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Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Eight
3:40 AM: I feel as if I am on the cusp of returning to normal —as if I woke up today and suddenly noticed that pants are supposed to be worn on my legs. I almost imagined that I could resume my normal daily activities. I have to admit, I haven’t been happy about my writing schedule since October. My blog comments are still broken. I’ve also got an itch to write about more than fishbowls. All my focus has been on finishingPok émon Legendaries in 7 Easy Steps. I don’t believe I will schedule two surgeries across a book launch window ever again. You can’t believe the stupid mistakes I’ve made....
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 20, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Nine
3:13 PM: So much for waking up this morning and taking advantage of prime social media hours to promote my book before moving on to my next one. My daughter had a seizure at school, so the entire day was tossed into disarray. I hurried over, driving my manual transmission car for the first time since my surgery. There is a chance that I was an incandescent comet on four wheels on my way to the school, although I am not admitting to anything. I will admit, however, to using my horn like a mystic hand to push traffic out of my way. Once I arrived, I dealt with her needs, fielded questions from the EMTs, and experienced my st...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 20, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Depression Family Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Seven
11:57 PM: Sunday night was a bust. My daughters needed me, and it took up time. By the end of the day, my intestines demanded that I sit down and stop working, so I took some Naproxen and rented a movie. I then went to bed early. My poor ox lowed forlornly to the night sky while stuck in that pit all night, but I was too deeply asleep to hear it.I slept for nearly eight hours, which is very unusual for me.Today was filled with errands and last minute phone calls. I started an article for ADDitude magazine while my daughter was seeing a therapist, then made dinner and watched The BFG with my girl, as promised. Today was not...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 13, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Family Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Six
12:35 PM: It's been more than a few days since my last entry. I'm not writing so well in a fishbowl, but I sure am discovering my limits. As I sat in church today, I found myself restless and unable to focus on the lesson. I tried to keep a seat empty between myself and the person to my right, but somebody kept filling it. After budging over twice, I sought out an empty room. I'm now sitting in the dark, illuminated only by the dim glow of my iPad, while in the distance somebody plays slow, soothing Christmas arrangements on the piano.It's perfect.I had no idea how much I needed the solace of a sensory deprived environment...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 11, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Depression Family Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Books by Douglas Cootey
Mental Health& Self-HelpGamingFictionBenjamin Fudge is coming soon … (Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey)
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: blogs

Pok émon Legendaries in 7 Easy Steps
A Pok émon Trading Guide for Parents& Gamers!Do you wish you understood Pokemon better, but don ’t know where to look? Maybe you already know how to play the game, but want to understand better how to utilize the in-game online trading systems.POK ÉMON LEGENDARIES IN 7 EASY STEPS will get you up to speed quickly. It discusses in-game trading from a parent ’s perspective, then teaches you how to trade for Legendaries!Here ’s what you’ll find inside:Game the in-game trading systems! Exclusive trading tips that will score you Legendary Pok émon in seven easy steps!The first half of the book is for parents& ...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - December 10, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Five
7:21 PM: Hello, Tuesday! It’s time to write before you turn into Wensday.Just for your information, I won’t be writing these posts on Sundays. And yesterday’s excuse for not writing was an umbilical hernia. I’m patiently awaiting surgery for next month and moved a heavy box absentmindedly. How could I forget that I had a hernia? Well, I certainly remembered in a hurry once I injured myself. You know those core exercises done on exercise balls? The kind that were all the rage in the aughts? I always found them rather lightweight. I had no idea how much I used my abs to sit and type until I couldnR...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Four
8:26 PM: Today was a day of recuperation. After my all-nighter Thursday night, I needed it. I slept until eleven. I didn’t dress until noon. I had pizza for breakfast. I played video games with my daughter. I got a haircut. I had a very laid back day.After periods of intense hyperfocus, I find I need to let my brain spin. I set a limit, then proceed to unwind.We can’t fight ADHD all the time. Breaks are OK, I promise. By the time my daughter left, I had two hours before my friends came over, so I thought“Enough rest!” and I got to work. I thought I was wicked productive! You can probably imagine me ...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 20, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Three
5:22 PM: Success! I published Trading Up to Legendaries in Seven Easy Steps: A Pok émon Trading Guide for Parents& Gamers early this morning. Then I crashed harder than Dow Jones after America made Brexit great again. I woke up just as my daughter arrived home from school. I am waiting for the book to appear on the various ebook stores. Then I’ll post two new landing pages: one for the book, and one for all my books. Hey! I have two of them now. They go together like peanut butter and jelly fish, but it’s uniquely me. I began my freelance writing career by reviewing video games, so this isn’t so far ...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 19, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Family Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day Two
3:39 PM: One of the reasons I don’t attempt NaNoWriMo anymore is because of family. I’m a stay-at-home dad, so I’m on duty all day long. If I’m not ticking, it’s family drama. There’s always something pulling me away from my work. Finding focus is so stupendously difficult. This afternoon was no different.My iPhone jangled, and I saw that my daughter’s school was calling. Every time they call, a momentary panic surges through my body as I worry if my daughter is having another seizure. Today, her teacher called to ask if I could pick her up from school instead of letting her take t...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 18, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

