin”.
Now on a more serious note: A lesser known comorbidity with ADHD is skin picking or dermatillomania — a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior or BFRB under OCD spectrum. This is a compulsive action that relieves stress and pumps up dopamine for many ADHDers, however, this obsession can be pretty harmful physically and lead to the feelings of shame. Talking about it and joking about it helps to dispel that shame!
A useful resource for BFRBs is the 2020 book with behavioral exercises “Overcoming Body-focused Repetitive Behaviors” by Mansueto et al. There are many other obsessive compulsive behaviors that often affect ADHDers and people on the Autism spectrum.
What spooky things did you relate to? Let me know in the comments and have a spooky Halloween!
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Read my other posts about ADHD:
Living With Adult ADHD: Explained In Comics
Chasing a life where everything is exciting and nothing is boringmedium.com
Owning ADHD and Coping With It: In Comics
I rarely read books, but when I do, it’s because I want to write one.medium.com
ADHD Heart Is the Best Decision Maker: How I Always Know What I Want (In Comics)
And I want it now. On repeat, please!medium.com
ADHD Xmas In Comics
How to embrace being ADHD during Xmasmedium.com
A Guide to Being a Happy Pessimist In 2023
New Year’s tips in comicsmedium.com
Why Everything Takes Longer When You Have ADHD (In Comics)
Welcome to the world where “crying over spilled milk” is interpreted literally and having fun is the only solutionmedium.com