It’s hot hot HOT this week and if you have ADHD this may cause issues!

ADHD has so many little aspects that affect so many little bits of life that it almost feels like you build your days around it, so when something like extreme weather conditions happens it can feel awful!

Personally, I am trapped in a sticky, smelly, loud pit of my own frustration.

Dehydration is hard because drinking is often forgotten, or water is just unappealing!

It’s important to remember that drinking something is better than nothing, coffee, pop, juice etc… as long as you keep your body hydrated.

Ice pops and snacks like cucumber are also hydrating and can be more appealing ways to get water.

It may also be worth (cue the groan and eye roll) setting tons of reminders to drink: alarms, sticky notes or a good friend are all worth a shot.

Lots of ADHD medications can also cause dehydration (this is especially for stimulants) and it’s worth looking at and making sure you are hydrated!

Antihistamines can affect your medications.

Make sure you talk to your pharmacist (you can just walk in and ask at any pharmacy and they can answer questions), it’s best if you take your prescription sheet or medication box so they can give you the best most accurate information, then sell you the correct antihistamines. 

If this isn’t a possibility you can ask someone else or here is a list of other ways to help reduce the Hayfever:

• Shower and change your clothes as soon as you get in so you do not carry the pollen around your house
• Dusting with a damp cloth and vacuuming can help get the pollen from around the house
• Vaseline around your nose can help stop it from getting in

What I think is the biggest thing Neurotypicals don’t realise is the overwhelm and overstimulation.

It’s very much a “well everyone gets bothered in the heat” situation but it can be much more for those with ADHD.

The sticky sunscreen, the sore dry skin, the sweat, and the difficulty breathing are all little things that can get to you and it can be hard acknowledging that all these little things are causing such a big issue, and from a Nero-typical perspective, it can seem the same.

A good tip for sunscreen to be less sticky is putting it onto damp skin to get it to soak in faster!

The best way I, as an ADHDer, can explain this is to imagine someone wrapping you in a big thick blanket, face and all, then lots of people begin to just put their hands all over you. It feels like you are being drowned and your brain begins to panic, wanting to kick and scream and cry and yell at everybody who is just living their life around you.

This is not helped by the lack of sleep if you sleep under weighted blankets!

It also completely ruins all routine, it’s like the world has turned upside down!

Quiet places, such as the beach or parks are suddenly heaving with children, everyone’s eating different foods and everyone’s emotions that you spent years learning are completely different due to the heat!

As always not every ADHDer struggles with the same issues, and often things like overwhelm and overstimulation can feel different from person to person! 

Stay safe and remember to give those with Nerodivergence a little extra patience in this sort of weather!