On the Phrases in "Shame & Redemption" - Part 8

SHAME: One of the hardest aspects for me of having ADHD in our society is masking. I am a naturally dramatic and emotive person, but that is off-putting to a lot of people. It scares them, annoys them, or inconveniences them. Since I was a little girl, I have been told countless times to "Calm down; don't be so dramatic!" by family, community, colleagues, & friends. As a pre-teen child, an uncle scolded my mom by saying I was immature when I was merely an excitable person. In an art group, one of the other artists rolled her eyes when I got excited about something and told me to stop. It has been exhausting having to hide who I am for someone else's convenience.

REDEMPTION: It took time, but I eventually learned how to not let other people's discomfort of who I am keep me from being myself. I learned how to whisper to myself "You have no power over me." In some cases, I simply ignore them or walk away. Receiving their impatience and negative judgment is simply not worth it. In other situations, I admonish the person for being hypocritical for saying they should be able to be their authentic selves but I cannot.

Of course, there are times when excitability is not appropriate and I learned when to temper my enthusiasm. But one of the great things about having ADHD has been recognizing that my enthusiasm (which is often linked to impulsivity) is also my greatest power for creativity. I absolutely love my creative life! I have energy and joy and I get excited for what I am doing. Not everyone loves what I make or do. But that doesn't stop me. I just whisper to myself and I keep on doing it.