News / Articles

Do You Remember September?

At Home with ADHD
DO YOU REMEMBER SEPTEMBER?

By: Lannette Guerra | September 2, 2022

It’s September, and this month is a little hard for some of us. It may bring back memories of destruction or of smoked-filled, orange-tinted skies for us Bay Area locals. For me, it brings back memories of being a scared little kid among the chaos left behind from a category five hurricane. Yes, September can bring up sad memories for us all. This is why in this month’s article I chose to discuss trauma and working memory problems as a person with ADHD. I promise to end on a happier note.

September is one of those months that changed for many of us. It’s been more than 20 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, and for some it still feels relatively recent. It is forever tainted with loss, fear and somber-ness.

I still remember running down University Avenue, being chased by the geese from Bugg Lake, grabbing a cup of coffee from a kiosk, and overhearing Howard Stern on the radio saying, “New York’s Twin Towers have been struck by an airplane.” I looked at the kiosk attendant and laughed as we both shrugged off the absurd remarks—this was Howard Stern after all. Yet when I arrived at class, there was a note on the door stating, “class canceled, students to report to Millennium Center.”

I wasn’t the only confused student; as I walked to the center, a couple dozen students were heading in the same direction. There at the Millennium Center, the horror unfolded. We all watched as the first tower collapsed and then the second. The gravity of the situation hit us, the U.S. was under attack, and what happened after that within the conference hall, was complete pandemonium. No one knew how to feel or what to do. Our emotions were stunted, but one thing was clear—we all experienced “flight mode,” a typical trauma response.

As we rushed to our cars, we looked at the sky, watching for planes. The irony here was why were we running at all? We were states away from the source. Why would terrorists attack the Gateway to the West? Yet there we were, all looking up to the sky in complete panic, racing to our cars with our frozen emotions and faces of shock.

Let’s come back to the present. The reason for this narration of my personal September 11 experience is to illustrate trauma. Trauma is all around us; every human has experienced it in one shape or another. The mere fact that we lived through a worldwide pandemic means everyone on this planet is coming out of a traumatic experience. In addition, trauma and ADHD have a linkage. It is known that ADHD can develop from traumatic experiences during a child's life.

I ruminate on this a lot these days, as my child started showing the first signs that she too suffered from the same affliction. I kept asking myself whether it was simply my genes or the fact that 2020 was her first year of school and she’d been ripped away from her kindergarten class to finish out the year on a laptop. Getting her to sit and learn through a screen was impossible. But, was it trauma or ADHD?

Surely, we are aware that our first-world/Marin problems are minor compared to the rest of the world; I recognize this. I’ve seen little kids on the street corners of New Delhi and know the hardships of the youth from my own native lands. However, the body doesn’t know how to differentiate between dire travesties and minor adversities within a young person's life. The body marks them all as trauma, and the psychological scars linger within our bodies for decades. One of those is the manifestation of ADHD, which hinders our working memory for the remainder of our lives.

Working memory is that nifty little tool that allows us to complete tasks in the proper order. It’s housed in our prefrontal cortex along with the commander-in-chief called Executive Function. It helps us stay focused on a task or remember the reason why we walked into the kitchen.

So, how can one improve their working memory issues, knowing that we cannot purchase a new prefrontal cortex or eternal sunshine of a spotless mind from a traumatic past? There are plenty of internet articles on the matter, but here is what I’ve gleaned on my own journey:

First, we become self-aware that we have working memory issues. We research the many tools and articles online with specific exercises to aid us, such as this article by Additude.

Second, we tell our loved ones that we struggle with this so that when we miss or forget things, they understand that it’s not ill intended. It’s just our brains failing us some days. (Though, be sure not to make a habit of using your ADHD as a get-out-of-jail-free card.)

Third, we create systems at home, work and school that decrease our chance of mishaps. A fun one I’ve loved lately is how I programmed my Alexa to a routine, and when I hear it in the morning, it automatically triggers my working brain to know what follows. Or how I have certain playlists explicitly designed to complete specific tasks, and they keep me mindful of what I’m working on or my time constraints.

Lastly, the most important tip for working memory is self-compassion. Learning to cherish strengths over weaknesses and knowing that the flawed portions of our brain do not make up the entirety of our identity. Doing this has given me peace of mind, allowing me to remember more. I haven’t lost a pair of sunglasses all year, and my inner mentor does not shame me for being forgetful; she’s kinder these days. This is progress!

Trauma, ADHD, PTSD, working memory issues and many other disorders and ailments cannot be dissolved with a simple snap of the fingers, but aided by the sounds of self-compassion and a growth mindset. And if all fails, there is always the sounds of music. Thus, dear reader, I leave you with a gift… “A Happier September” Playlist.

Lannette Guerra has a decade of experience working for large and small high-end residential firms, throughout Northern California. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture, a Bachelor of Arts, and is a LEED accredited professional. Before moving to California, she spent 4 years as an Exhibit Designer in Kansas City, MO.

She resides and virtually works for her current employer, from her home in San Rafael, CA. When she is not hyperfocused on work she enjoys hikes in the Marin headlands and couch cuddles with her family and furry friend. She is currently staying away from engaging in any new hobbies except for being a mentor & advocate of mental and physical well-being.

She is also a strong believer that the only way to build yourself to personal fulfillment and reach your true potential is to quiet the mind, eliminate distraction, and listen to what your heart has been telling you all along. Only then will you be able to see your authentic self reflected within your home, your soul, and in the workplace.