I’m going to start my first post off on my soapbox regarding a pet peeve of mine: mental illnesses or conditions like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD) being used as adjectives to describe behaviors, personalities, or people. You know, things traditionally identified as nouns. This post is not the first someone has written about this – and it won’t be the last. It merits repeating.

Before heading back to school in 2012, I spent about seven years in the workforce. I was a real adult. I paid bills on time; bought and sold a car; and, rode public transportation. I had relationships. I lived in Houston, Texas on Cape Cod and in Boston -- totally a real adult. Also, oh yeah, like I've told you all a thousand times before, I did all this while having adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which made everything just a little bit more difficult than it needed to be. I was honest at each of my places of work regarding my diagnosis. Though I had no formal accommodations, steps were made at times (intentionally or naturally) to make life a little easier for me (For Mental Illness, Should I Check the Disability Box?). 

My name is Jimmy Durham. I’m happy to be joining the talented contributing writers at HealthyPlace. Their passion and compassion are evident; that’s a thrilling thing of which to be part. I hope to be entertaining and informative on the topic of living with adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). My primary goal is to give readers something to think about, and connect them with the right information for them, but I also think we can have some fun at the same time.

Adult ADHD, School and the ADA First off, let me say that I am not an expert on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I only know how my own story and how my adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has interacted with the ADA in the workplace and during my time in higher education. I could, of course, make this disclaimer before each of my adult ADHD blog articles, but feel it's extra important for this one as it involves sensitive, intricate and detailed legal workings. I am no lawyer and never will be. After these three years of physical therapy school are done, I plan on being done as well!

When we are in a relationship with another person, there are thing we excel at and there are things they excel at. Why not find out what you're best at and what they are, and then tag team the heck out of life?

I went to the worst doctor all time a few months ago because I was running out of my medication for my adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and couldn't see my regular doctor up in Baltimore. When I was brought to his office by his admin, he didn't get up from his chair to greet me and he was on his cell phone. Once off his cell phone, he said his name (forgetting to mention how lovely it was to meet me) and then had me tell him why I was there. At one point, he asked me: "Does your wife buy into your mental illness?"

Hello again, friends. This week I'm going to write about how to follow my own advice (or the advice of anyone) while simultaneously having adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In my last post, I wrote about a bunch of things and also mentioned how great it was to be on break from school and have some time off. I disagree with my last-week self. It is not fun to be on break and I'm unsure how to now structure my time. I've known how to do it in the past, so why do I feel like I need to re-learn it now?

I've got my computer tuned to one of those fun websites that let's you watch a ton of television and I'm watching season four of Top Chef. There is one person on this season that has got me wondering how we, those of us with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),  look to others. I have zero idea whether he has adult ADHD, but it sure does seem like it. What do I mean by that?

Sometimes I stop to think what my life would be like without the diagnosis of adult attention-deficity/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Identities evolve throughout our lives based on experiences and who we innately are. What if who we are by birth turns out to not be true? What if we don't have adult ADHD? What if we're just slightly more impulsive than "typical" adults, or what if our "hyperactivity" is actually mania?

About two years ago, when I was still living in Boston, I found that love for running people are always talking about. That thing that gets them out of bed and running every day - a runner's "high." I found it and I loved it. Then, I started physical therapy school and lost any time for running to the hours and hours of classroom and out-of-classroom work. About a month ago, my wife and I began the Couch to 5k and it's amazing.