Having ADHD Is Like Being a Puppy (And We Love Puppies)
- Marianna Henry
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
This is Winnie. She is our new puppy. We joke that she has ADHD like the rest of our family.
But really though. Really.
Overstimulation and overexcitement make her emotional, and she doesn’t know how to handle it except to bite.
Bite. Redirect.
Bite. Redirect.
Bite. Redirect.
Super impulsive. Easily distracted.
Needs constant reminders to eat, sleep, and go potty.
Constant vigilance.
It. Is. Exhausting.
It’s a fatigue the neurodivergent brain knows well. We’re constantly surveilling ourselves. Masking. Overthinking. Replaying every misstep. We should be able to do this. Why is this so hard? And when we figure it out, there’s no celebration; just frustration, guilt, or shame that we didn’t get there sooner.
Why do we give a puppy grace that we hardly grant ourselves?
When do we accept that we deserve intention too? Nurturing? Skill-building?
When Winnie has a big win, when she’s learning, when she’s locked in on practicing a new command for an instant reward…
“Sit. Stay. Come. Drop it.”
…We celebrate BIG. We’re helping her be who she is in a world built for humans. We’re scaffolding new skills and offering tools.
Learning new things doesn't mean erasing the traits that make her Winnie:
A retriever, praised for catching the ball (brilliant in short bursts);
A curious sniffer, exploring everything (finding magic down a 2:00 AM rabbit hole);
A friend to everyone, eager and loyal (who cares deeply, even if she forgets to check in).
Change isn’t about fixing deficits, it’s about growing ability and capacity. Winnie’s just managing her development, building new neural pathways, and finding the right balance of energy and focus. Without our intentional support, she wouldn’t know much better.
If we wouldn't expect a puppy to 'just know' how to sit in a room full of squirrels, why do we expect ourselves to 'just know' how to focus in a world full of demands, distractions, and sensory overload?
Winnie’s not a ‘bad dog’ for needing a leash! And needing support doesn’t make us failures.
So what if we have to:
Put plans in place to redirect?
Practice techniques to regulate our emotions?
Set up systems to remind us of necessary functions?
Maybe the goal isn't to stop being a puppy.
Maybe the goal is to build an environment that has enough treats and fences to let ourselves thrive.
And to offer ourselves the same unconditional grace we give Winnie.
Ready for Something That Works?
If this post resonates with you, you’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
As an ADHD Coach based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I help teens, college students, adults, and parents build executive functioning skills, sustainable strategies, and lifelong confidence through virtual, strengths-based coaching.
Whether you’re trying to better understand how your brain works, manage ADHD symptoms, or create more ease in your daily life, ADHD coaching helps you develop personalized systems that actually work.
If you’re ready to turn insights into action, you can learn more about ADHD coaching or reach out to get started.
Marianna Henry, PCC
Marianna is a Certified ADHD Coach based in Grand Haven, Michigan, supporting neurodivergent clients in Grand Rapids and across West Michigan and the United States.
With 14 years of experience in higher education, she has been coaching since 2019 and founded MH Success Coaching & Consulting in 2020. She is also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, and trained through JST Coaching & Training, where she now serves as an instructor.
Alongside her professional expertise, Marianna brings lived experience as a mother with ADHD, partner to an ADHDer, and parent to multiply neurodivergent children, grounding her work in the real-life complexities of neurodivergence.