Hello!

I grew up in California. I was the quiet girl in class who would always do as they were told and would sit still in my chair. As the middle child of a working-class, Hispanic family, I did not stand out, nor did I want to. I was extremely shy and a natural-born worrier. I was more concerned about things that adults would worry about than a child would.   

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My school career was mixed with ADHD symptoms. Since I was a good student, I went under the radar for symptoms that today would be flagged as ADHD. I was so quiet that it took a lot to get me to talk in class. I had social anxiety from as far back as I can remember. Then there was the fidgeting - In 1st grade, I swallowed a button from my shirt because I was fidgeting or chewing on my shirt. I got anxiety about that - thinking I would die or something from having swallowed the button. Then there was my handwriting. The teacher contacted my mom because I would not grip the pencil like other students. They made me use a rubber triangle on my pencil and I hated it. To this day, I have that indentation on my ring finger. I also marked too hard on the paper and would break the leads of my pencils. In 5th grade, my handwriting was so bad that my teacher called me out for having chicken-scratch but he also helped me work on it. The blank page was impossible to align up my multiplication problems legibly. 

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In high school, I was still getting good grades. My friends were all taking advanced courses, so I did the same. Math and Science were not difficult for me. But an advanced English class was a challenge. I did well with spelling and grammar, but seriously struggled with reading books and writing papers (on time). I made use of the Cliff Notes for all the books I had to read in AP English. I felt like a fraud for not being able to read the books, but somehow made it out of that class with an A. It was another symptom of ADHD - I was good at skim reading and pulling together something out of what seemed like nothing in record time. Procrastination was key!

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Fast forward to my career in technology, I did well there too. When given systems to learn on my own, I thrived. I enjoyed the challenge and feeling of learning new things. Novelty is another one of my ADHD symptoms. I was naturally good at technology, so it was a good path for me to be on. I worked as a network expert for many years. The daily adventure of troubleshooting, solving complex problems and customer service gave me satisfaction. 

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As time went on, the natural path for advancement in my career was management. This meant not only was I managing myself and my own tasks, but added other people and their tasks. At a low level, this worked me. Having the same responsibility I had as a technical expert plus managing a few other geeks was great. Then, I was promoted to a senior leader with global reach. This was such a great opportunity for advancement to more recognition, more pay, more everything. But as the saying goes, to whom much is given, much is required. My executive functions were starting to reach their limits. The novelty of setting up new technology, personnel and services in other countries began to wear on me. I felt like I was spinning out of control. That was my tipping point.

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In 2019, after a flight back from France to meet with my team there, I had my first panic attack. I had finally reached what I call, the end of myself. The feeling that I can remember from that period in my life was that I was doing a lot, but had little to show for it. This is what led me to my doctor.

After dealing with anxiety and a constant state of overwhelm, I was diagnosed with anxiety and ADHD. I began treatment for anxiety fairly quickly, but delayed on the ADHD meds. Today, I am taking both and find it to be working well.

I do not claim to have all the answers on ADHD. But I do offer my lived experiences, usually with a bit of humor.

Having been through diagnosis after meeting my own limits, I was compelled to learn more about how I can help not only my own life, but also those like me. Especially if you feel that you have so much potential, but have not seen it or have been told otherwise.

I have completed my foundational ADDCA training to be a professional ADHD coach and am currently working through advanced courses; pending my certification and accreditation through PAAC and ICF.

My professional background enhances my offerings for those who are ADHD but also for businesses that need technical help. If you do not find yourself to be tech savvy or digitally organized, I can help.

 

Thanks for visiting! I look forward to our partnership.