Pina ✨ ADHD Alien

Don’t have the research on hand right now but Im pretty sure it changes your brain

My mother always told me that and … it hurts 🫂

Panel 1: A hand extends a single red brick toward the character. The character looks surprised and slightly sad as they reach out to take it. Text: “It’s hard for people to understand why small comments can make me so emotional,” Behind the character, there’s already a small pile of red bricks on the ground. Panel 2: The character now holds the brick close to their chest, looking down with a pained expression. The pile of red bricks behind them has grown into a large heap, stretching far into the background. Text: “because they can’t see how many times I’ve been criticized for the same thing, over and over again.”

When the reward for growing up with so much criticism is hearing „You’re just too sensitive!

Ooh I used to love that! And beat saber 💜

Four-panel comic about ADHD and difficulty keeping routines. Panel 1: The character with small yellow antennae stretches in workout clothes, thinking, “I’m quite ambitious. I want to be healthy and eat right.” Panel 2: They look frustrated at their desk, thinking, “I can never stick to my plans,” then point at a goal chart, saying, “Ok, this time I’ll stick to it!” Panel 3: Lying in bed, they overthink running: “Do I eat first? Should I drink? Where are my shoes? I’ll go in the evening.” A note says: “Has never gone in the evening.” Panel 4: The character lies flat under a blanket, exhausted. Text: “Instead of becoming routine, everything stays a conscious effort.”

With ADHD, instead of building routines, everything stays a conscious effort for me.

Ah! I don’t mean exhaustion thats just there and lingering, but rather from the very ADHD thing of actually starting and and not finishing 50 tasks :) guess it’s not well depicted in the comic

Comic illustration with four panels Panel 1: Close-up of the alien writing in a notebook, looking thoughtful and sad. Text above: “There is something I never understood…” A caption box continues: “If I am so lazy, why am I always exhausted?” Panel 2: The alien sits slumped at a messy table, surrounded by dirty dishes and clutter. They look tired and overwhelmed. Text: “All I do is trying to catch up with responsibilities.” Panel 3: On the left side, the alien struggles to climb up an impossibly steep, endless staircase, looking exhausted and distressed. Text: “It feels like I have to climb endless stairs in order to start.” On the right side, the same person sits cross-legged on the couch, looking blank and inactive. A caption says: “but it looks like I’m just sitting around.” Panel 4: Two massive staircases are shown. One is labeled “Work,” the other “Cooking.” The alien stands in front of them, looking frustrated and reluctant. Text above: “It’s especially hard for me when I know I’ll have to climb a different set later.” The person says: “Why should I start working now if I have to stop and cook soon?”

If I am so lazy, why am I always so exhausted?

A cartoon of myself against a photographed background. I’m approaching a big box from Penguin Random House placed on my dining room table.

I’m now kneeling over the box on the floor on top of a rug in front of my couch, preparing to open the box

I’m now jubilantly hopping around with a copy of my book in my hand, a slightly crazed look on my face.

My cartoon hand holds a copy of Angelica and the Bear Prince, cartoon stars and sparkles around it

I hate unboxing videos. HOWEVER, I am a CARTOONIST. So.

@adhd-alien.bsky.social I don't remember if I drew this before formal diagnosis but it still rings very true (and is quite funny). Thought you'd enjoy:

Oof that’s not nice at all, there’s a way to voice exhaustion and
/or frustration in a way that’s productive and not demeaning…so sorry for you

If you want to support me ❤️

Four-page comic. Page 1 Top section: Narration text says, “Every day I wake up convinced I’ll finally do the thing I’ve been wanting to do for so long, but I’ve gotten so tired of waking up every day knowing that nothing has changed.” Panels show lists of undone tasks: - Narration: “Another day and I still haven’t cleaned the table so I can cook, still haven’t filled out important forms, haven’t thrown out the spoiled food I put next to the fridge a week ago, still haven’t unpacked the luggage from 9 months ago, and I lost a letter and am too ashamed to ask for a copy.” Final narration on this page: “I do the wrong tasks, don’t finish, or get paralyzed before being able to start anything.”

