Reddit mentions of Smart but Stuck

Hello long time lurker here - but experienced with ADHD.

1. Intelligence and memory are linked - but that doesn't mean you are stupid because you forget things. You are clearly able to remember that you tend to forget and are actively trying to become better which seems pretty clever to me:
   
   a) Everyone forgets things - its very human to be imperfect. People with ADHD are not a different species.
   
   b) Without a strategy to remember little things (email yourself/note in zipped pocket) you should not blame yourself for not having 'total recall'.
   
   
2. There are lots of ways - but different things work for different people. I have tried Dropbox, Evernote, Voicemails, Dictaphones, Paper Planner etc but in the end the combination that works for me are:
   a) Online virtual linux workstation called cloud9IDE
   available at www.c9.io and create a text file for each major activity
   (shopping, bills etc) and then use time and date to write down my progress within each file. It autosaves automatically and can be accessed from any PC in the world.
   b) I wear the same (have a few pairs of) zipped trousers [5 zipped pockets] and always keep things in the same pockets (phone, keys, wallet etc...) this way I can even find things in the dark! - this was kind of inspired by Zen Habits http://zenhabits.net/ (everything in its place and a place for everything) - Landing Strip.
   c) Keep things in a routine - try and wake up around same time, do things in a fixed order in the morning, eat similar meals each day of the week (i.e. monday is stir fry day etc....).
   
   
3. Medication and coaching can go really well together. Reading this book helped me understand why: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Smart-But-Stuck-Emotions-Adults/dp/1501221604. I found that medication made me want sex less for the first week but then made me want it more. I have no idea why.
   
   
4. Crowded and intense places can feel overwhelming. I have used this breathing technique before when tense: http://www.medicaldaily.com/life-hack-sleep-4-7-8-breathing-exercise-will-supposedly-put-you-sleep-just-60-332122.
   In terms of the work thing its easy to get bored when people babble on and there is not a lot of stimulation. I sometimes volunteer to take minutes/records of meetings and that way my hands are busy and i have something to DO as it goes on (also this links to low frustration tolerance).
   
   
5. Disclosure is a really tricky one to answer. Personally I do not disclose because it is my personal health issue and I don't feel the need to involve them. I think if you can laugh off being a bit 'scatterbrained' at times with your co-workers it can be an endearing quality. Work can be dull and its the personalities that often make it fun. If you change the dynamic by disclosing that you have a disability/learning difference they can't really tease you for it without feeling like terrible human beings. It sounds like you have a good thing going on at work.. and your coping strategies and such will improve things. I only tell close friends and family because if you can't be honest with them - who can you be honest with?
   
   
6. I use the pomodoro technique - where you break a task down and estimate the number of 25 minute sessions it will take, then do them and write down how much you under/over run by.
   There is a free tool called https://pomotodo.com/ which is an online pomodoro tracker which I use. I found this book helpful emotionally: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Visual-CBT-Pictures-Cognitive-Behaviour/dp/0857083546
   
   
   "How do you stop yourself from feeling stupid? ..."
   
   By being positive about yourself and what you have achieved.
   
   Mini Goals and rewards are a way of doing this. I often try and trick myself by saying.. if I clean the kitchen I will reward myself with a sandwich etc.. and at the end of the day I can think about all the little victories, the number of 25 minute sessions I did, how much I have progressed on my tasks and feel happy that I am doing my best and making things happen.
   
   Also when I am very tired or things seem too much I have a 20 minute power-nap on the sofa and put on this eyemask.
   Always feel better after:
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN1oDIlV6lA
   
   Finally, there are two things:
   
   
7. ADHD does not define or control you - it is a part of you, like your elbows but it is not who you are. Over time you will get better and better at dealing with it and it will bother you less and less.
   This will require effort and trying different things - but you have already started :)
   
   
8. Stay Positive
   
   
   
   

this one i found really good, it gives you examples of patients the author has dealt with in the past in order to highlight that you can be "smart" and have ADHD. it also focuses on the emotional side of things and comorbidities etc. each chapter is a scenario about the patient and at the end it tells you what worked for them in terms of treatment and how they got on with that. it's not helpful in quite the same way, but it did make me feel like i'm not alone and that there is hope.