Chapter II - The ADHD Brain and Dealing with Finances

This past week I met with a counselor, J, from Money Management International.  It could hardly have gone better.  I went in with an optimistic though clear eyed attitude and J possessed a perfect mixture of financial savvy, work experience and empathy that I desire.  She advised me on what issues to care of first and what can wait a little longer.  She said that I was taking care of my finances much better than I thought I was. "You're too hard on yourself! she intoned.  "You sound like my therapist," I responded.  In spite of that last sentiment, I think in her line of work I was a breath of optimistic air. 

Now that I am sitting at home with my list of things to do over the next few days, weeks and months, that familiar malaise, distractability and hardest of all to combat, sleepiness has come over me.  

Creating a healthy financial life unfortunately combines so many elements that ADHD minds rebel against:

• Linear thinking
• Quiet, focused work
• The perpetual life long nature of finances.
• Details, details, details
• May require educating oneself on this or that financial issue before even beginning a task, which may require research, which may then cause boredom, overwhelm and paralysis.  Gee, what's on Hulu...      

You see my struggle.  

For me, it's the sleepiness that is the most difficult to combat.  I don't have health insurance but J gave me some websites that may be able to help me allay the costs of medications. I want to try some ADHD meds as I just want to be able to sit still for a few hours and work and not have my mind slowly but surely shut off.  

In the words of Jon Lovitz as Harvey Feirstein, "Is that so WRONG?!"