Adult ADHD Support Group

TIME & DATE

Tuesdays, bi-weekly from 7 pm to 8 pm
Meet @ The Center For Growth in Fairmount
2401 Pennsylvania Ave #1a2, Philadelphia, PA 19130

Adult ADHD Group Goals:

Identify your unique ADHD profile
Understand the impact of ADHD in your life
Discover effective strategies to manage your ADHD symptoms
Feel proud of neurodivergence

If you are an adult diagnosed with ADHD and find yourself struggling to understand your experience and relate to neurotypical society– Welcome!

What to Expect

In this group, we aim to help you navigate the challenges of living with ADHD and support you in building a life that uplifts you. We’ll explore how ADHD affects your brain and provide practical tools like psychoeducation and coping strategies in everyday contexts.

To maximize productivity and focus, we’ll teach techniques to help bring peace to your mind and body. These tools will help you regain control over your focus and emotions. We’ll also share tips for time management, overcoming task paralysis, and creating a routine that works for you.

Our goal is for you to embrace and “fall in love” with your brain, making peace with ADHD. This is a safe space to talk openly about your experiences, where you’ll feel heard and validated. Through mutual support and understanding, we aim to help you build joy, self-love, and an improved quality of life.

Our Perspective on Adult ADHD

Over time, our understanding of ADHD has evolved. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects executive functioning, and it looks different in everyone. For some, it may show up as difficulty focusing, staying organized, or completing tasks. For others, it might appear as excess energy, racing thoughts, emotional dysregulation, or impulsivity. Many individuals experience a combination of these symptoms. Wherever you are on the spectrum, this group is here to support you.

Adult ADHD is a relatively recent area of diagnosis, and many adults with ADHD spent years without proper treatment or understanding of their struggles. It’s often misinterpreted as anxiety or depression, which makes it difficult to diagnose—especially since ADHD symptoms in adults can look quite different from the stereotypical presentation.

Living with unrecognized struggles can hurt self-esteem and hinder the development of positive coping strategies. Many adults diagnosed later in life face invalidation or dismissal of their symptoms. This group offers a safe space to talk about how ADHD affects you and to receive understanding and support. Your experience is valid, and we recognize that society is not always accommodating to neurodivergent individuals.

We don’t just acknowledge the struggles of ADHD; we celebrate the strengths that come with it. Neurodivergence can bring creativity, unique problem-solving skills, deep emotional engagement, and a thirst for new experiences. We believe in adjusting your life to play to your strengths, not focusing on limitations.

As a member of this group, you’ll find a supportive community to reflect on your ADHD journey. This bi-weekly support group offers opportunities to learn more about ADHD and connect with others who truly understand your experiences.

Symptoms & Experiences We Will Explore

Rejection Sensitivity (RSD)
Rejection Sensitivity describes the intense emotional reaction to perceived or real rejection that many people with ADHD experience. If you’ve ever felt out of place, misunderstood, or underestimated, rejection might have been a constant source of pain. This sensitivity can lead to:

Social Withdrawal: Fear of rejection may cause you to avoid social situations.
Impaired Relationships: Misinterpreting social cues can create unnecessary tension in personal and professional relationships.
Low Self-Esteem: Constant fear of rejection can negatively affect how you see yourself.
Anxiety and Depression: The stress from rejection sensitivity can increase the risk of mental health challenges.

Self-Esteem
Many people with ADHD feel “misunderstood” or “different.” Labels like “lazy” or “irresponsible” are often applied to ADHD behaviors, even though they don’t reflect intent. It can be frustrating when your struggles with time management, emotional regulation, and procrastination lead others to assume you don’t care. ADHD requires extra effort in these areas, and mistakes happen when there’s no space to grow and learn.

ADHD in Relationships
If phrases like “out of sight, out of mind” or “jumping to conclusions” resonate with you, they might be tied to your ADHD profile. Hyperfocus, which can narrow attention and cause you to lose track of time, often interferes with relationships. Forgetting to call someone back or missing an important task may not be intentional, but it reflects the inattention that comes with ADHD. Impulsivity and emotional regulation difficulties can also make social situations more challenging, leading to misunderstandings or overreactions.

