Dyspraxic Adults

Hi. I'm 27 and I was diagnosed as a child and went to therapy to improve my coordination. I don't think it helped. As an adult I've tried to move away from the word "dyspraxia" because I associate that with childhood and with feeling so weird and out of place and separate from others. So the word I use is "clumsy" because people know what that is and I just want to be normal. I honestly struggle so much with my lack of coordination and it makes me feel so stupid and useless. I definitely don't think that of other people though! I really struggle with cooking. I almost always mess up and drop everything or burn myself by accident. Today I tried to make a frozen pizza and when I went to remove it I somehow flipped it topping side down in the oven. Imidiately had a breakdown like "I can't depend on myself to be fed. THAT HURTS MY EGO SO MUCH!" I talked to my best friend about it (he's very helpful and kind by the way!) and I decided to look for a online community for other people who might be able to relate to me. And that is what this is.

Don't worry, the pizza gods have visited their dropped offerings on me numerous times. Most recently, about six months back, an XXL frozen pizza - I was starving, and I'd already successfully made my girlfriends pizza for her. What could go wrong, right?

Before I'd even had a chance to cut it, the steaming hot pizza was upside down on the floor. I'm not ashamed to admit I lost my cool, I picked that bastard up and threw it as hard as I could into the bin, swearing like a sailor. This wonderful, enormous, and somewhat expensive (for a frozen pizza) morsel of food had been utterly destroyed by me and Dyspraxia. The greatest tag team since Dyspraxia and falling off of bikes, we annihilated that pizza.

I don't remember what I ate for dinner that night. But it sure wasn't pizza.

You are hilarious! I really like your sense of humor. I'm glad I'm not the only one who flips out over dyspraxia destroyed pizzas.

I'm glad you got a kick out of it - you seemed like you needed a good laugh, and to know you aren't alone.

You know what's just as bad as pizza? Tipping over bowls of soup. You lose part of (or all of) your meal, and it gets everywhere.

It'll make your dog happy though. The "drip drip" quickly becomes "lick lick", and boom, you don't need to clean up anymore.

Hi Taliarose

It's ok to be an adult with dyspraxia, clumsy implies it is our fault and we must be more careful. We do try but all too often sh*t happens for us!

I liken it to having a pesky mischievious Goblin alter-ego. He likes nothing more than throwing spanners into the works of my plans and other random mischief. Mostly I can outwit him with meticulous planning, humour, patience and good grace, but other times he gets lucky and gains the upper hand and reminds me he is definitely still there. That's when I want to strangle the little %&*ker!

last year I burned my chin on an oven tray, I swore like a trooper then laughed, who else could do something like that? We do have a tendency to be overly unkind and demanding of ourselves and it can make our existence an absolute misery. I haven't got a dog but a colleague joked I could be part labrador given my propensity for hoovering up food.

Worst thing I've dropped more than once is a glass jar of honey. You end up with glass shards literally stuck to the floor which is really hard to clear up without cutting oneself.
I buy plastic jars now...

I can relate to feeling clumsy in the kitchen – I've had my fair share of mishaps, especially with pizzas! Once, at a cozy pizza place, I accidentally flipped a whole pie while trying to take it out of the oven. Talk about a mess! But you know what? It's okay to have those moments. It doesn't make you any less capable or worthy. Your best friend sounds like a gem, and finding a supportive online community can be a game-changer.