Hi new friend,

My name’s Kathleen (aka The P.E.R.M.A. Geek) and my pronouns are she/her/hers. 

Nice to (e)meet you.

Welcome to GAYDHD – my blog on all things LGBTQIA+ & ADHD. 

GAYDHD – The Elevator Pitch

GAYDHD is what you get when you throw the following ingredients into a blender on high speed:
i) 20+ years of queer/trans community involvement,
ii) a love for positive psychology, &
ii) a hyperfocused interest in #allthingsADHD

GAYDHD aims to help those LGBTQIA+ folks that are impacted by ADHD flourish, as well as their allies.  This is done by sharing the most up-to-date knowledge, tools, practices, and interventions from both psychological science & various wisdom/spiritual traditions.

GAYDHD – The Origin Story 

Part 1: “OMFG I Am In ADHD Info Heaven!”

In 2014, two things happened that radically altered both the course of my life *and* my self-perception:

1. I got an official diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
2. I got sober (and have stayed so ever since…*knock on wood*)

And, like any good ADHDer with a newfound interest, I spent the next 6 years ravenously consuming any and all ADHD content! Also related topics like productivity, time management, organization/decluttering, etc.

For example:

• I watched videos by the likes of Rick Green and Jessica McCabe 
• I listened to podcasts by Eric Tivers, Peter Shankman, and Nikki Kinzer & Pete Wright 
• I read books by Gabor Mate, Ned Hallowell & John Ratey, and Lidia Zylowska 
• I read blogs & magazines by Additude Magazine, Marla Cummins, and Casey Dixon
• I lurked in ADHD-related forums, message boards, subreddits, Facebook groups, and epic Twitter threads like CrazyBoards and ADHD and Marriage 
• I read academic articles published in the Journal of Attention Disorders and The ADHD Report 

Like I said, when it came to ADHD & related content, my hyperfocus switch was pretty much stuck in the ON position for about 6 years.

Part 2: “Where Are All The ADHD Queerdos Hiding?”

Then in 2020, after imbibing thousands of hours of ADHD & Productivity content, my boredom started kicking in. It wasn’t that I was bored of the actual information coming at me. Don’t get me wrong I still love reading the latest “17 decluttering tasks that take less than 10 mins” article as much as the next neurodiverse gal. 

It’s more than I was tired of all the “cis/het to trans/queer” translating I had to do. For instance, having to mentally substitute the word “partner” every time I read the words “wife, husband, or spouse.”

Also, just flat out not seeing people like me reflected in the stories/examples/suggestions/etc was another flavour of exhaustion. 

I kept thinking “Why don’t I ever see the following types of articles?”

• “3 things every trans person with ADHD needs to do to stop missing their next hormone shot.”
• “What no one tells you about navigating non-monogamy/polyamory with an ADHD brain”
• “10 LGBTQIA+ icons from the past who almost certainly had ADHD.”

So, as cliché as it sounds, I decided to start the GAYDHD blog so that the kind of content I want to read would actually exist.  

GAYDHD – The Intended Audience

This blog is for those of us who feel too queer for the ADHD world but too neurodivergent for the LGBTQIA+ world! 

GAYDHD – The Types of Content You Can Expect

First there’s the obvious: articles on the themes of ADHD & Productivity written from an explicitly LGBTQIA+ perspective.

Additionally though, as some of you might have guessed from my author/business name (The P.E.R.M.A. Geek), a large chunk of my content will also be influenced by (or be exclusively about) positive psychology. Positive psychology is essentially an umbrella term for a number of different topics of academic research, such as happiness, well-being, gratitude, & resilience. 

In fact, P.E.R.M.A. is a mnemonic developed by Martin Seligman, one of the giants in the field of positive psychology, that helps remind us of the five most crucial components of “the Good Life”:

P = Positive Emotions (ie: joy, awe, serenity, hope)

E = Engagement (ie: flow states, mindfulness, being deeply present with life)

R = Relationships (ie: romantic, friendships, community involvement)

M = Meaning (ie: Purpose, a Calling, connection to something larger than self, spirituality/religion)

A = Accomplishments (ie: Goals, Learning, Workplace/Career Satisfaction,)

V = Vitality (ie: Exercise, Movement, Nutrition, Sleep) <—This last one was added on later by other positive psych scholars.

GAYDHD – The Publishing Schedule

If you visit this blog regularly, you can pretty much expect to see:

one medium-length post (500-2000 words) per week, on Sundays.

one long-read/ultimate guide post (2000-10 000 words) per month

a smattering (5-10) of shorter/pithier posts (under 400 words) scattered throughout the month.

GAYDHD – The Ways To Connect

• Comment on my posts (I promise I’ll reply)
• Email me gaydhd [at] thepermageek.com
• Follow me on Twitter: @gaydhd3
• Sign up for my e-mail list below (& get a free pdf while yr at it).

Until next time,
Kathleen (The P.E.R.M.A. Geek)