Retail Therapy
Retail Therapy Even on this imaginary mission to Mars, stress tags along. The silence of space doesn’t quiet the chatter of an ADHD brain, especially on the heavy days. That’s when I find myself reaching for a familiar coping mechanism: shopping. It feels harmless at first—just one little click, then another. Each order becomes a tiny lifeline, a promise that something new is on its way. The anticipation itself is soothing, like radio signals beamed across millions of miles. But then the packages land, and instead of joy I’m left with a stack of unopened boxes by the door. They remind me of supply pods dropped on the surface of Mars—useful, maybe, but overwhelming when they pile up. This is where my new strategy comes in: I don’t open them right away. I let them sit until I feel steadier. Waiting gives me a pause in the ADHD impulse/reward cycle. Sometimes, when I finally do open them, I realize I didn’t actually need what’s inside but it’s ok. Other times, it feels like r...
