Online ADHD Therapy in Chicago

What ADHD is

ADHD is not just trouble focusing. It is a full body and brain experience that touches attention, emotion, energy, and self-trust.

In the brain, it can feel like too many tabs are open at once. Thoughts overlap. Ideas come fast. Priorities do not line up in a clear order. You might know what you need to do and still feel unable to start. Or you start everything at once and finish nothing. Time feels slippery. Five minutes can disappear. Or an hour can feel like five minutes. There is often a constant scanning for stimulation, relief, or interest. When something clicks, focus can become intense and narrow. When it does not, attention can feel physically unavailable.

In the body, ADHD often feels restless or wired. Legs bounce. Hands fidget. There may be a sense of internal buzzing or pressure. Emotionally, ADHD can amplify everything. Rejection sensitivity is common. Shame often builds over time, especially after years of being told to try harder, be more organized, or just focus. Many people with ADHD carry a quiet belief that they are lazy or unreliable, even when they are working much harder than others.

What others might notice is inconsistency. High energy one day and burnout the next. Big ideas with trouble following through. Forgetting appointments. Losing track of time. Interrupting without meaning to.

ADHD is not a lack of care or intelligence. It is a difference in how the brain regulates.