Quickfire Interview - John Jan 2023

A new year and a new Quickfire interview:

What’s your name, what’s your job and where do you live?

John, I work in IT back office support and I live in Rijswijk, in the Netherlands.

When did you first get diagnosed with ADHD?

I think it was 23 years ago, around when I was eight.

What difference has having a diagnosis made? Are things better now?

My diagnosis at the time did not help a lot, it made me feel like the odd one out. Now that I’m a adult it gives me perspective. I know why I approach situations differently than most people. And that it’s totally fine for me to do so. Would rate my life a 6/7.

What is the one thing you can’t do without for managing your ADHD?

One thing…make it two. Music and videogames:

Music helps me to concentrate better and to drone out the noise in my head. For example if I’m at work and need to get stuff done I put on my headset and close off just because I know I get distracted easily.

And games help me with focus. You know…how do I put it. My head/thoughts feel like a 6 lane highway during rush hour. When I'm gaming I can close myself off and focus everything into the game. I also have that when I’m doing challenging stuff at work but I use gaming as a prime example because I can utilize it way more efficiently than at work, haha!

Does talking with others about ADHD help you?

A lot to be honest. It’s a chance for me to give someone who isn’t in the know a look behind the curtains. There is a method to the madness after all. But it works the other way around. I get a chance to learn how people look at me. How they experience my condition.

Any last words of advice?

In a room with 10 people you are most likely the odd one out. But that doesn’t need to be a bad thing. If it’s with 10 people you don’t know you, it could be the ice breaker. If it’s with 10 people you know, you can be the life of the gathering. Just because you have a instruction manual doesn’t make you hard to operate.