It’s not as uncommon as you think

My clients are always surprised to find out that I have an ADHD diagnosis. I used to be surprised by their surprise, because it seemed like a perfect job for someone with shifting attention who likes challenge an novelty. Apparently the perception that people with ADHD are always chronically disorganized is more prevalent than I had realized.

And we definitely do tend that way. I tend that way at times. Let’s just say that you wouldn’t guess my job correctly if you looked at my house right now. That is because people with ADHD also tend towards overwhelm and have difficulty with task prioritization, and I am struggling with both of those, personally, right now.

The thing with overwhelm, though, is that at least to me, YOUR stuff isn’t overwhelming. When I walk into my occasionally cluttered laundry room I think “NOPE” and turn around and walk out. When I walk into your cluttered space, or I open “that” drawer, I go “yay, a puzzle!” and I get to work.

Because organizing is just puzzle solving. We have to get items to fit in a space. Or we have to sort paper by type. Or we have to categorize items in a box that people have dumped random small things into for the last twenty years (that last one would be my favorite, ngl). It is always a challenge, and it is never, ever the same. We meet new people and listen to interesting stories. We get to take off our shoes at work (usually, not always). And we get to open drawers and boxes and cabinets because it is our job, not because we’re nosey.

I love my job as long as my job isn’t trying to cause me physical injury (people with ADHD also struggle with spacial awareness, so I run into a lot of things). And I am good at it. But the fact that I am good at it does NOT in fact mean that your daughter, who also has ADHD, should be able to keep her room neat (“because she has ADHD and she’s an ORGANIZER”).