A Splintered Mind

You’ve heard that you are your best advocate, but are you giving yourself pep talks? Maybe you should be. For years, I have been an advocate for talking out loud to oneself as a way to organize one’s mind. I’ve casually blogged about it (as can be read here ), and there was one time I gave a tutorial of sorts on the subject over on healthyplace.com. [1] However, I have also been known to give myself advice as well as a pep talk, both here and in person, as a coping strategy for dealing with my depression . I have found talking to myself to be an effective coping strategy for ADHD & depression , despite people around me thinking it’s kooky. I can do this! You can do this! You can do it! You can find variations of those expressions all over my blog, but the “you” is usually you , the reader. In real life, however, I’ve been known to talk to myself in the second person as well. Crazy, huh? I’m a certifiable nutter. But the tec...

You’ve heard the expression, “Less is more”? Too bad your bookmarks & tabs haven’t. [1] Sometimes I wonder if there’s a support group out there for adults with ADHD who have a tabs & bookmarks problem. Hello, my name is Douglas Cootey, and I’m a hard core tabs junkie. Maybe this seems like a first world problem. Maybe you’re asking yourself, “What’s the big deal with several hundred open tabs and a million or two bookmarks?” If that’s how you think, you might need to join me at that meeting. In theory there’s nothing wrong with lots of tabs and bookmarks. I did things that way for years. The problem I ran into, however, was although ToDo tabs were great, I had so many tabs open in my browser I couldn’t find what I needed. Just as ToDo lists can get long and unmanageable, ToDo tabs multiply until they become noise—no longer useful as resources or reminders. Bookmarks are the same way. Yes, you’ve saved that funny self-surgery with tweezers link...

Facebook isn’t always the best curator of excellent content. If you’re looking for people who write about depression, you are going to love Healthline ’s new list. I am honored to be included in Healthline’s Best Depression Blogs of 2019 . This is my fourth year to be listed. What a wonderful resource they have put together for you. Many mental health sites have made curated lists of depression bloggers over the years (you can find some of them here ), but Healthline’s is the most consistent year over year. You should bookmark the link. They update it every Spring with their new selections. Read on for my personal recommendations.

Over the years, I have received various awards for my efforts here. I've even been interviewed, though I've not been thorough in keeping track of those. It's like I have an attention deficit or something. You can find all those links below. Why would you care? Maybe you wouldn't. I keep track of these links for my own sake to remind me that I'm doing alright—that I'm not just shouting into the void. You might enjoy these sites, regardless. There's more there than applause for yours truly. Most of these awards lead to a list of excellent blogs and wonderful writers who have their own things to say about ADHD, depression, and mental health. Unfortunately, not all of the sites that featured me are still online. Frankly, I am gobsmacked and befuddled that I have been online long enough to outlive so many of these resources. To address this, I've updated this page with archive links so you can see what the award pages looked like when the award was issued....

If You’re Depressed, Why Bother Getting Up & Ready for the Day? I was recently asked if I had a blog post about why I cared so much about my dress, hair, and appearance despite my depression. What drives me to bother cleaning up when laying in bed while reading news in my PJs is easier to do? Why bother shaving? Why bother showering? Why bother getting up at all? I couldn’t find a specific blog where I addressed this issue, but the pat answer is that my vanity is a super power. Vanity overpowers the darkest, deepest depressions to make sure at least my hair is presentable. Doesn’t that sound superficial? The truth is much deeper than that. How did I get to the point where I care so much about my appearance, it can override the urge to not care about anything at all?

Sometimes the simplest solutions can be forgotten. [1] On those days when it feels as if you woke up late for the launch, you need to strap on a jetpack to get through the day. You don’t have time to deal with elaborate ToDo list systems. Franklin Covey? Getting Things Done? Omnifocus? Or any handful of powerful task management systems installed on your phone? These systems each have their strengths, but they require upkeep, and when you’re pressed for time—if you are anything like me—you are focused only on what’s in front of you. The other things, albeit important, get lost in the ADHD panic of the moment. That’s why it is so important to keep on top of those systems, but if you’re forgetful or easily bored, you may find yourself behind. Most Task Systems Require Maintenance The Franklin Covey system with its A, B, & Cs helps prioritize your projects, but requires daily review and reprioritizing. The Getting Things Done system hopes to simplify your life by moving un...

The simplest ToDo list is one item long and stays in your face. [1] There is one kind of reminder that I always fall back on when sticky notes, calendar apps, todo lists, and alarms fail. It is the visual reminder, and it is as powerful as it is simple. Perhaps you haven’t noticed, what with all the forgotten bills, lost paperwork, and unfinished projects no longer on your mind, but one of the most notorious downsides of having adult ADHD is being forgetful. I can remind myself to do something every hour of every day and still forget to do it. All I need is a distraction at the wrong moment. That’s why task lists are so helpful for forgetful people. You don’t need to rely on your memory. That is unless you forget to look at the task list. Then you’re in all sorts of trouble again.