Elaine
Appearances
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
And I'm going to ask you to do something that's going to sound very, very egotistical on my part, but I just need this. I'm celebrating 35 years of being a nurse this year. And I just, in the worst way, need someone to clap for me.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
Thank you. That will never happen to me again. That meant a lot to me. You don't know me, but you were willing to say, good job, yay. And that made me feel great.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
So if I had an audio right now, I would push the button that said crickets chirping because I was like a deer in the headlight. You know what I'm saying? I was just like, what in the world am I supposed to do? My whole identity was always in being a nurse, but being a mother. So the things that held me up to make me feel like I was somebody worthwhile were falling apart. I'm sorry if I cried.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
So what I did was I said, I gotta do something. Either I'm gonna learn to do some stuff and rework my life, or I'm gonna fall apart. And falling apart is just never a good option. You know?
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
We live in an area that is very underserved, very like low income. So most people can't find people to diagnose them or have the money to be able to do the things that they need to do in order to get help. So it's just so hard to get the right people to listen and to help and to believe that ADHD is a thing, you know.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
But then I kind of put it aside for a while. Because sometimes you just don't have the bandwidth to do it all. You're like, I know that this probably applies to me, but I'm too busy working and being a mom, and I just can't get to it right now, you know? You put your family first, you put other things first.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
And then until you kind of get into this spot where I've got to do something because I don't feel good. You know what I'm saying? And this isn't going to get better.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
I was feeling kind of insecure. And I thought it would be nice to write to somebody who would understand how I felt.
Climbing the Walls
Stories from ADHD camp | 5
They had this camp in Michigan, and I live in Michigan. So I was like, I have to go and volunteer. I've got to do this. I honestly felt like it was like I'm supposed to do this.