Amid the pandemic, TikTok turned a fountain of knowledge for, nicely, absolutely anything you could be even a bit of bit inquisitive about. This has led to a necessity for social media customers to vet their sources, in order to not fall sufferer to believing and perpetuating the customarily harmful misinformation that may go viral. However, due to credentialed professionals who’ve taken to the app, it’s additionally offered a way of neighborhood, consciousness, and entry to details about numerous health-related points and circumstances.
In 2020, Sasha Hamdani, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist and a spotlight deficit hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD) specialist primarily based in Kansas Metropolis, Missouri, joined TikTok after noticing a necessity for extra evidence-based details about the neurodevelopmental power situation on the app. As each a supplier and one who has ADHD, Dr. Hamdani is uniquely suited to assist others handle their ADHD and perceive the way in which their mind works; she’s additionally keen about serving to people with ADHD greatest take care of themselves and forestall burnout.
Posting beneath the deal with @thepsychdoctormd on Instagram and TikTok, Dr. Hamdani’s feed usually recounts what residing with and treating ADHD is like for her—the ups, the downs, the humorous, the wrenching, the irritating, and all of the in-betweens. However the concept that she’d in the future share her private experiences to assist so many others handle their ADHD as soon as felt unthinkable.
Dr. Hamdani was recognized with ADHD in fourth grade, however didn’t perceive what precisely that meant for her till she was in faculty as a result of her mother and father had managed her medicines and routines—in addition they hadn’t really informed her what she had.
“[College was] once I actually began fighting the ADHD stuff, as a result of I did not really learn about my prognosis or what it meant, or medicine, or something,” says Dr. Hamdani. “I used to be making an attempt to determine that out whereas additionally making an attempt to determine all these regular developmental phases as nicely, like ‘How do I eat?’ and ‘How do I present as much as class on time?’” The psychological load was so much to broach, and with out the understanding of how her mind works, she wasn’t outfitted to note psychological and behavioral patterns that would assist set her up for fulfillment. She was burning out.
Studying extra about ADHD and realizing that she’d need to observe a unique playbook than her neurotypical friends helped. Alongside medicine, and with assist from her household and educational workforce, Dr. Hamdani realized find out how to form her routines to counteract the behaviors that contributed to the burnout she was experiencing. This included creating set routines round particular habits that in sum would preserve her targeted and motivated fairly than depleted, discouraged, or burnt out. “I realized how I must be consuming, ingesting, sleeping, exercising, organizing—all of the fundamentals that I did not suppose may change into routines in an ADHD mind,” she says.
“It [FocusGenie] teaches you about your mind, then it additionally provides you the instruments to implement change, construct habits, and proceed this momentum”
-Sasha Hamdani, MD, psychiatrist
Now, she’s made discovering private {and professional} success as somebody with ADHD her life’s work: She’s a psychiatrist specializing in ADHD and anxiousness; the creator of Self-Care for People with ADHD: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Prioritize You; and most not too long ago launched FocusGenie, a complete ADHD administration app meant to assist neurodivergent people handle, perceive, and calm their brains. “It teaches you about your mind, then it additionally provides you the instruments to implement change, construct habits, and proceed this momentum,” she says of the app.
I not too long ago spoke with Dr. Hamdani about how she makes use of numerous platforms to share correct, useful methods to thrive with ADHD, entry efficient self care, and forestall burnout.
Dr. Sasha Hamdani: I began utilizing TikTok in late 2020 once I was solely doing telehealth appointments amid the pandemic. I really feel like there was a huge increase in ADHD diagnoses during the pandemic as a result of individuals have been speaking about it extra, and sufferers would maintain their telephones as much as the digital camera and be like, “I believe I’ve ADHD due to this [TikTok] video.” However the video would usually be so silly, and never evidence-based. Certainly one of my sufferers held up a video that stated you’re neurodivergent in case you sneeze a number of occasions in a row. I used to be like, “That’s so ridiculous,” however then I noticed I do sneeze a number of occasions in a row, and I’m neurodivergent. Even so, that also doesn’t make the declare true. However that’s the issue proper?
What initially prompted me to hitch TikTok is studying it’s a spot the place there’s horrible info and it is being circulated to a really younger and weak inhabitants. However once I received on-line, I discovered there’s really actually good info, too. I initially began posting so as to add extra good info.
