ADHD Roller Coaster Named A Healthline Best Blog for 2018

Thank you to Healthline for acknowledging the ADHD blogosphere and, in particular, recognizing my efforts here at the Roller Coaster.  Congratulations to the other bloggers chosen by Healthline editors.

Walk With Me Down Internet Memory Lane

I launched the ADHD Roller Coaster blog in 2008. Ancient history, eh? You bet it was, sonny! Back then, the Internet loomed as a lonely place for the ADHD community in general. But it was almost non-existent for Adult ADHD.

I often found myself a one-woman army, responding to articles misinforming about ADHD. My husband jokes that he could always tell when I’d come upon a particularly egregious example: “Your keyboard sounded like machine-gun fire.”

You would not believe how many times someone who’d read my comments wrote to me, thankful that I had validated publicly what they had been afraid to write.

“Jeff’s ADD Mind “and “18 Channels”

As I recall, Jeff paved the way as the ADHD blog pioneer. He created Jeff’s ADHD Mind about a year before I began this blog. Like most adults, he was diagnosed later in life—and bore the battle scars. If he had anything to do with it, others would avoid that same fate.

A great writer and thoughtful philosopher with candid and original insights, Jeff inspired me. We became friends. We almost met in person when he was scheduled to attend the CHADD conference here in San Francisco. But alas, that’s when flooding badly hit New York.

For the old-timers among us,  I just heard from Jeff today.  He’s doing well, working in technology, writing, and photographing scenes in his upstate New York town. 

Then arts entrepreneur Katy Rollins started blogging at 18 Channels (also now offline). Hers was another bright, original, and heartfelt voice on her own experience of late-diagnosis ADHD—and also that of her family members. Katy and I are also in touch. She is studying to be a medical professional, and I know she’ll be a remarkable one.

Year by year, more adults trickled into the ADHD blogosphere. Many began their blogs simply to track —and to stay mindful—of their own personal log of insights and progress. The cherry on top: Helping others as they went.

Two of My Favorite Adult ADHD Blogs

Here are two of my current favorite blogs, both written by young women who are mothers and spouses:

1. The ADHD Homestead: “Building a good life with ADHD”

About the blog:

I’m a stay-at-home mom and writer. My husband and I share a home, a charming preschooler, and an ADHD diagnosis.

It’s possible to calm the chaos! I’ve managed to create a satisfying life and a peaceful home for myself and my family.

I did it by treating my ADHD, learning about my brain, and figuring out what really works to keep my home, schedule, and relationships under control.

I believe you can do it, too. You just have to keep taking tiny steps forward every day.

Even if you don’t have ADHD, I hope you’ll stick around! In such a busy world, we all have lots to learn.

Jaclyn’s post on this ADHD Roller Coaster blog:

2. A Dose of Healthy Distraction: “Focused on Calming the Chaos Within”

Liz’s post on this ADHD Roller Coaster blog:

People with ADHD can be perfectionists. Wait, what?   Liz explained the phenomenon from a first-person perspective in this guest post:  Perfectionists Can Have ADHD, Too.

A Decade Later: Critical Mass

Next, more and more comments from adults with ADHD started popping up in response to articles on ADHD, both informed articles and laughable (at least to us) nonsense.  These voices were powerful. Unshakeable. They were in no mood to accept public disparagement of ADHD as a legitimate diagnosis or the medications as a legitimate treatment. What a relief! There was no turning back now. Hurrah.

Here’s an award for every adult with ADHD who has taken their advocacy to the Internet and this newfangled thing called social media.  Don’t take anything for granted. Keep at it.