Sweet, Kind, Wonderful, Faithful Readers,
When I started this blogging position, I had no idea how much it would teach me and change my own perspective about the world of ADHD. I love the little man in my life who has ADHD, but there was so much I didn’t know about his brain and body worked.
I was challenged over and over again with finding factual information, having to pour over books, research, and scientific studies, just to get what I needed. I was determined to find truthful information for people, regardless of how much time it took, while explaining it in a way that everyone could understand. I had no idea how difficult that would be.
There’s A LOT of false information out there about brain and mental health disorders!
Once I got to the bottom of things, though, I was so rewarded for putting the effort in. I felt more educated about my tiny man, and the people who read my posts reached out to tell me how much it helped them understand their own kids, relatives, and friends.
Having scientific information is so much different than having speculative information that you’ve learned from hearsay or media. The fact that I could write an entire segment on myths versus facts about ADHD meant there was a lot of misinformation floating around. And I remembering having to pare that post down A LOT before it was short enough to post.
But the biggest thing I got from writing this blog that I never expected?
Encouragement. I had no idea how much people would reach out to say they felt the same or thought the same or wondered the same. It made (and my sister) feel so much more included in the world around us. It helped us feel understood, even though the goal was to make others feel understood.
There’s something to be said for receiving positive comments on a post you’ve written. It makes you realize that someone took time out of their day to fill out the little questionnaire at the bottom of your blog because it actually meant that much to them.
There’s also something to be said for receiving around 37,000 shares of your posts over the course of six months. That’s INSANE! In the best way possible, of course.
Every time I’ve posted something, I’ve been blown away by the number of people who’ve believed in my words enough to share them. Not just read them, but actually send them to other people or post them on their social media sites. If that’s how many shares we had, I can’t even imagine the number of people who read our posts.
That’s a lot of awareness being spread, guys.
A lot.
Do you know how good that feels as someone who cares very much about a child with ADHD? I love knowing that thousands and thousands of people have become more educated this year because of the work we’ve done. It just goes to show you how big of a difference you can make if you’re just willing to put the time and effort into it.
There were negative comments and backlash about some of the posts I made, too, but those never bothered me. I knew I was writing the truth and spreading knowledge!
I will always be grateful for the opportunity Psych Central gave me to help them further awareness about what it’s like to love these beautiful children. They’re good kids who just need to live and be cared for a little differently than most. I’ve loved being part of a team who believes that as deeply as I do.
Go out and change the world, my friends.
Whitney
