Here's the scene: my wife and I are in our kitchen talking about how I forgot something... again. I tend to get distracted and things can "fall off the cliff" in my brain (think that scene in Inside Out). It wasn't that I forgot everything all the time... I could and can remember endless info on things I find interesting, such as birds, Super Mario, or my big one: native plants.

Forgetting to take the trash out or put away my shoes had happened before (at least once or twice... or 87 times), but for whatever reason, this time we both had a lightbulb moment: "I'm curious what the actual signs and symptoms are for ADHD?" we both wondered aloud.

My wife is a Master's degree-holding counselor, so we have a DSM-5 (the go-to book for diagnoses) on our shelf. She grabbed it and we turned to the ADHD section. There was a brief description (which sort of fit) and then about two pages of signs and symptoms. We went down the list: Trouble focusing on subjects that don't interest them? Check. High amounts of energy? Check. Eager to speak and be heard? Check. Ability to intensely focus on areas of interest? Double-check.

After going line by line, I met every single sign except for two or three. Wow. It clicked and we both had an "Ooooooh... so that's why!" moment. I felt relieved that my shortcomings weren't just lack of effort, and my wife felt relieved that there was a legitimate reason why it can take me ten minutes to go get something out of the car because I heard a weird bird noise. (Also, for the remainder of this post, please enjoy some ADHD memes I’ve sprinkled in)

Now, why am I sharing all this? My goal here is to offer hope. I know that ADHD is now a very common diagnosis, especially for children, but there are a lot of adults out there with it too. I won't list all the stats here, but let me just say the adult ADHD support group on Facebook is huge (and hilarious/helpful)!

When I say I want to offer hope, I mean in the form of direction. My experience is my own and can't be applied to everyone. Like anything, there are degrees of ADHD and all available sources of help should be explored. A huge source of hope and help for me has been... nature!

When you go outside, there is an endless amount of things going on: ants are crawling across the ground on a mission to somewhere, bees are busy pollinating the garden, birds are talking about what's going on around them, trees are swaying in the breeze, a squirrel angrily throws a nut at a dog etc etc. Someone without ADHD may not notice any of that, but someone with ADHD often can't help but notice all of it. When I go outside, I hear the bluebirds singing, I hear the crickets singing, I see the butterfly buzz by. There's so much going on and I'm curious about it all!

The constantly-happening outdoors is such a great, stimulating, mentally-healthy alternative to phonetime for ADHD people. ADHD brains are low on dopamine and are constantly looking for a pick-me-up. This can be a sugary snack, a fun song, an interesting show, a game, time with a loved one etc. Phones offer a lot of those things instantly... but I don't need to write much about the negative effects constant screentime can have.

Many, many studies have shown that time outdoors positively effects our brains' chemical balance, our general mood, our heartrate, blood pressure and more. There's such a wide variety of stuff going on outside that there's sure to be something or someone of interest for every person, whether that be birdwatching, gardening, tracking, hiking, meditation, photography. Some doctors now have seen these studies and are actually prescribing nature time as effective treatment for multiple issues!

And, let me also share this: there's not much that can stand in the way of an ADHD person who has hyperfocused on a good cause! My cause: restoring habitats with native plants to benefit people and animals. I've absorbed piles of info, made tons of connections, and gotten hundreds of plants in the ground to help real animals right now!

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with ADHD, there is hope. Find a positive hyperfocus and go! Find a support group like I mentioned above. Look up ADHD memes (they're hilarious and educational!) Know that a person with ADHD can be successful and happy, but they need a big and loving support system. I couldn't do any of what I do with my awesome wife, amazing family and work-family!

Want to find what you or a loved one's nature-y hyperfocus could be? Flip through some of the books I mentioned in my previous posts. You don't have to read the whole thing, but a flip through will give you a good idea of directions to try! For more info and good community connections, send me a message at Jared@ldbb.care