Chapter 1: A New Perspective on ADHD

A little over a year ago, a friend posed a life-altering question: "Why haven’t you ever been diagnosed with ADHD?" This left me bewildered. Having trained as a therapist and worked as a counselor, I was familiar with the disorder, yet I had never considered it might apply to me. I associated ADHD with children who were restless, humorous, or continuously struggling academically, not with myself—a student who balanced academics, sports, drama, and various extracurricular activities. However, I paused, sensing some truth in my friend’s observation.

I am aware that girls and women often receive fewer diagnoses for autism, and since ADHD shares some similarities, I began to wonder if high-achieving individuals like myself were overlooked despite experiencing disorganization. My struggles weren't always apparent in a classroom setting; they were hidden amidst the chaos of my thoughts and surroundings.

My friend, having been diagnosed in college, highlighted symptoms he had observed in me. He suggested that my perceived laziness and disorganization might stem from feeling overstimulated and overwhelmed. My neurodiverse brain often opts to shut down when faced with disorder, rather than tackling it head-on.

Chapter 2: Discovering DOOM Piles

Since I haven’t received an official ADHD diagnosis yet, I have immersed myself in literature and social media discussions about the condition to find ways to view it positively, rather than merely as a collection of challenges. Recently, I discovered that DOOM piles have been remarkably beneficial in managing some of my more debilitating symptoms.

A familiar saying in the ADHD community is: "Don’t put it down; put it away." The idea is that placing items down increases the chance of them getting lost among other neglected items. Instead, if things are put away immediately, they’ll be easily retrievable later. However, DOOM—short for Didn’t Organize, Only Moved—seems to counter this advice. While merely shifting items from one pile to another doesn’t achieve much, I found a video that suggested using DOOM piles as an organizational strategy. Here’s the approach:

1. Identify a specific area of clutter, such as a junk drawer.
2. Empty all contents into one or more boxes.
3. When motivation strikes, tackle the contents box by box—one task at a time.

This method allows for small accomplishments before my mind diverts to another idea. I often start grand organizational projects only to lose steam midway, which can exacerbate the mess. With DOOM piles, I can break tasks down into manageable portions.

Chapter 3: DOOM in Practice

Every night, between midnight and 3 AM, I convince myself that tomorrow will be the day I finally get organized. The plans I devise seem excellent and reasonable. Yet, when morning arrives, I feel overwhelmed by those same ideas and fail to act on them. They simply become wishful thoughts that linger until the next night.

One weekend morning, I resolved to take action. Recalling the concept of DOOM piles, I retrieved a box from my recycling bin. I chose a particularly cluttered kitchen drawer and dumped its entire contents into the box. Feeling ambitious, I even emptied a second drawer into it.

As I sifted through the collected items, I found batteries, tealight candles, assorted manuals, and broken crayons. Much of it was simply trash that needed disposal. It didn’t take long before I realized I could eliminate over half of the contents without needing to sort them. I even had enough energy to repurpose the broken crayons into new shapes, a fun activity I enjoy doing with my kids.

After completing the crayon project, I still had some energy left. Instead of overwhelming myself, I tackled just a couple of drawers at a time, accompanied by a playlist of lively songs. I successfully organized all the boxes I had set out to tackle.

Chapter 4: Sharing the Concept with Family

Both my daughter and son also grapple with ADHD, which can create chaos at home. I’ve explained the concept of DOOM piles to my daughter: simply move everything from the floor into a box; we can sort it later. After several boxes, her floor has started to reappear.

Sometimes, the best we can do is to transfer the mess into a box without immediately organizing it. The key is to break tasks into smaller, more manageable steps to prevent feelings of being overwhelmed.

Chapter 5: Collaborating with ADHD

I’m learning to collaborate with my disorganized brain rather than fight against it. By concentrating on one small task at a time, I can achieve enough to feel good about my progress. I’ve realized that attempting to tackle an entire room or house at once only leads to feelings of being overwhelmed and defeated. Instead, I focus on small victories that keep me moving forward.

While my home isn’t a paragon of cleanliness, I’m making strides. By creating bite-sized to-do lists, I allow myself to enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing even the smallest tasks. I now understand that these achievements are significant and contribute to my progress, making them far more valuable than striving for perfection.