Hi all!

[Dadam]

Hi all,

I found this forum today and wanted to introduce myself.

I'm Adam, I'm 40 and from Sheffield. I'm as quirky as they come and have dealt with anxiety and depression for most of my life on and off since childhood. I was diagnosed as dyspraxic when I was around 8 years old after a teacher at a new school I started at became concerned about some of my behaviours and issues with concentration, co-ordination (I'm the least sporty guy in the world!) maths was always a difficulty for me and I've never been very academic but I'm somewhat musically gifted and artistic.

Although my dyspraxia becomes a lot more pronounced if I'm ill tired or under a lot of stress (and I can have a low tolerance for that at times) I've mostly "grown out" of a lot of the physical difficulties associated with it but I do muddle through tasks sometimes and get confused about the order of things I'm doing at times (I'm great at starting jobs and not finishing them before I start another!) This can apply to how I speak at times too and my mind can jump from one thing to another quicker than my mouth can keep up!

I've only come to find out about my diagnosis in the past few weeks believe it or not (I wonder if others have had similar experiences?) my parents were pretty cagey about it when I was young as I don't think they fully understood it and I don't blame them for that but I do feel at a slight disadvantage BUT I have a good life so I don't let that bother me. It's only in more recent years that I've really struggled with anxiety and depression, it's crippling some days and comes and goes BUT I'm very well supported my my partner, friends, family and my lifestyle and both talking therapies, CBT and meds are really helping me. These issues seemed to be brought on my a disastrous and abusive relationship I found myself in a few years ago, relationships have always been difficult for me but this one left a few wounds that are still healing.

In terms of my every-day life I live happily with my fiancee, getting married later this year. We have some amazing pets and a nice little house and a lot of patience and understanding for each other but we work great as a team and we've always got each others backs.

I work in communications (bravely looking into a change of career though) and I'm lucky enough to play guitar in a band in my spare time. That's something I've done since I was 17 and it's utterly cathartic and brilliant for me, I get so much out of it. I've been obsessed with music and guitars in particular since childhood, as with a few other talents I have it seems to be the main thing in life that doesn't ever come along with any problems and it takes me out of my state of mind and into the here and now. I'm self taught and struggled like hell at first and whilst I find it hard to blow my own trumpet (or guitar!) I play to a fairly accomplished standard. Apart from this I love long walks with the dog, listening to music, I love weird comedy like Vic and Bob or anything with Matt Berry. I get big kicks from music and listen to a lot of stuff especially metal, prog and alternative rock. I love a bit of xbox gaming for fun too.

One thing I've though about a lot is how dyspraxia has made some aspects of my life more difficult than it otherwise might have been BUT it's made me try harder at certain things and I think I wouldn't have if I'd have been aware of the diagnosis any earlier. It's helpful to me now at the stage of life I'm in as it's helping me make sense of a lot of my past and that's right at the core of my therapy.

I hope all are doing OK!

[Tom fod]

Hi Adam

Thank you for your intro and welcome. Also apologies for slow response.

I too was diagnosed whilst at school around age of 13/14 but don't remember anyone ever explaining it to me, so for next 20 or so years, I thought all my 'issues' were due to my visual impairment and being stupid/useless (far from it).

Career wise I've worked hard and and done well but struggled with relationships so have always been single, but am lucky to have some good female friends.

[Dadam]

No worries and thanks a lot for the welcome!

As I've only recently found out about the diagnosis I was given as a child it's been a lot to take in and finding this forum has really helped.

As I struggle with anxiety and depression sometimes I regularly see a therapist and we had a really good chat about this yesterday. I don't feel at a disadvantage not having prior knowledge of dyspraxia and my diagnosis as I think it would have led me to label myself with it in a negative way.

Instead the effects of it have made life hard at times but it's made me strive a little harder which I don't think I would have done otherwise.

There are so many amazing dyspraxic people out there and I'm fortunate to know one or two myself. The one thing we all seem to have in common is struggling to process our emotions or taking a little longer than others to do so and I see some parallels in other peoples posts on here like problems I've had with relationships in the past, difficulties in academia and at work.

[Tom fod]

I do sometimes wonder if not giving me sight of the label was a conscious consideration on thhe part of my teachers/parents back in the late 80s. I first came upon this site in 2011 not long after learning of my having the condition. This site and its' members really helped me back then!

[Dadam]

I've wondered the same about my childhood but if that was the case I don't blame anyone for taking that stance on it.

I've been in therapy for issues with anxiety and depression for 2 or 3 years (making good progress with managing that) and finding out about being dyspraxic has been really helpful and insightful.