Basket Case

Anatomy of a Meltdown

Yesterday was a Level 8.5 -9 anxiety/ADHD day.

It began as a rough ADHD day, which led to anxiety about not doing “enough,” and not doing the “right” stuff.

By 6 p.m., my anxiety ramped up until I was at Level 9.

(I’m pretty sure Level 10 is my ears actually blow off my head and someone has to put them in a bag of frozen peas and take us all to the hospital.)

So Level 9 was full panic, and an urge to hide until I could remember how to take a deep breath.

Trophies for Trying

I’d like to collect my trophy, though, because I did try all the things yesterday.

I mean first I tried to just push through, but then I tried all my tools and tricks and then finally, FINALLY, I realized that it was all too much, and that I needed to rest, so I said “I think I need to rest,” but then I still tried to do one more thing, and then I finally made myself a little snack and a cup of tea and went to lie down.

ADHD … Ahem

I ate my snack, and sipped cinnamon tea and chugged some water and then I snuggled under my weighted blanket and I wrapped my weighted eye mask around my head and then I put in my noise-cancelling earbuds and listened to a meditation.

And that worked pretty well for about 15 minutes, and then ADHD cleared its throat.

It tries to help - it really does.

I don’t know if they still do this, but remember when the advice they gave to preschool and Kindergarten teachers was give the disruptive kid a “job” and call them your “special helper?”

So ADHD popped up yesterday with an idea!

In an effort to calm my anxiety, I should give it a “special job” and that job was “fix the pantry.”