E to a Very Talented Client with ADHD

  You’ve done Very well to get all this written.  And I agree, most of what you describe  comes directly from yr personal package of ADHD, & intermittent individual sessions will likely be useful {You’ve absorbed lots indirectly just by attending Group regularly}.  When you are on some health insurance you will find a way to afford the ADHD med u need to manage all this better.  Like me, it’ll likely never not trouble you, but you’ll have a regular schedule & recognize the glitches much sooner, & be more willing to “Do It Now”,
0]  Yr making yr anxiety manageable & facing what was or is scary is a Major triumph of repeated practice over a very long time – you can’t afford to under-value this personal accomplishment, so keep it in mind –  Reserve a section of your Therapy Notebook for  “Successes & Accomplishments”, and for daily “Gratitude”, etc.
  1]  Sign[s] in some special color with that motto “Do IT Now” stuck on your phone & on yr computer screen[s] will help, especially if u make a habit of looking at it & Carefully Thinking about it Every time before you do anything else on the phone or laptop.
  2] Keep & bring to therapy a notebook for all related to therapy; a separate section for tracking various important things:  like Successes & Victories;  Stuff to Bring Up in Therapy;Therapy Homework, …  A very short [3 items max], daily “To Do” section in the Week-at a-Glance calendar you have [or will get] – this is not for regular things like class or specific study times, which you’ll schedule {along with alternate Study times for when something interferes w/ your usual Study times] – a lotta this stuff becomes habitual over time when u keep practicing, And “getting back on the horse” as fast as you can.
3]  Take on the bigger things, like sleep, One-at a Time, while keeping up all the rest best u can.  Consider Valerian 300 mg for a temporary sleep aid.  When you don’t fall asleep for more than 15-20 minutes, or wake wide awake at night, get up & do something Useful for at least an hour.  And Remember Not to look at the clock around those times.  It’s an interesting & fun & useful game to play w/
  4]  Be sure to meet ASAP w/ the councilor or whoever needs to know yr ADHD diagnosis, so u’ll get to have all the adjustments you need for college.
5]   When the car needs work, give yr mechanic immediate notice, not just the AM of the day you want help,  so he can Plan ahead when to get to it ASAP.  Keep track of the times when you “do it now”, whatever “it” is.  You’ll need as much Backup help as possible, planned ASAP, to be sure you get to classes & Group – this is the most important thing while that car is un-reliable.
      Let me know when you know you can do my next Phone/Computer Help session.  I’ll post the other E, & ask yr permission to post this one as well w/o identifying info.    Dr Bob
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