You Can Get Over Your Three-Letter Disorder

[This post is the first post of my thirty-day writing project, where I write one blog post per day for thirty days straight. Tune in for more!] I, for most of my life, could have been easily identified as someone with strong ADHD, OCD, and anxiety symptoms. Now I don’t really have these symptoms. What changed, and why do I think most people can do something like this? Disclaimer: this is an opinion post done by someone without a shred of laboratory evidence for their thesis. Take it as such. I’m going to use words in this post like “definitely” and “totally possible”—this reflects what I really think (i.e., what I’d bet money on), and it’s supported by my personal experience. The plural of personal anecdote is empirical, right? Anyway.... If you disagree with me, then fine. I don’t care. You’re right. You win. I don’t know you. I’m unaware that you’re actually the one person this advice doesn’t apply to. Awesome. You can’t get over it. You’re doomed forever. Stop reading now and save your time. IntroductionThe short answer on what changed from my childhood: I systematically changed my behavior to not exhibit any more symptoms of these disorders. To show you that this answer isn’t as trite as it seems, I’d like to take a step back and show you how I think about “three-letter disorders” (OCD, ADD, ADHD, GAD, MDD, etc.) in general. I think this is most easily introduced via an example. Let’s say there is a kid named Johnny in your class in school, and Johnny is hyperactive, impulsive, forgetful, and a procrastinator. You end up getting tired of being around Johnny and his loser self, and so you ask him: “Johnny, why are you so damn lazy? You are forgetful, impulsive, a procrastinator, and you distract everyone around you too! What the hell is wrong with you?” Johnny replies, “Well, I have ADHD! It’s not my fault that I do all of these things. My ADHD makes me hyperactive, impulsive, forgetful, and a procrastinator.” Your eyebrow raises and you say, “Seems suspicious J