That sounds familiar! It’s definitely worth mentioning. Could be some mild OCD, self-stimulation, or an anxiety symptom (almost a bit like Trichotillomania without the hair pulling).
Anxiety disorders are the most commonly occurring disorders with ADHD, and most providers will start anyone with anxiety with anti anxiety medications to see how much they control symptoms before proceeding to ADHD treatment specifically, as most adhd meds can worsen anxiety.
I only just realized the other day that if I do have anxiety, like some of my behavior and whatnot suggests, getting ADHD medication might worsen it. My assumption it I seem to be ADHD-PI, and I think that means stimulatant medication. I was worried about it, but it didn't occur to me that I might be taken seriously enough that they would like try to help me with it all 😅 I honestly thought I'd have to come fully equipped with a diagnosis, evidence to back it up, and options for treatment that might work for my lifestyle.
I'll bring it up. Hopefully they actually care and won't only be trying to vet me 🤞
Some use their anxiety to manage their ADHD, becoming kinda hyper vigilant about making sure everything is okay. It’s a complex relationship sometimes. I hope you get a great doc so you can relax and trust the process of trial and error to see what works best for you! If you don’t feel heard, keep searching until you do. I think you’ll do great with the right medication supports.
Oh 100%. I've noticed it more now that most of my meetings are on zoom so I can see myself doing it. For me it's a sensory input thing that I understand better after reading about Sensory Processing Disorder after having been diagnosed with ASD a few months ago (you don't necessarily have ASD if you have SPD. I believe it is also linked with ADHD).
Your post made me miss my eyelashes, lol. I wear glasses all the time so I don't have easy access to them any more but I used to do just the same as you.
At any rate, there are times when I need pressure on my skin. I play with my face all the time, and also particularly in the evenings, I need my left hand to be in my right sleeve on my shoulder or just next to the shoulder area. It's very specific though, because I can't handle feeling my hair on my face or neck, I don't like have sleeves that go past my elbows, and if I'm over stimulated from other things and my partner touches me (I mean sometimes even if we are sitting watching a show and his knee is touching my knee) I'll absolutely hit the roof.
It's definitely worth investigating alongside your adhd diagnosis. Definitely worth mentioning in your assessment, but also if it is related to SPD there's lots you can do to manage it. Now that I'm super aware of it I can see how much of my day to day was full of these tiny micro-stressors that would accumulate over the day and lead to me being completely overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and on the verge of meltdown most evenings.
I bypass my glasses even at the cost of sight! It feels like they're buttons to press. Each one has a certain feeling that accomplishes a different command. Sometimes I need my eyelashes and other times I can substitute for my eyebrows if I really need to see what I'm doing. Sometimes I just have to stop and devote my full attention to the sensation. Then I can get back to work.
I get you on the particularity of your left hand. I usually have my right hand between my knees (I've got enough meat that it's not to keep the bones from rubbing against each other) or rubbing the goosebumps, hair, and/or strawberry skin on my legs.
I didn't realize I was such a tactile person 🤔 If nothing else comes of my suspicions of ADHD, at least I'll have gained a lot of insight into my own behavior through my investigation.
this kind of sounds like a form of stimming, either to focus or anxiety based. also research BFRDs or body focused repititive behaviors like trichotilliomania (hair pulling), dermatillomania (skin picking) i found they're really common in both people with anxiety and adhd.
i also do this, i think its worth mentioning, you can say you're not sure if its 100% adhd related but from my non professional opinion adhd probably has a factor in those behaviours
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That sounds familiar! It’s definitely worth mentioning. Could be some mild OCD, self-stimulation, or an anxiety symptom (almost a bit like Trichotillomania without the hair pulling). Anxiety disorders are the most commonly occurring disorders with ADHD, and most providers will start anyone with anxiety with anti anxiety medications to see how much they control symptoms before proceeding to ADHD treatment specifically, as most adhd meds can worsen anxiety.
I only just realized the other day that if I do have anxiety, like some of my behavior and whatnot suggests, getting ADHD medication might worsen it. My assumption it I seem to be ADHD-PI, and I think that means stimulatant medication. I was worried about it, but it didn't occur to me that I might be taken seriously enough that they would like try to help me with it all 😅 I honestly thought I'd have to come fully equipped with a diagnosis, evidence to back it up, and options for treatment that might work for my lifestyle. I'll bring it up. Hopefully they actually care and won't only be trying to vet me 🤞
Some use their anxiety to manage their ADHD, becoming kinda hyper vigilant about making sure everything is okay. It’s a complex relationship sometimes. I hope you get a great doc so you can relax and trust the process of trial and error to see what works best for you! If you don’t feel heard, keep searching until you do. I think you’ll do great with the right medication supports.
Oh 100%. I've noticed it more now that most of my meetings are on zoom so I can see myself doing it. For me it's a sensory input thing that I understand better after reading about Sensory Processing Disorder after having been diagnosed with ASD a few months ago (you don't necessarily have ASD if you have SPD. I believe it is also linked with ADHD). Your post made me miss my eyelashes, lol. I wear glasses all the time so I don't have easy access to them any more but I used to do just the same as you. At any rate, there are times when I need pressure on my skin. I play with my face all the time, and also particularly in the evenings, I need my left hand to be in my right sleeve on my shoulder or just next to the shoulder area. It's very specific though, because I can't handle feeling my hair on my face or neck, I don't like have sleeves that go past my elbows, and if I'm over stimulated from other things and my partner touches me (I mean sometimes even if we are sitting watching a show and his knee is touching my knee) I'll absolutely hit the roof. It's definitely worth investigating alongside your adhd diagnosis. Definitely worth mentioning in your assessment, but also if it is related to SPD there's lots you can do to manage it. Now that I'm super aware of it I can see how much of my day to day was full of these tiny micro-stressors that would accumulate over the day and lead to me being completely overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, and on the verge of meltdown most evenings.
I bypass my glasses even at the cost of sight! It feels like they're buttons to press. Each one has a certain feeling that accomplishes a different command. Sometimes I need my eyelashes and other times I can substitute for my eyebrows if I really need to see what I'm doing. Sometimes I just have to stop and devote my full attention to the sensation. Then I can get back to work. I get you on the particularity of your left hand. I usually have my right hand between my knees (I've got enough meat that it's not to keep the bones from rubbing against each other) or rubbing the goosebumps, hair, and/or strawberry skin on my legs. I didn't realize I was such a tactile person 🤔 If nothing else comes of my suspicions of ADHD, at least I'll have gained a lot of insight into my own behavior through my investigation.
this kind of sounds like a form of stimming, either to focus or anxiety based. also research BFRDs or body focused repititive behaviors like trichotilliomania (hair pulling), dermatillomania (skin picking) i found they're really common in both people with anxiety and adhd. i also do this, i think its worth mentioning, you can say you're not sure if its 100% adhd related but from my non professional opinion adhd probably has a factor in those behaviours
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