11/28/23
ADHD Storytelling
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN
CLINICAL KNOWLEDGE & LIVED EXPERIENCE
@danidonovan
.com | twitter | instagram | tiktok | patreon
OBLIGATORY “ABOUT ME” SLIDE
@danidonovan
WHO I AM:
• Designer + illustrator
• #NeurodiverseSquad creator
• Social media meme queen
WHAT I DO:
• ADHD comics + TikToks
• Self-published author
• Public speaker
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11/28/23
Act I:
Compassionate Providers
Empathy
INCREASED EMPATHY IMPROVES PATIENT EXPERIENCE
• Recognizing provider challenges
• Increased empathy betters patient outcomes
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11/28/23
Perspective
UNDERSTANDING “THE ADHD EXPERIENCE” FOSTERS EMPATHY
• Frustrating patient behaviors are often ADHD symptoms
• Understanding ADHD lens through online creators
Collaboration
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING PATIENT-PROVIDER INTERACTIONS
• Reacting when patients bring in online content
• Crafting better, more accessible advice
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11/28/23
Act II:
Supportive Communities
Advice
OFFERING STRATEGIES DESIGNED FOR (AND BY) ADHD BRAINS
• Promoting unconventional approaches
• Providing accessible info & guidance
• Helping support ADHD struggles
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11/28/23
Belonging
CREATING SAFE SPACES FOR ADHD PATIENTS TO BE THEMSELVES
• Cultivating online friendships
• Validating struggles (so patients feel less alone)
• Defending one another in online spaces
Destigmatization
NORMALIZING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ADHD TO REDUCE SHAME
• Sharing vulnerable experiences
• Educating a wide audience
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11/28/23
Act III:
Informed Patients
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Self-Discovery
ORGANIC EPIPHANIES INSPIRE PATIENTS TO LEARN ABOUT ADHD
• Experiencing unexpected revelations
• Finding joy in curiosity
• External processing as means of self-expression
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11/28/23
Interleaving Learning
S T E A D Y F L O W O F C O N T E N T P R O M O T E S L O N G- T E R M R E T E N T I O N
• Retaining through repetitive engagement
• Engaging with algorithms serves tailored, intersectional content
• Non-traditional learning materials are appealing to ADHD brains
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Self-Advocacy
EMPOWERED PATIENTS ASK FOR WHAT THEY NEED
• Recognizing ableism
• Teaching others
• Championing inclusivity in the workplace
• Collaborating with care providers
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11/28/23
Epilogue:
The Ripple Effect
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11/28/23
Empathize with patient + Validate patients’ experiences
tailor advice/treatment plans + refer patients to credible
to individual needs online resources
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Destigmatize ADHD +
encourage nervous patients
to seek professional help
Provide safe space for
vulnerable discussions
+ foster sense of belonging
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11/28/23
Actively participate in
treatment plan + inspire
others who might need help
Share stories & lived
experiences to add to collective
ADHD knowledge base
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Contribute to
overall well-being
and treatment
outcomes
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11/28/23
EPILOGUE
Compassionate Providers + Supportive Communities
PROVIDERS AS CONTENT CREATORS
Leveraging social media platforms like TikTok to offer advice and education
• Addresses the unmet needs of patients who lack
resources for therapy or medical treatment
• Can debunk misconceptions or inaccurate
information that circulates online
• Encourages patient interaction through AMAs
("Ask Me Anything") on Reddit and similar forums
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EPILOGUE
Compassionate Providers + Supportive Communities
PROVIDERS AS RESOURCE NAVIGATORS
Directing patients towards reliable resources for self-education
• Ensures that patients have a solid foundation for
their self-education journey
• Builds patient trust by guiding them towards
vetted, evidence-based resources
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11/28/23
EPILOGUE
Compassionate Providers + Supportive Communities
COMMUNITIES AS SUPPORTS
Patients in supportive communities are empowered to
share experiences, ask questions, and seek advice
• Fosters a sense of belonging and mutual
understanding among members, which in turn
improves mental health outcomes
• Enhances the patient's ability to adhere to
treatment plans, through positive
reinforcement and shared accountability
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EPILOGUE
Supportive Communities + Informed Patients
COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY
Accountability systems, such as body-doubling,
encourage motivation and consistency
• Body-doubling: working alongside another
individual on separate tasks, can help improve
focus and productivity
• Shared experiences and strategies within the
community can foster a sense of camaraderie
and shared purpose
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11/28/23
EPILOGUE
Supportive Communities + Informed Patients
SELF-EDUCATION AS EMPOWERMENT
With education comes the ability to advocate for oneself,
improving the patient-provider relationship
• Education equips patients with the tools to better understand
their condition and navigate their treatment plan
• Can help them give their support structure—parents, partners,
friends—insight into their brain and what they’re going through
• Community spaces offer the opportunity for patients to
learn from peers, sharing resources and personal experiences
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EPILOGUE
Informed Patients + Compassionate Providers
WORK ACCOMODATIONS
Patients feel empowered to ask for what they need to succeed
• Enhances the patient's ability to adhere to treatment plans,
through positive reinforcement and shared accountability
• The internet can expose patients to potential workplace
accommodations for ADHD that they were previously unaware of
• Patients can approach providers for accessibility requests or additional support
• Providers play a vital role in validating these needs and aiding
in the process of seeking necessary accommodations
• Successful accommodation implementation can lead to
improved job performance and overall quality of life
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11/28/23
EPILOGUE
Informed Patients + Compassionate Providers
SESSION ACCOMODATIONS
Education about ADHD symptoms and their potential impact
can help patients get the most out of therapy sessions
• Providers can adjust their approach based on patient
feedback, creating a more effective therapeutic environment
• Examples of adjustments include strategies for dealing with
time blindness, prioritization, focus, and memory issues
• Open communication and patient education facilitates a
more productive therapeutic relationship, enhancing
outcomes for patients with ADHD
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EPILOGUE
Resources
TWITTER
• #ADHD
• #NeurodiverseSquad
REDDIT
• r/ADHD
• r/ADHDwomen
• r/ADHDmeme ADHDDD.com
25 Anti-Planners available at CHADD bookstore!
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11/28/23
• 325+ full-color pages
• 165+ different:
• Activities
• Games
• Strategies
• Challenges
• Comics
• Prompts
• Coloring pages
• Resources
$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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The Anti-Planner:
How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don’t Feel Like It
Stuck Overwhelmed Unmotivated Disorganized Discouraged
Difficulty starting Intimidated Waiting to “feel” like it Messy Hopeless
Indecisive Over-committed Lacking accountability Difficulty prioritizing Insecure
Perfectionistic Panicked Disinterested
Distracted Burnt out Uninspired
$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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11/28/23
$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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16
11/28/23
$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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17
11/28/23
• ”Clean language” version is also
available and finally in-stock!
• 25 books available at CHADD bookstore!
$10 OFF CODE: CHADD2023
anti-planner.com
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thank you.
Q&A TIME!
@danidonovan
.com | twitter | instagram | tiktok | patreon
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