ADHD: Living Your Life Backwards
I live my life backwards.I don ’t wake up refreshed; I wake up exhausted. There could be many reasons to explain this, from sleep apnea to mischievous imps poking me throughout the night. It might also be stress from my hectic family life at the moment. Alright, it’s probably stress, but I prefer to believe in mischievous imp s. That’s a far more exciting explanation than the horrid mundanity that is my life.The big problem with poor sleep is that I spend my day slowly ramping up until I am working at all cylinders by the end of the day, rushing around getting things done before it ’s bedtime. I would love to pop o...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 16, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Family Goodreads Source Type: blogs

Writing in a Fishbowl v3 – Day One
3:07 AM: It’s time to begin anew my writing in a fishbowl project. The last time was a disaster. I simply couldn’t pack to move, deal with my daughter’s issues, deal with my own disabilities, and write. One aspect of these writing experiments is to set big goals to learn what my limits are. I shot for the stars and hit a ceiling just as I left the launchpad. Kinda discouraging. However, my first efforts to hold myself publicly accountable on this blog worked out so well. I truly believe lightning can strike twice.Blog MilestoneMy blog will cross over 500,000 unique visitors next month. This is an amazing ...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 16, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Depression Family Goodreads Journaling Writing Source Type: blogs

Mormon Musings: Can Faith Wash Away Depression?
I want to explorethe latest video the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put up online. I am not usually a fan of the Mormon Channel videos. They are often shot in a way that grates on my nerves because of their affected nature. Perhaps the heavy-handed sentimentality feels mawkish to me, as if the subject is delivered on the pages of a scrapbook photo album, turned in slow motion to stirring background music. I will tell you that I am very much alone in this regard. I know many people who absolutely adore this style of religious communication.I was prepared to bail on this latest video as white, anti-depressant p...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - November 16, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Depression Journaling Source Type: blogs

Escaping the Pull of Depression
I love how my daughter uses her creativity to deal with depression. I was listening to her song the other night and was struck by these lyrics:What's this weight on your chest?Why is it hard to get dressed?Fighting chemicals inside your head.Always up till midnightAll you got is moonlightMakes you wish you had the sun insteadI am deeply saddened that my daughter has to struggle with the pull of depression like I do. When I think of all the genes I wanted to pass along to her, I wish this particular one had missed its trajectory. Yet we can't do much about the hand that life deals us. How I wish I could just hit“reset...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - October 28, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: Depression Family Goodreads Suicide Source Type: blogs

Mormon Musings: Adult ADHD Anger
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” —Matthew 5:44I don't live this law literally enough. I live it in spirit, and I live it for the most part, but the hard parts are where I fail. My struggles with the law of forgiveness get in the way with fully obeying this teaching of Christ's. I'm having a laugh at myself this morning because I follow this principle on a case-by-case basis, which completely misses the point! The arrogant physician, the rude clerk, the homicidal driver all take a piece out of me without me o...
Source: The Splintered Mind by Douglas Cootey - October 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADHD Source Type: blogs