Be compassionate with ADHD leaders struggling with sensory issues
đ Have you ever rolled your eyes at someone wearing sunglasses indoors? Hear me out.
In a recent coaching convo with an ADHD-impacted young leader, he shared how his mum was upset when he wore earphones, thinking he was âdisconnectingâ.
A common judgment that many face. I listened in, and I felt his pain.
I donât have ADHD, but I do have a sensory issue - a different cause, yet a familiar struggle.
For 16 years, daily, my eyelids are inflamed, causing burning sensation in even the slightest light and heat. On bad days, even indoor lighting hurts, it feels like lotsa sand in the eyes.
So I wear sunglasses - even indoors: during meals, shopping, meetings.
Not everyone gets it. Some thought that was being dramatic.
Once, after a meeting with the CEO, my boss relayed this message: "If she doesn't like the meeting, tell her not to come next time. I donât appreciate that dazed, uninterested look."
Sad. Because I wasn't uninterested. I was in pain - fighting light that felt like knives in the eyes - but didn't want to be seen as overreacting. The choice felt binary - be judged for showing it, or for hiding it.
đ§ For many ADHDers, that invisible battle happens daily. That reduced sensory gating in the brain makes it difficult to filter out background stimuli. The prefrontal cortex works overtime to manage the flood of input, so what others perceive as âjust noiseâ or ânormal lightâ can feel like being trapped in a room where every sensation is turned up to full volume.
While the cause of my discomfort isn't the same, I feel the shared struggle - the masking, the loneliness of battling alone.
So the next time you see someone eating with headphones on, or flinching when you give them a friendly touch - donât take it personally.
It could be neuroscience.
They might not be dramatic. They might just be surviving something you can't see.
And if you see me wearing sunglasses on the road - please don't judge me đ.
