Orange Jug ADHD Coaching & Consultancy

October marks ADHD Awareness Month, offering the ideal opportunity to acknowledge the growing understanding of ADHD and its impact on individuals' lives.

While ADHD diagnoses have undeniably become more prevalent in recent years, dismissing it as overdiagnosis ignores those who have silently struggled with this condition throughout their lives. Instead, the increase in diagnoses stems from a deeper understanding by both the medical profession and the general community of ADHD.

In just one generation, we have shifted from the belief that ADHD primarily affects young boys, characterized primarily by hyperactivity, and the expectation that most will outgrow it during their teenage years. Instead, now recgonising ADHD as a chronic, lifelong condition affecting individuals of all genders. Moreover, frequently coexisting with other conditions such as anxiety, autism, depression and learning disabilities, adding complexity to its presentation in each individual.

One of the most significant changes in understanding ADHD involves recognising the significance of inattentive symptoms, which were previously overlooked. This realisation has opened the door for many women who are only now recognising ADHD in themselves and seeking diagnosis. For so many, years of misdiagnosis or being told their challenges were simply laziness or oversensitivity have come to an end.

As we observe ADHD Awareness Month, it is essential to acknowledge the progress achieved through medical and psychological research and the improved quality of life it has provided for those who spent years not understanding themselves and self-criticizing due to what they could only describe as their own brokenness.

Our new office space at Halford St in Castlemaine.

Have just returned from an incredible 3 days at the Australian ADHD Professional Association Annual Conference. Over 30 speakers from various fields such as - research, medical, psychiatry, allied health, the legal system, those with lived experience, including a number of Indigenous speakers on ADHD from an Indigenous perspective. The Minister for NDIS, Bill Shorten, presented on the current Senate inquiry into ADHD.

The conference delved into the latest research, strategies for making care and assessment more accessible, supporting young people in schools and as they move from their teenage years into adulthood, ADHD in the life and hormonal cycle of women and so much more. Looking forward to sharing and putting into practice what I have learnt.

Lately I’ve been facing some significant challenges with my ADHD symptoms. In my quest to find new strategies for managing them I came across an article stating neuroscientist at Stanford and Harvard discovered cold showers can potentially increase dophamine levels by up to 250% in a day.
People with ADHD have a natural deficiency of dopamine.
Motivated by these findings I’ve decided to take the plunge and dive head first (literally) into a two week challenge of daily ice water immersion.
The first time I experienced winter swimming was in 2020, a crazy dare our family set ourselves to break up the boredom of lockdown. To our surprise we found it left us on a natural high for the rest of the day.
I’m not advocating ice water as a magic cure or suited to everyone, but I’m keen to give it a go.
It was a very chilly .05 degrees outside when I took the plunge this morning.
I’d love to hear your experience if you’ve tried something similar or have other interesting ADHD management techniques, and I’ll keep you posted on how I go over the next two weeks.

Our local swimming spot and my two children and I after our dip over the weekend

Exciting news, we are moving into our own office space in Castlemaine.
Spending the rest of the week cleaning and setting the room up.
Hoping to be seeing clients from there next week.

One of my favourite podcasters Mel Robbins, like many women came to discover she had ADHD later in life at the age of 47.
Each of her podcasts for me are a roller coaster of emotions as I move from laughter to tears to admiration for her honesty, this episode is no different.
It can be difficult for many women to find the words to share the life changing impact of an ADHD diagnosis having spent years, decades, a-life-time mis or undiagnosed and wondering what the hell is going on, as usual Mel does it so well by sharing her personal journey.
Well worth the listen

‎The Mel Robbins Podcast: 6 Surprising Signs of Adult ADHD on Apple Podcasts ‎Show The Mel Robbins Podcast, Ep 6 Surprising Signs of Adult ADHD - 18 June 2023

Reseach shows that exercise is a powerful tool in managing ADHD symptoms, like stimulant medication it can elevate the neurotransmitters that improve executive functioning skills such as working memory, prioritizing and sustaining attention.

Any exercise can be beneficial, but studies show activities that require endurance, sustained attention, balance and error correction to be particularly beneficial in managing ADHD symptoms. This includes sports and activities such as martial arts, ballet, ice skating, gymnastics, yoga, rock climbing, mountain biking, skateboarding, and whitewater rafting.

Lucky for us mountain biking is a favorite past time in our household. Recently my daughter and I teamed up to compete in a 3-hour mother daughter endurance race, here we are crossing the finish line.

Welcome to Orange Jug ADHD Coaching & Consultancy, I'm Sally, a certified ADHD coach, a mum of a teenage daughter with ADHD and like so many women, diagnosed myself later in life.

I made the decision to go into ADHD coaching when realising how little understanding there was around ADHD when looking for support after my daughter diagnosed. What quickly became evident was that any help available was limited, and came with a long wait list. Sadly, I also found much misunderstanding of ADHD, and, at times from the professionals I was reaching out to.

I am committed to continually learn as much as I can about ADHD, not only for my daughter, but for all women and girls struggling to navigate neurotypical life expectation with an ADHD brain.

I understand how severely ADHD can impact every aspect of a person's life, but I also know that, with the right knowledge and support, people with ADHD can thrive and be free of the shame that often comes from living with ADHD.