ADHD Awareness Month highlights challenges, strengths and new tools

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — October is ADHD Awareness Month, and advocates say it’s a chance to break down misconceptions and highlight both the struggles and strengths of living with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

“People who are neurodivergent are frequently mislabeled and misunderstood,” said Hannah Bookbinder, a licensed social worker and ADHD coach. “One of the common themes that my clients bring up to me is that they feel like nobody gets them and their experience is invalidated.”

ADHD can affect people at every stage of life, from children who struggle to sit still and keep track of schoolwork, to college students balancing independence, to adults facing workplace challenges.

“It is very often difficult to get to their appointments on time. They’re missing their own deadlines,” Bookbinder said.

Alongside difficulties with focus and time management, ADHD can also carry hidden emotional weight. Bookbinder says many people with the condition experience Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, or RSD, which can make criticism feel like a painful setback. “It really goes to the heart of the individual, and it makes it difficult for them to rebound from that,” she said.

Still, Bookbinder says ADHD is not only about obstacles. “They’re resilient, they’re creative… and I think it’s important for them to remember that and not lose sight of it,” she said.

Bookbinder has worked with individuals with ADHD and executive functioning challenges for nearly three decades. This fall, she introduced two new resources: the MyTOAD app, which organizes tools for time management, accountability, and organization in one place, and her book Unlock Your Inner Superhero, geared toward high school and college students.

But she stresses that awareness comes before tools.

“I think that people who have ADHD are really incredible, and it’s been really a privilege to work with them,” Bookbinder said.

For more information about the app, visit mytoadapp.com or follow on social media:

Facebook: @mytoadapp
Instagram: @mytoad_llc