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Hanna Brooks Olsen
Hanna Brooks Olsen

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Published in for/by

·Jul 18

Why some people with ADHD self-medicate — including me

There was one class in college that I just could not seem to get through without falling asleep. It was a 3 p.m. class, and the subject matter was super interesting. But something about that time of day always came with a crash. I wasn’t sleeping well (I also had…

Self Improvement

5 min read

Why People With ADHD Self-Medicate (Hint: It’s Not To Get High)
Why People With ADHD Self-Medicate (Hint: It’s Not To Get High)

Jul 15

nO bOdY wAnTs tO WoRk

I swear if I hear this one more time, the earrings are coming out. — At my local Fred Meyer, it’s a relatively quiet day. …

Labor

11 min read

nO bOdY wAnTs tO WoRk
nO bOdY wAnTs tO WoRk

Published in for/by

·Jun 30

Can someone please tell my ADHD to go to sleep?

For many years, I’ve had a strained relationship with sleep. I love to sleep. I relish time spent under my weighted blanket with a relaxing sleep story playing to calm my often-racing thoughts. …

Adhd

5 min read

Can someone please tell my ADHD to go to sleep?
Can someone please tell my ADHD to go to sleep?

Published in for/by

·Jun 14

I take ADHD meds to function, not to have fun

Every week, I fill my little pill box and inventory my prescriptions. I fill the nighttime spaces with my nighttime drugs, like an allergy pill (spring in the Pacific Northwest is brutal), lithium, and sometimes a melatonin or CBD tab. In the daytime spots, I put my anti-anxiety meds, my…

Adhd

6 min read

I take ADHD meds to function, not to have fun
I take ADHD meds to function, not to have fun

Apr 27

Did you know that Dr. Bronner escaped from a mental institution?

Not once. Not twice. Thrice. — This is an excerpt from my Substack, which is called Crazy/Old. I started it because I wanted a different site (sorry Medium) to explore topics of mental health and the history of care. …

Mental Health

4 min read

Did you know that Dr. Bronner escaped from a mental institution?
Did you know that Dr. Bronner escaped from a mental institution?

Published in for/by

·Apr 27

Why being a good girl should have been a clue that I have ADHD

My elementary school teacher had a novel approach to discipline. He was a big soccer fan — which was weird in my working-class neighborhood, where the only Real Sports were football and baseball. …

Adhd

6 min read

Why being a good girl should have been a clue that I have ADHD
Why being a good girl should have been a clue that I have ADHD

Published in for/by

·Mar 9

Do we really want women self-diagnosing ADHD through TikTok?

I’m not a heavy user of TikTok for many reasons, but mostly because I’m in my 30s and too far gone to learn a new social media platform. …

Mental Health

5 min read

Is #ADHDTok A Problem Or A Gift? Hint: It’s Both
Is #ADHDTok A Problem Or A Gift? Hint: It’s Both

Published in for/by

·Feb 23

Eating disorder? Check. ADHD? Also check.

Content note: This piece explores eating disorders in detail and with candor, which may be difficult or disturbing to some readers. Take care of yourself and do what you feel is right. The best piece of licorice I ever ate was in the supply closet of a commercial printing warehouse…

Adhd

5 min read

Eating disorder? Check. ADHD? Also check.
Eating disorder? Check. ADHD? Also check.

Published in for/by

·Jan 20

What does ADHD look like in a grown woman? Ask my keys.

Last month, I took my car in to get it serviced. When I handed my keys over to the man behind the counter, he chuckled and held up my keychain. It’s one of those kitschy plastic ones that looks like it came from an old roadside motel. …

Adhd

8 min read

What does ADHD look like in a grown woman? Ask my keys.
What does ADHD look like in a grown woman? Ask my keys.

Nov 16, 2021

What We Lose When We Tell False Histories

Or: I wrote a whole book about a famous sex worker and of course no one wants to publish it — First, here’s a story. Almost four years ago, I was approached by an academic press who wanted me to write something. I pitched a book and then signed a contract to write a book about a woman who lived in Seattle around the turn of the 20th century. …

Publishing

13 min read

What We Lose When We Tell False Histories
What We Lose When We Tell False Histories
Hanna Brooks Olsen

Hanna Brooks Olsen

I wrote that one thing you didn’t really agree with.

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