A Splintered Mind

Good morning! It’s a cool 70°F out there in Midvale, Utah, and I’m going back to bed. But first, a tale of whoa woe ¹ that will hopefully make you smile. I had a phone interview scheduled, and I was so worried I would oversleep that I didn’t sleep at all, which means that today will be a rough day for me. I usually poke fun of my ADHD here, as well as discuss my depression , but what really disrupts my life is my tic disorder. I don’t often write about it because it’s a matter that is out of my control. I can’t do anything to make it better. Consequently, I have no clever tips to share with other people with tic disorders, so I don’t write about it much except in passing. Unfortunately, there is one simple, insignificant thing that I can do to help my tic disorder: Sleep! What a shame my ADHD and insomnia aren’t interested in helping me get some. Sleep deprivation means that I’ll likely tic a lot today unless I plan a nap i...

I’ve been so busy offline that people have started to worry about where I was—even my editor at ADDitude Magazine. It’s been a rough summer. A li’l bit of sickness, a li’l bit of my tic disorder, and a lot of working on my book has kept me from writing here. The following is a correspondence I had with a reader over the summer, but I thought it might interest you because I addressed my current book project and other matters where I could use your help. More details after the email. Hi, Douglas, Haven't seen a post on your website for a while now and truly hope it's because you're busy with good things. Your writing has had a significant impact on my life (I've long struggled with dysthymia, recurring major depression and social anxiety and have a husband with ADD, OCD and generalized anxiety) and I'm very grateful for your bravery and generosity in sharing your experiences and helpful suggestions. May God continue to bless you and yours in all that you do. I...