The Emotional Side
ADHD carries with it complicated emotions, namely shame, frustration, and embarrassment. Here, learn to care for your emotional health by seeing attention deficit as a medical condition, not a personal character flaw.
Popular in The Emotional Side
Ask the Experts
Accept Them. Support Them. Have Their Backs.
You understand that your spouse's or child's ADHD symptoms are not the result of laziness or...
Emotions & Shame
"I'm Way Too Hard on Myself"
You judge yourself too harshly, and that causes real physical and emotional pain. Silence that inner...
Emotions & Shame
9 Reasons I Waited So Long to Get Help…
...and the one moment that changed everything for me after years of living with undiagnosed symptoms...
Emotions & Shame
Silence Your Harshest Critic — Yourself
No matter what we accomplish, adults with ADHD are still plagued by self-criticism — which can hold...
Emotions & Shame
“What Is Wrong With Me?” ADHD Truths I Wish I Knew As a Kid
I grew up feeling something was wrong with me — that I was lesser, or maybe broken. Now I know that...
ADHD Myths & Facts
Coping With the Stigma of ADHD
Tired of battling other people's opinions about ADHD? Learn how adults with the condition and parents...
Talking About ADHD
"Don't Call It a Disorder."
Your ADHD brain is not a burden or a handicap, but it does make life challenging at times. Here's how...
Guest Blogs
“I Was a Screw-Up, a Moral Failure! I Couldn’t Have ADHD!”
An ADHD diagnosis can rock your world. Accepting the diagnosis as an adult can turn your world u...
Emotions & Shame
"So This Is What 'Normal' Feels Like."
"After half a lifetime of struggling at home and at work, I feel as though a new me has been born...
The Emotional Side
Your Strengths Inventory: Repairing Self-Esteem After an ADHD Diagnosis
"I wish I had known 20 years ago!" This is reaction of many adults diagnosed with ADHD after a...
Emotions & Shame
“What My Worst Days with ADHD Feel Like”
On good days, my acting skills are worthy of an Oscar. But on bad days, my ADHD pushes me into a...
ADHD in Women
Sister. Wife. Mother. Living with ADHD.
Moms don't have ADHD, do they?!? Oh, yes — in fact, adult women are the fastest growing population of...
Emotions & Shame
12 Things You Don’t Know About Me and My ADHD
What's it like having ADHD? I'm a master of illusion. I’ll convince you I've got everything under...
Manage Your Life
Stop Comparing Yourself to “Normal” People
Tired of hearing "You just need to try harder"? Learn how readers use exercise, to-do lists, and...
Stress & Anxiety
“Your Thoughts Don’t Always Tell The Truth.”
Don't let negative thoughts derail you on your path to success. Learn how to swap that grouchy inner...