Sandy Slade managed his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) without medication until he got a job after university.
With his schedule in disarray, backlogs of paperwork kept him working on Saturdays, so Slade reached out for help.
He was prescribed long-acting Ritalin.
It was life-changing, but it was only the start.
“If you give me glasses, I can read the letters, but if I’ve never had glasses, I won’t be able to read,” said Slade. “So, when I had ADHD it was like I couldn’t see, then I got the medication and it was like ‘oh, I can actually see the words,’ but I couldn’t set up any of the actual systems.”
After his own experiences, Slade started ADHD P.E.I. to support Islanders with the same struggles.
Now, two years later and to coincide with ADHD awareness month, the not-for-profit organization recently launched its website.
They are also hosting the second of two online open-house information sessions on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 7:30-9 p.m.
Common ADHD symptoms in adults:
- Impulsiveness
- Disorganization and problems prioritizing
- Poor time management skills
- Problems focusing on a task
- Trouble multi-tasking
- Excessive activity or restlessness
- Poor planning
- Low frustration tolerance
The website
The site, adhdpei.ca, complements weekly support groups ADHD P.E.I. has organized since its inception.
It has an events page, an archive of ADHD P.E.I. monthly newsletters and some information about the organization, while the resource page features a mix of online and local resources, said Slade.
“We’re just kind of pulling them from lived experience, things that we have found helpful and expert sources that are common in the (online ADHD) community.”
The website is meant to lower the barrier in accessing resources which could improve the lives of those struggling with ADHD, said Slade.
“If someone is in the middle of chaos and they impulsively jump from marriage to job to job — if their life is a total mess, they’re just worried about surviving, not thriving and figuring out how to get to a point of coming out on a Wednesday to talk about things.”
While most of the resources are for adults with ADHD, the plan is to make it more all-encompassing durig the next two or three years, he said.
“Eventually, I’m hoping to have resources there for employers or resources there for educators or resources for parents.”
At a glance:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder clinically observed for more than 200 years. It’s the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorder and the most treatable in Canada, but still remains under-recognized and underdiagnosed. Conservatively, ADHD occurs in four per cent of adults and five per cent of children worldwide.
- While those with ADHD are often thought of as easily distracted, all regulation of attention is impaired and over-focusing can be as much of an issue as inattention. Along with this, executive functioning impairment and mood dysregulation also impact many children and adults with ADHD.
Continuing support
ADHD P.E.I. now includes a Facebook group of about 150 members and a monthly newsletter. It also now has a four-member volunteer board who all have ADHD.
Katie Rankin was diagnosed as an adult and started attending the support group in January 2019.
“Initially, I went to the support group to see if I really had ADHD. I didn’t really believe the diagnosis.”
Though Rankin was skeptical of her diagnosis, it still brought relief.
“It takes away a lot of the shame and guilt because I felt like people saw me as lazy, crazy, stupid, but when there’s an explanation for some of the bad behaviour or bad decisions, then it helps make you feel better.”
Combatting that stigma is a large part of the organization’s continuing efforts, said Slade.
“ADHD P.E.I.’s vision is for people with ADHD to be accepted, understood and thriving through education, awareness and peer-support.”