Motivation & Focus
ADHD often causes low motivation and distractibility. If you have ADHD, starting and sticking with tasks can be difficult—even for things you care about. Your attention might shift quickly, making it hard to stay focused or finish projects, leading to frustration and a sense of unfulfilled potential.

Organization
Disorganization is a common ADHD symptom, making it difficult to keep track of tasks, belongings, and schedules. Individuals with ADHD often struggle with managing time, maintaining order in physical spaces, and following through on plans. This disorganization can lead to missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, and chaotic environments, which may increase stress and overwhelm. Despite intentions to stay organized, the difficulty in prioritizing and focusing can result in a sense of constant disarray.

Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a common, yet often overlooked, symptom of ADHD. Individuals with ADHD may struggle with high expectations for themselves, leading to a constant drive for flawless results. This can stem from feelings of inadequacy or fear of criticism, particularly when past mistakes have been harshly judged. Perfectionism in ADHD can result in procrastination, as the fear of not meeting high standards delays starting or completing tasks. It may also cause burnout, as the effort to perfect every detail often becomes overwhelming, leaving little room for self-compassion or progress. Paradoxically, perfectionism can hinder productivity instead of enhancing it.

Paralysis
Task paralysis feels like the inability to start or complete tasks despite intentions to do so. This often occurs due to overwhelming feelings of uncertainty, fear of failure, or difficulty prioritizing. The brain may become "stuck," unable to choose where to begin, leading to inaction and frustration. This paralysis can affect both small tasks, like responding to emails, and larger projects, such as work or household chores. The more tasks pile up, the more paralyzed the individual feels, creating a cycle of stress and self-blame, which further exacerbates the difficulty in moving forward.

Stimagtization of ADHD
Stigma against ADHD can make it difficult for individuals to seek help or fully embrace their diagnosis. Many people still associate ADHD with laziness, immaturity, or a lack of discipline, believing that those with the condition simply need to "try harder" or "focus more." This misconception leads to frustration and self-doubt for individuals with ADHD, as they often feel misunderstood or invalidated. The stereotype of ADHD as a childhood disorder also means many adults with the condition are overlooked or misdiagnosed, often attributing their struggles to other mental health issues like anxiety or depression. The stigma is compounded by the fact that ADHD symptoms, such as inattention or impulsivity, can be invisible, leading others to doubt the legitimacy of the disorder. This lack of understanding can result in workplace discrimination, social isolation, and negative self-image, making it even harder to manage symptoms and thrive in daily life.

Medication Management & Treatment
Medication management for ADHD can be challenging due to varying responses to treatment and potential modes of treatment. Finding the right medication or therapy often requires trial and error, as individuals may respond differently. The process of finding what’s right for you can be arduous, especially when you feel misunderstood.

ADHD & Its Comorbidities

ADHD frequently co-occurs with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and learning disabilities. These comorbidities can complicate both diagnosis and treatment because their symptoms often overlap. Many individuals with ADHD experience misdiagnosis or feel misunderstood, especially when overlapping symptoms make it hard to distinguish one condition from another. For example, anxiety can worsen focus issues, and depression can increase feelings of low motivation.

The presence of these comorbidities often leads to a more complex experience to navigate. Addressing both ADHD and its comorbid conditions is crucial for improving overall functioning and quality of life. A holistic approach may include medication, therapy, lifestyle changes, and support from community members and care providers is crucial.

Why Adults with ADHD Can Benefit from an ADHD Support Group

This group provides a safe, open space to explore ADHD symptoms and their impact on daily life. While ADHD is often associated with challenges in school or work, it affects every aspect of life, including personal relationships and self-image. Society tends to prize traits like punctuality, organization, and focus, which can feel nearly impossible to achieve when living with ADHD. This group is a place to discuss these challenges without shame or judgment.

The Adult ADHD Support Group offers a platform to share experiences and learn from others. Through active participation, you’ll gain self-awareness, identify personal strengths, develop coping strategies, and learn to accept yourself. We hope you’ll leave the group feeling more empowered and equipped to live the fulfilling life you deserve.