To ask what my perfect job would be based on my brain?

[BoujiSnail]

My brain works in a weird way, like a computer with a million tabs open. My current job involves moving very quickly between a number of tasks, keeping all of them in my mind at once. I'm terrible at having one long task which I have to work through e.g. creating a big spreadsheet of data. I constantly lose focus and have to keep doing something else and coming back to it.
I remember one of my old mangers shouting 'can you just finish one task?' at me but in my current role it's actually a strength as my job is very bitty and lots of people are impressed that I manage to keep so many plates spinning and rarely forget anything.
I'm a bit bored in my current role so I wondered if anyone had any suggestions of other jobs which involve similar multitasking skills. Alternatively anyone have any tips on strengthening concentration. I've noticed similar traits in my children and I find it so frustrating so no wonder people often find me hard work!
I can't quite explain it but it's like I have loads of photos in my head and my mind constantly flicks between them making notes. I feel some of my other colleagues minds work like long linear lists, which they slowly scroll down. Thanks in advance!

If you’re resilient and a good communicator with it, consider HR or Payroll.

I also think like you. When I recall the past I also do it with a sort of internal ‘time line’ too.

Thanks to those who suggested ADHD, I work in mental health and have considered it. My ward manager also suggested it and she has 40 years in the field. My question is what does a diagnosis bring you?

In a word, validation. My diagnosis allowed me to realise that all the perceived “failures” in my life were not my fault and not a moral failing or something that could be fixed by “trying harder”. It has changed my life and I didn’t get diagnosed until my late 30’s. A lot of those things still happen - broken and lost things, messy house, lateness, forgotten appointments but now, the fact of them happening is separated from my self esteem and they won’t be the thing that drives me to self harm or adding to the enormous pile of self hate that I carried around with me. I can also accept things that I find difficult and put in structures to help myself, as well as choosing a career path to best suit my abilities. I forgive myself. I also now have access to medication that has been life changing. Happy to chat about it if you’d like.

Also, I am in a better position to help my family members and work colleagues who have also been diagnosed. I understand them and help them understand themselves.

@Divorcingjack80 god it's like an insight into my mind. My house is an appalling state, I just can't do it, I feel like baking five cakes and delivering them to all my family and friends is a much better plan.
Always late to everything, pay parking fines months late despite knowing I will end up paying more, can't keep appointments, leave my jacket in work every. single. day.

As soon as I read your post I thought you were me! I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 40s. Its such a relief. At home it made me lower my expectations. I don't mean by being a complete slattern but an example, I never managed to get my laundry pile away. So I bought beautiful tubs to hide it in 😊

#solidarity. I know, and I’m sorry. PM if you want to talk. I cried for about a week when first diagnosed for all that I had lost and all that could have been. I sometimes still do. But you know, it’s ok. I have fantastic skills, and weaknesses. You can work with it, but first you have to forgive yourself.

@Divorcingjack80 thank you, I might do. I'm worried that people will think I'm looking for an excuse but I just want to know why I find things so hard. I'm not stupid, why can I not find time to ring that company or drs or dentist? How hard is it?

Have just completed the screening test and scored very highly, have been convinced for some time now I have ADHD.
I am a NHS senior manager and my PA despairs of me as I’m all over the place and don’t give her enough direction, I really need someone to take me in hand.
I frustrate myself as think I could be so much more effective if I could just get things organised and done in an orderly way!

boujisnail it’s ridiculously hard to do that! You can think it and store it in your brain, then instantly lose it as you think of the next thing to do whilst being distracted by that other thing to do....

It’s chemistry. And it is made harder by the fact that everyone (not true but it feels that way) else can do adulting, so every time you get a thoughtful Christmas present or a kind text from someone it makes you feel just a little bit more shit. Look up Russell Barkley on YouTube. Do it now because although you think you’ll remember to do it later, odds are you probably won’t.

There are tools to help but it will always be difficult. You just have to work with it and not hate yourself.

Yes divorcingjack the presents and kind texts!!! I have lots of lovely and fabulous friends but I always forget birthdays and acts of kindness and then think I’m an empathy lacking weirdo! They always remember me and are generous, thoughtful and giving which results in me thinking why do they bother with me?!!

I didn't have any trouble in school and got a degree. I've always been a 'do really well at things I'm interested in and do terribly at things I'm not interested in' sort of person. Is this typical for ADHD?

I’ve lost a few friendships over it, mainly as a result of my distancing myself thinking that these people deserve better friends. The ones that I have left understand that if I don’t call them for 5 months and forget all their occasions, it doesn’t mean that I don’t care. They value me for my other qualities.

@BoujiSnail yes. It’s called hyper focus and is a very typical ADHD trait. Can be a superpower but tends to present itself at times when you really don’t want it to. Also a lot of the reason why people go “but you can focus for 14 hours on this thing, why can’t you pick up that sock that’s been under the toilet for 3 months?”

Yeah that makes sense. What about being impulsive?

@BoujiSnail I was also a academic high achiever, but, nearly always not quite as much as I was capable of. Endlessly frustrating.

I think I have adult adhd but similalrly did well at school and dont think Id get v dar persuing a diagnosis.

Absolutely YES to havig a reallh messy house but deciding I Absolutely Must bake 5 cakes /plant something/read mumsnet/ instead.

I frustrate myself all the time as theoretically Im super bright but I achieve so little....
I thinknid like a job I believed in and could throw myself into. Like a community centre or something.

Yes, yes, yes. Emotionally, physically, verbally. Even when the consequences are severe.

I moved to Spain once after I had a dream about some Moroccan ruins. Also had a baby on a whim.

Women are hugely under diagnosed (especially those in their 30/40’s and above) as they often don’t have the physical hyperactivity, it manifests as mental noise instead, and present as “daydreamers” in school. They mask well socially and normally cope until trying to work, run shone and manage children. Then they break down. Suffer anxiety, depression etc, but often treatment for there’s exacerbates ADHD symptoms. Self medicate to survive which works until it doesn’t. Intelligence is unrelated to ADHD, and often sufferers are highly creative and intelligent. How well you did at school is not an indicator.

It came as an absolute revelation to me that NT people when they said that they weren’t thinking of anything, were literally not having one thought in their head. This had not even struck me as a possibility. The first time I took my medication, it was genuinely like someone had pressed mute inside my brain. I drank a cup of tea and just thought about the tea and how nice it tasted. Nothing else!!! NOTHING. Then I picked up a book that had been lying on the living room floor for approx 4 months and put it away. No one who doesn’t have ADHD will understand how absolutely monumental that was.

@Divorcingjack80 yes I'm trying to imagine this:
Mine is currently thinking
Must paint walls green
Are there marching bands in my town?
How are marching bands so in tune?
Thirst thirst!
Memories of irrelevant tv programme I watched years ago
Constant soap opera I create in my head
Is the cake done?

My marketing managers are all like this, and it drives me insane as they can hyper focus on one thing, and everything is about that. Until something else comes up, and thats the focus. They are juggling loads of stuff at once, and can swap around between the projects, but not focus on the 'not so interesting' thing.
One has ADHD diagnosed as an adult and is a lot better when she's on medication, and I bet good money on another two qualifying for a diagnosis - one of them has a diagnosed child.
So, marketing seems to attract people like you, and they seem to do really well in it as well