10 Signs I Had ADHD Before I Knew I Had ADHD

(A Memoir in Side Tangents, Hyperfocus, and Doom Piles)

If you’ve been following my memoir Alchemy Soup, you know I was diagnosed with ADHD during the pandemic. I met with a psychiatrist, armed with a lifetime of suspicion and a Google Doc of symptoms. About five minutes in, he looked at me and said:

“Oh yeah… it’s severe.”

Cool. Cool cool cool. And then came the alphabet soup: ADHD, CPTSD, GAD, maybe a side of RSD and a sprinkle of HSP for flavor. What are we spelling here, exactly? Is it a diagnosis or a crossword puzzle?

Looking back, it was so obvious. But when you’re smart, funny, and “functioning” just enough to survive (even if barely), people don’t ask why you’re sleeping on a pile of laundry. They just call you quirky. Or forgetful. Or dramatic. (All of which I am. But also... neurodivergent.)

So in the spirit of laughter, resonance, and not being alone with your doom piles, here are 10 signs I had ADHD long before I knew I had ADHD:

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1. Sleeping on a pile of laundry in college

Because putting clothes away was an entirely separate task from washing them. And my nervous system said that’s enough labor for one day. Also, it was cozy. Fight me.

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2. Losing my phone, keys, wallet, and sense of reality—daily

I’ve had to “Find My iPhone” (or call my husband to help me) more times than I’ve found my inner peace. Bonus points if the phone was literally in my hand the whole time.

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3. Sitting at a desk for 9+ hours a day felt like torture

I used to think something was wrong with me because I couldn’t sit still. Turns out, my brain is wired for stimulation and movement, not spreadsheets and forced eye contact during Zoom calls.

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4. Instantly resisting anyone in a position of unearned power

The minute someone expects automatic respect because of their title or corner office, my entire body revolts. ADHD + trauma = no tolerance for fake authority. Especially if that person is a micromanager. Or wears loafers with no socks.

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5. Forgetting what I was saying mid-sentence

What were we talking about again? Oh, right—ADHD. And trauma. Wait—did I tell you about the time my goat escaped during a Zoom call? (Yes, I own goats. This is relevant.)

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6. Doom piles

Listen. It’s not a mess. It’s a visual to-do list. If I put something in a drawer, it ceases to exist. Object permanence issues + executive dysfunction = welcome to my pile museum.

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7. Hyperfocus that can build empires (and fry my nervous system)

I can write a 5,000-word article, launch a Substack series, or start a new business idea over a weekend. But also forget to eat, sleep, or pee. It's like my brain becomes a Tesla in ludicrous mode—with no brakes.

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8. Justice sensitivity

If someone is being bullied at work or excluded in a group setting, I feel it in my body. It’s not just empathy—it’s a full-body call to action. A trait common in ADHDers, gifted individuals, and those shaped by early trauma.

That’s not just a personality quirk—it’s a neurodivergent trait. Many ADHDers and gifted folks experience justice sensitivity and emotional intensity, often mislabeled as being “too sensitive” or “too dramatic.”

Bring your alphabet soup, your side quests, and your mess. We make space for it here.

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9. Storytelling with 12 side quests

Yes, my stories are long. Yes, I interrupt myself. Yes, I will circle back eventually. But also? You’ll laugh, cry, and probably meet a goat by the end.

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10. Feeling other people’s emotions like they’re mine

I walk into a room and know who’s not okay before they say a word. Combine this with emotional dysregulation from ADHD + trauma history, and you get someone who needs naps, therapy, and a weighted blanket made of love.

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So what’s really going on here?

ADHD is not just a “productivity problem.” It’s a neurodevelopmental condition that affects dopamine regulation, executive functioning, memory, and nervous system processing. For many of us—especially those who are also gifted, sensitive, or trauma survivors—it blends with complex patterns of coping, masking, and over-functioning. Turns out, dopamine regulation is the real culprit behind most ADHD symptoms, according to experts. Not just attention span.

This is where neurodivergence meets nervous system adaptation. Where “being too much” is often just a survival strategy. Where giftedness gets buried under people-pleasing, perfectionism, or burnout. Where diagnoses are late because we performed well just enough to be overlooked.

And when trauma gets layered on top, the nervous system is constantly on guard. Many traits of complex PTSD (hypervigilance, emotional overwhelm, memory fog) can mimic or compound ADHD. Your brain learns vigilance. Your body stores chaos. You become amazing at reading people and terrible at resting. Sound familiar?

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If you’re nodding along...

...or crying-laughing because you too have doom piles and a goat escape story, I want to hear from you.

This is why I wrote Alchemy Soup—my memoir, told in ladles, not chapters. It’s a story about healing, identity, and learning to laugh while untangling the alphabet soup. It’s for the gifted kids, the misunderstood adults, and the ones who are tired of being “too much.”

And for those of us who were labeled “gifted” early on, it gets even more tangled. High achievement becomes a mask. We over-function, blend in, or burn out—long before anyone thinks to ask if we’re struggling underneath. Especially girls, especially sensitive ones.

If this piece resonates, leave a comment. Share your quirks. Tell me your #1 ADHD moment. And if you haven’t subscribed yet, consider this your formal invitation to the table.

There’s soup. There are goats. And there’s space for all your letters.

—Jen
The Divergent Talent Alchemist

PS: Lula and Whiskey say hello:

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Sources

• Barkley, R.A. — Executive Functions

• CHADD.org – ADHD 101

• SENG – Misdiagnosis of Gifted Individuals

• Van der Kolk, B. — The Body Keeps the Score