Page 2 Panels contrast misconceptions with reality. Narration: “When I can’t do something, it’s not: ‘It’s not fun so I won’t bother.’ Or ‘I don’t wanna do it.’” Next panels show dread. Narration: “It’s more like I feel dread and my body yells back at me: ‘You won’t feel rewarded for this, so you’re wasting survival resources and energy.’ ‘DON’T DO IT.’” Further narration: “I can’t even explain why I don’t do things, so people don’t believe me. I’ve started isolating because gathering my courage to ask for help and being shamed hurts so much.” Closing narration on this page: “It feels like I’m a ghost, unable to make meaningful changes to my life. An existence unseen and unheard, having to hide so as not to trouble others.”

Page 3 Narration continues: “All I can do is watch as my life falls apart in slow-motion, as people watch and ask themselves ‘why doesn’t she just do something?’” Further narration: “Every day I would fight myself to great exhaustion without any result to show for it. So after a while, I gave up fighting. Not because I had a negative mindset, but as a result of my experiences.” Someone scolds: “No one is coming to save you, stop being so self-defeating!” Shift in tone: Narration asks, “Do you know what saved my life?” A supportive voice replies: “I believe you. I will help you.”

Page 4 Narration: “It’s not that no one has helped me before, but no one believed how much help I needed.” Someone else says dismissively: “I’m sure you can do it!” Narration continues: “And it’s not that I can’t do anything – I can do many things that others can’t. It’s just that where my mother needs help using the PC, I need help organizing my day.” Further narration: “People aren’t made to survive alone – without any help.” Closing text: “I am still my own person. I have my own morals, agency, hopes and dreams. And if I have a robust scaffolding to work on, I can not only live, but thrive.”

Sometimes I feel like a ghost, unable to make meaningful changes to my life, while not being believed when I tell people how much I try.

Comic titled “ADHD Paralysis.” Panel 1: A person (the ADHD Alien) with black hair and yellow antennae is relaxed and smiling. Two speech bubbles appear next to them: “It's not fun so I won't bother.” and “I don't wanna do it.” Above the panel, the narration reads: “When I can't do something, it's not just:” Panel 2: The same person lies in darkness, looking exhausted and overwhelmed. A shadowy black arm presses them down. Next to them, in white and purple text, it says: “you won't feel rewarded for this, so you're wasting survival resources and energy.” Below, large letters shout: “DON'T DO IT.” Above the panel, the narration reads: “It's more like I feel dread and my body yells back at me:”

It takes a special kind of person (us two) to feel like they are failing when others would take the opportunity to rest 😭 be good to yourself!!!!

Oh nooo, happy birthday though????

I'm grateful when other people post about tasks they feel overwhelmed doing; I feel less alone. I saw someone post today about how changing their address in a lot of places was a struggle, and they were crying over it. Extremely relatable

*knocks on your door* hello have you heard of our lord and savior crochet yet

Skglgbdjedj 😭💜

🥺🥺 so sad it’ll still take so long to come out but that makes me happy to hear

I can’t lie it has been a bit rough on me (posting a comic about it soon lol) but I’m glad I’m back to posting :) It was just a very big project for someone who has close to no structure in their own Brain

Omg that’s so nice of you, thank you so much 🥺

Preview pages of a comic book. The adhd alien character is reaching out to a pencil that is perspectively really far away, while a mosquito is holding her back. The next panel shows her struggling to reach the pencil even more. The text reads: It was like something was holding me back from starting. And the more I resisted, the more frustrated I got. She frustratedly says: “Come onin, you promised them you’d draw!”

The next page shows the character entirely surrounded by mosquitos, being fully frustrated and emotional. “Why can’t you just draw!” And the last panel shows the character having given up trying to reach the pencil, sulking and crying at her desk. The text reads: In the end, my emotions took over. And I became too frustrated to draw anything at all.

Sneak peek from the graphic novel I’ve been working on since some people have been wondering why I stopped posting. It’s a page I drew to pitch the idea that emotional scenes will have a more rough and raw style. It’s still quite a bit away but I already wanted to share the reason I’ve been missing!

Omg 🥺 thank u!!

Achso hmm, habe gerade eine Studie gesehen die sagt, dass Bewegung für neurotypische Menschen idr eher ablenkend ist. Aber nur deswegen würd ich noch nicht ADHS festmachen :)

Bin grad am Handy und kann das nicht ordentlich raussuchen aber ja gibt es Studien zu :) solche kleinen Bewegungen wie auch mit dem Bein wackeln stimulieren

Noooo I hate having to write protocol 😭

Time works in mysterious ways

Furiously sketching circles while listening to my profs talk

People often think I’m distracted when I’m actually really focused, just in my own way