SH: From a patient-only perspective, it is onerous to grasp all of the decision-making a physician has to undergo. As a supplier who’s been a affected person, I believe it strongly roots you on this empathy and this standpoint that’s firstly about affected person advocacy. You need sufferers to really feel autonomous and cozy sufficient to vocalize their wants, and to grasp that they are the professional on their inner expertise. You do not wish to gaslight them considering that you understand higher—as a result of they do know greatest what’s happening. They won’t know every little thing in regards to the nuances of therapy or prognosis, however they know what’s occurring [inside of] them. So I believe it’s cool.
SH: FocusGenie is a behavioral administration app for ADHD and neurodivergent brains usually. It’s actually for any mind that wants assist with productiveness and focus, so you do not want a prognosis [to use it].
What I really like most about it’s that it has every little thing I would like in a single place. I beforehand had six or seven apps that have been doing all of the issues I wished [to help me manage my ADHD]—a Pomodoro app to interrupt down duties, the Notes app to maintain observe of duties, and a music participant for focus-boosting audio—however I’d truthfully lose steam with all of them as a result of it’s too onerous to keep up if the data just isn’t in the identical place. I’d obtain every little thing, it might final three days then I’d transfer on.
[FocusGenie has] very sensible, helpful, academic modules and as you progress by means of the app, new ones get launched each month. Every lesson takes a few minute, and so they’re enjoyable social media-like swipe-throughs. There’s stuff on the basics of ADHD and the way your mind works. However then it additionally talks about stuff like “How do I care for my funds?” “How do I preserve my home clear?” “How ought to I be consuming?” “How do I take care of a poisonous relationship?”
The app breaks down duties very visually, and you too can use focus-enhancing audio. You’ll be able to work with a body double, and you’ll even work with me by cueing up a pre-recorded video of me, and I’ll work alongside you when you’re doing a job. There’s a mindfulness space, too.
My favourite a part of the app, although, is the main focus tracker, which talks about your focus, your impulsivity, your fidgetiness, your consuming, your ingesting, and your sleeping. You get to see your habits graphically over time. I have been beta testing [the app] for about eight months, and I observed that my impulsivity is thru the roof for 4 days each month, and that’s proper earlier than my interval. I went again over the previous two years in my bank card statements, and there’s a $600 bump in that 4 day interval. I can’t be trusted with my telephone on the sofa throughout these 4 days, and I [learned that] from simply wanting and monitoring over these eight months.
It was necessary for me to create FocusGenie as a result of I’ve seen firsthand how limiting ADHD will be. I wish to present an accessible answer so individuals can begin studying about their mind and doubtlessly keep away from years of self-doubt and judgment. I simply need FocusGenie to be the supply of excellent info and instruments individuals can use to remodel their lives.
SH: Burnout is de facto an fascinating phenomenon as a result of it is so multifaceted. That intersection of all these issues compounds and it makes me extra probably [to be burned out], however that is why self care is so necessary, and so is having a practical viewpoint.
This actuality of intersectionality compounding burnout highlights why discovering self care that’s efficient for you is so essential. It took me about two years into observe to understand I am unable to do all of it. In my first 12 months of observe, I went in and I used to be like, “I’m the primary feminine that has joined in a extremely very long time—there was one different feminine however she’d been a accomplice ceaselessly—and I’m going to point out them that I actually need to be right here.” However I used to be engaged on the weekends, and I wasn’t sleeping for 2 days at a time and, for what? I used to be placing all this inner strain on myself.
After figuring out efficient self care, it’s necessary to respect and train the self care practices that you simply want, but in addition have a practical view about what the “outcomes” could appear like. For me, [avoiding burnout] is now a matter of understanding that I need not show myself to anyone else. I simply must discover a option to make myself blissful—and studying that has been life-changing.
SH: Self care is useful for stopping burnout and stopping your self from getting right into a stage the place you want that extended recuperation time. However I do not suppose training self care will pull you out of burnout when you’re in it. Probably the most necessary issues, even far past self care, is knowing your patterns so that you will be aware of stopping it from taking maintain.
With ADHD and burnout, or in case you have despair and anxiousness, by the point you are approaching burnout, you’re bodily and emotionally tapped out, so making an attempt to tug your self out of the outlet seems like such an enormous ask.
And if you’re within the throes of burnout, wait it out, perceive what your physique wants, and focus in your base items. Eat, drink water, and don’t attempt to stimulate your mind into working higher; what your mind wants is relaxation. Relaxation goes to make you are feeling higher.
SH: It is determined by the state of affairs, as a result of I’ve a unique toolkit primarily based on what is going on on. There are occasions once I really feel type of disconnected, for instance if work is getting extreme and I’m taking it house with me, or if I’m having adverse interactions at work. The reply for that’s to tug away from work for a brief time period. I can’t care for sufferers if I am [not taking care of myself].
This interview has been edited for readability and size.
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