The Simplicity and Effectiveness of Social Supports.
Life can be challenging and busy. Add to that, living in an expensive city trying to make ends meet, thinking that there is “something wrong with you”, and desperately wanting to “fix” yourself so that life becomes a little bit easier. Ahhh…I am tired just writing that. But, this is how many of us neurodivergent folks feel. Constantly. It just feels hard.
It doesn’t need to be that way.
What I like about social supports, and the reason why I created the adhd SOCIAL HUB, is that they can work as a natural and pressure free adjunct to formal medical and therapeutic supports. Another way to slowly learn to accept yourself by realizing, you are not alone. Why wouldn’t we have a space where people can connect in-person and learn in a natural setting? It just makes sense.
For example, while at an adhd SOCIAL HUB event (this one happened to be a soccer game) I took out my phone to take a picture. The person next to me noticed that I had all my app icons in black and white stencil art. They were intrigued. I explained that I can get easily distracted by my phone and tempted to waste time scrolling mindlessly. The muted colours make me less drawn to pick it up.
At a different event I needed to OHIO (Only Handle It Once) a date for my calendar, so I pulled out my phone so I could input the information. Once again, a person beside me noticed and commented how my calendar was set up with many colour blocks. They liked the look and style of the calendar I used and asked me what app it was. I explained that I chose it because it was the closest app I could find to being just like a physical paper calendar in how everything was displayed.
When people attend social hub events they gain new ADHD management tips and tricks without even trying. They don’t hesitate to ask questions because they know they are not being judged.
Us ADHDers notice details and are curious people. As a result, we are like sponges for new ADHD information while at these social gatherings. At social hub events we can learn more about ADHD and not suffer from information overload, stress and pressure all at the same time. We can enjoy ourselves in a space where we are not expected to be a certain way. Why not learn and have fun while creating new connections? Come to one of our in-person or online events, give it a try!
Neurodivergent social events create the opportunity for growth to happen at your own pace. And something interesting seems to happen if you put yourself in these accepting environments regularly enough…you begin to accept yourself without even trying! This is why I do what I do.
I could go on and on about the countless new things I learn while out and about with other neurodivergent folks. I notice the super soft shirt someone is wearing and find out it is also tag free and can be bought online (phew, no crowds!). I see the subtle and cool looking earplugs another person wears in noisy environments. I notice the little mannerisms of others, such as the ever so slight rocking while seated, and this makes me feel like “oh, I am not the only one”. No words need to exchange for me to feel accepted and comfortable. Although all these feelings/traits may not experienced by everyone with ADHD or autism, I definitely feel very comfortable and relaxed when with my social hub group and notice that I am not “the only one”.
My point is, we can learn and support our neurodivergence without things always feeling so hard, forced, and formal. We can do this by simply putting ourselves in supportive social environments. Do not get me wrong, I am a huge advocate of formal supports and feel strongly that they are important and should be a part of our support care.
What I hope is that people recognize that different types of support exist, and that depending on our capacity on a particular day, we should have the choice to go towards what is right for us.
When we have a variety of supports in our life we set ourselves up for our version of success. No one person/resource, can or should be everything for a individual.
We hope you will come and experience what social support feels like at one of our events. You are welcome here 💛
