๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ. ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐๐ข๐ณ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ง, ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ Project BEE.
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐:
After a career in healthcare, I switched to social services and fell in love with nonprofit work. I have been with Project BEE since 2019 - and lead the organization through some of our biggest changes. For fun, I do a lot of reading, activities with my kids, and also have probably 45 different hobbies (relevant to my disability hah).
๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ:
I have ADHD, anxiety, and depression. I had struggled my entire life with these conditions - although I didn't realize it until I was in my 20s. I had an amazing provider advocate for me, and have the testing done so I have the official diagnoses to do whatever I needed. Looking back, I realize so many actions I have taken at different points in my life were directly because of the ADHD/anxiety. Although I wish I had my diagnoses before so that I could have maybe pursued some other interests, I do not regret how life has turned out. In the past, I've tried medication for all three of my disabilities (although, ADHD is the one impacting me daily the hardest), although currently I am managing and thriving via regular therapy and tools (such as project management software, routine, and my calendar).
Sometimes these "invisible" disabilities are a challenge because society doesn't see something "wrong" with you and expects you to perform to their standards.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ?
Finding an advocate for me has helped get me to the level where I am now (Independence is a great place to start if you are looking for an advocate!). Don't give up, and don't be afraid of change - my career is nowhere near where I thought I would be, but I found something I'm decent at and have been able to thrive as a result. Sometimes you won't respond to different treatments, but there's always another option or another provider you might connect to well. Don't be afraid to ask for accomodations - I personally use a project management software at work which has been an amazing tool to help me thrive.
