The Patty project

I think I’ve figured something out about myself.

I am desperate for a dopamine hit.

And I don’t think I would have recognised that for what it was when I was younger.

Looking back now, I wonder how much of my shopping and food addictions were actually connected to my ADHD and constantly chasing that little hit of something new, something exciting, something different.

We have moved house 27 times.

Yep. Twenty-seven. 😳😱🤷🏻‍♀️

This house is the longest we have ever lived anywhere — just over four years.

I used to constantly rearrange furniture and change things around the house, and when I couldn’t find another way to make it feel different anymore… apparently my solution was just to move house. 🤦🏻‍♀️

These days I think travel has taken its place (Yes, Eli is cheering 😉✈️🌏).

Put me on a plane to somewhere, anywhere that isn’t cold and I am HAPPY.

Throw in jet skiing, walking alongside elephants, boating through a jungle looking for orangutans or crocodiles, snorkelling, ATV trail rides, playing dress ups, wandering around a city I’ve never seen before, trying new food, hearing another language, figuring out how to get somewhere…

That’s my zone.

Give me an adventure.

Give me something I haven’t done before.

Give me a reason to dress up, jump on something, get in the water, explore somewhere new or do something that makes me think well, I’ve never done THAT before.

There’s novelty everywhere when we travel.

And right now, I have almost none of it.

I’m about seven weeks post-op, so physically my body is still healing and there are things I just can’t do yet.

I’ve used all my leave from work.

And after surgery and travelling, my bank account is also in recovery mode 🫠.

My logical brain completely understands this.

My ADHD apparently did not attend that meeting.

Because it is currently screaming:

WE NEED SOMETHING EXCITING TO HAPPEN!!!

I’m bored.

I’m restless.

I want something different.

I want something to look forward to.

And the interesting part is that now, at 50, I can actually recognise what is happening instead of automatically feeding it with food, shopping, moving house or booking another adventure.

So now I’m trying to figure out another question…

How do you give an adventure-loving ADHD brain the novelty and dopamine it’s craving when your body needs rest and your bank account needs you to sit the hell down? 😂

Because apparently “just be content and relax at home” is not currently being accepted as a valid answer.

If you’re an ADHD dopamine chaser too — what do you do when you need a hit of something different without spending a fortune or doing something ridiculous?

I genuinely want ideas.

Patty x