Disclosed at work | ADHD Information

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Today my boss had a talk with me about some errors I have been doing at work. Nothing huge - just a culmination of dinginess that has lead to the VP of our company being very irritated with me. I let her know that I have ADD/Anxiety and due to these disorders, my margin of error is a bit higher at times.

There really is nothing more I can do at this point. I do the *best* I can possibly do at my job. I have been there for nearly two years. I feel like I *do* make more errors lately, but nothing that is really a issue to the company. I have a lot of stress going on with moving into a new home and other factor. But, I've had plenty of stress before. I just needed them to know that I'm a little different.. and maybe need a bit more understanding.

Thankfully, my boss *was* pretty understanding. But, I still worry that I might get fired. Has anyone else experienced this kind of a situation before?  Hi.  It has been my experience to NOT disclose my ADHD at work.  There's a couple of people who do know (in case I ever have a physical problem) but it's not like I talk about it on a daily basis.

I don't know what the laws are for adults with ADHD (I posted another topic on this) but kids are not allowed to be discriminated against.  I would think there's something similar. 

But my thinking is, why would I want to point out my flaws, my shortcomings to my employer?  Why would I want to give them "ammunition" to think less of my abilities.  I do the best I can.  We all make mistakes.  Any man who makes no mistakes makes nothing.  I want to point out what I AM able to do.  I don't want to make excuses for why XYZ happened.  I want to take ownership of problems I may have caused.  My employer does NOT need to know my struggles or what those struggles may cause.

Your boss can find a zillion things to fire you for.  The real reason may be your ADD but they'll disguise it under something else.  My suggestion to you would be to not say anything else.  And if they ask, you can simply tell them that you've decided to keep this part of your life private but thank them for their concern.  And keep doing your best.  That's all you can do.

Quite a lot is written on this topic specifically for those of us in the workforce...try googling or go to one of the ADHD organizations (like...ADDA!) and I think you'll find links to articles on this...     From what I've gathered,  you disclose if you are seeking accommodations at work or if you are reasonably certain you will need accommodations--this (early disclosure) is because waiting until your job is on the line due to performance or other ADD related issues may be too late!   Since you've told your boss Amersboo, hopefully your boss will educate herself if she isn't already knowledgable about ADD.  Again, I think there are some article that you can find online that discuss what "supervisors" should know about employees with ADD.  


keep notes and update them electronically

make sure you get enough sleep -  this can be a big factor believe it or not.

dont rush to work . leave earlier if you have too  arrive with mind focussed on work not navigating through stressful taffic to beat the clock.

take the time to memorize all the company policies. this will we help minimize errors. or at least cover your Ar$$  by pointing to the policies may somewhat flawed  and now that the discrepency has been pointed out  youll do it the new way-   this guards agianst supervisor interpretation.

if youre on meds  make sure youre keeping them adjusted .

whats the point of being on meds if they also interfere with work perfomance.

 

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i alway work two jobs  .

full time with benefits  FOR DA MONEY part time so if i get fired its not a catastrophe  i tend to have alot energy so utilizing it for $$$ help keep me focused break daydreaming habits in the workplace--  were all human - everyone does it   but it real distraction when working on a team. so if you have    create an alone time  after work  where you focus on worries -  10 to just think and dwell about what freaks you out and 10 minutes make a list of what to do about them.    holding youre worries of till after work keeps you focussed on work.  and youre at ease during work hours knowing that you will address youre home worries later

i never tell a boss im adhd   but thats just me.--------

 

i like to play scrabble

when im playing a competitve player i must be aware of my negative thoughts or self-talk.

if in my mind im thinking " oh man this guys really good"

"crap crap crap"

im never going to beat her"

she making that play so easy"

 

those thoughts take up time!!!!!!

if i were relaxed  focusing on my own strategy techniques  then by the end of the game i have created 1000 more thoughts about words  than thought about 

negative worring thoughts.  its why the"PSYCH OUT"  is so effective.

if i can get an opponet worried about how good i am  then they worry and i dont.

so "psych yourself up" .

 

also having adhd and coming from a weak education. 

i dont grasp what i read . i have to re read things .

im not a person that glance through a memo and "get it"

 

i take memos and policies home . scan them . and put them in playlists.as a slide show.

kinda dopy i know  - but it works or me   cause  i know the rules and policies so well  my mind is focussed on work tasks and not on worring thought about the boss staring at me from behind.

------

i look at this way i have a learning disability not a learning incapabilty.

i can learn just as much as a NTer (normal thinker) actually i can learn it ALL.

i just takes time  but once its in my mind its power.  knowlege is power.

----

its easy for me to skip details  and learn from others by doing what they do - budding up with somene and having them show me the ropes of a job or station.

thats when i need to go back and review company policy and memos . 

learn the ropes and the basics first .  then compete with the best in a freindly game of mutual respect.  making other people look good  invites people to cover youre back.

----

i lost focus   &gotogo& .

take care

i re read youre orig post.

in olden days  we had to take typing class in high school .

explaned to us that typists make mistakes.

most people can type 80 words per minute  but

if mistakes were made then its acually 50 words per minute correcting the errors.

in a company  errors trickle into different departments causing man hours to accumulate $$$.

so its an NTer issue youre dealing with.

------like

who care if im five minutes late if i stay five minutes later.

well an NTer world says no  youre late once twice three times and youre out.

 

the dont see the "best" that youre doing is generating more product.

just that youre errors are making thier error statistics rise.

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 i have a voice recorder and a note pad. when i go home  i put them in the growing slide show.

 

i wish i could  keep  all those notes in my head  but  my thoughts evaporate like a head ache   after asprin.   i cant even recal being told to do something  .

i remember seeing them tell me but i dont remeber what they said.

so  i  habitually ask the "what " , "can you say that again".  or i drop something on purpose   ang thing to  them to   repeat  themselves.

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i have this new idea about brain function ive heard and trying to understad.

as children were bombarded with learing.

colors ,shapes, foods, people,self

letters, words, numbers, school, groups

play, games ,reading , rules, hygiene.

work ,responsibility ,duty ,family, obligations

commitment,honor , pride.

---  im hearing that when we get to 60-70 there isnt many new things to learn and we dont need to learn new things to survive.

heres the new idea  -  allowing ourselve to stop learning is like not using our muscles.  we deterioate.  causing plaques to build up at a faster rate.

ok lets go back to 30 years of age.

decide to practice learning many things.

music, painting, poetry.

long termfriendships , new computer games and programs.

 

----

ok if you read all that and youre still with me.

in think were designed to to continue learning like children even as adults.

theres even biblical ideation of going to heaven and becoming like a child agian. i think thers something to it.

im not a knowlegable reverend please pardon me.

what im saying is continuing to learn is very healthy.

just surviving isnt thriving!!

 

uneditited

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