Yet, what if you are friends with someone who suffers from ADHD, but always wanted to be a writer. They just feel discouraged because with their mental disorder/ADHD, they wonder if they can do it because they are struggling already.
They do enough reading, but they very much want to write creatively and enjoy themselves doing it.
They might have a career goal in mind, but for now they just want to write fiction where the goal is to enjoy the process.
So, Wacky Writers with ADHD, got any helpful tips and advice for a newbie and excited writer/friend with ADHD?
NOTE: Sorry for putting you guys on the spot like that. My apologies!
What helps me write is that I get my noise-cancelling headphones, put a song on loop, and that helps me focus enough to write especially when I have a lot of excitement to write
Any music that Iâm currently really into. It changes often since certain music will scratch my brain depending on certain periods of time. Like last week it was âJalebi babyâ and this week itâs Rihannaâs âKiss it Betterâ. Sometimes metal, R&B, hiphop, classical. Iâm very all over the place
I recently started a medication for my ADHD that helps me a lot, so maybe talking to your doctor about managing it would help. Aside from that, it helps to have a writing ritual, whatever that looks like for you. For me, itâs turning on music, putting my phone on âdo not disturbâ mode if itâs too distracting, and recently I found that having natural light with sun helps me write better than artificial lighting. Who knew! So opening a window helps me too.
Different stimuli will either help or hinder you, and since everyoneâs experience with ADHD is different, youâll have to play with it to find out what works best for you. I have a friend who drinks an energy drink first and the caffeine helps them focus. I have another friend who focuses better when they chew gum or have a snack with them that wonât get their fingers dirty, so they can constantly be chewing while writing. My aunt has a silky blanket she keeps with her to rub between her fingers every few minutes and that helps her.
Try some different sensory things and see what works for you. ADHD is a sensory issue/neurodivergent disorder, so if you donât have the right balance of sensory stimuli for your brain, it makes it hard to focus. Just have to find the right mix for you. Think of your five senses and try different things until you find what works.
I know thereâs been a shortage of Adderall and Ritalin in the US recently but I started the Modafinil just a month or two ago and was able to get it easily enough, so maybe youâd have better chances with it as far as supply goes. I donât know if it would work as well for you but you can talk to your doctor about it and see.
