I don’t know if this is an ADHD thing or just a me thing, but asking for help feels like one of the hardest things I ever have to do. And not in a dramatic kind of way. I mean in that quiet, awkward way where I’d rather take on absolutely everything myself and then have a meltdown in private.

The worst part? I know I need help quite often. But I’m also very good at hiding it. I can mask it so well I sometimes convince myself I’m fine when I’m really not.

ADHD and the Art of Pretending
Living with ADHD comes with so many small, irritating moments that build up throughout the day. Forgetting things, struggling to focus, starting one task and then dropping it because something else just caught my attention.

It’s not that I can’t do things, it’s just that sometimes the basic admin of being a person feels completely overwhelming.

And because I can do things eventually, I end up talking myself out of asking for help.
“I’ll sort it.”
“It’s not that serious.”
“I’ll get to it tomorrow.”

Spoiler alert: tomorrow doesn’t magically fix executive dysfunction.

What Asking for Help Feels Like
Asking for help doesn’t feel like relief straight away.
It feels like weakness.
It feels like I’ve failed.
It feels like I’m annoying people, even if they’ve offered to help.
It feels like maybe I’m just being dramatic.

But the truth is, I’m not.

And you know what, I know that.

And even though I still feel all of the above, I’ve (very slowly) started asking anyway. Slowly. Quietly. Sometimes through a slightly jokey message I instantly regret. But still, I ask.

Why It Matters
Asking for help doesn’t mean I’m not capable. It just means I’m human.
It means I’m trying not to let ADHD run my life.
It means I’m learning that I don’t have to apologise for having needs.

And if you’re reading this thinking “that’s me,” then please know you’re not broken.
You’re not lazy. You are not too much.

You’re just wired differently. And you still deserve support.