🤲 TRUST
“Trust is built in very small moments.” – Brené Brown
Trust is the invisible thread that holds relationships, plans, and self-worth together. For ADHDers—whose inconsistency, impulsivity, or emotional swings may have eroded trust with others or themselves—this value often comes with longing, grief, and the opportunity for deep repair.
Living with ADHD can make trusting yourself feel risky. Will I remember? Can I follow through? Am I too much? When mistakes happen often, it’s easy to doubt your intentions, to stop believing you’re capable. But trust doesn’t mean perfection. It means honouring your word when you can—and being kind when you can’t.
Trust also lives in relationships. Many ADHDers have been misunderstood, dismissed, or micromanaged. Rebuilding trust with others means showing up with clarity, communication, and courage. It means asking for forgiveness—not as self-blame, but as a bridge. And it means learning to believe that you are worth believing in.
Ultimately, trust is a cycle: small promises kept, small ruptures repaired. For ADHDers, the most radical thing may be relearning how to trust yourself—your insight, your growth, your heart.
🧭 The HOPE Trail Map
- Helps or Harms: Am I acting in a way that builds trust—with myself, or with others?
- Own My Values: I want to be someone who earns trust through honesty, not just performance.
- People and Pursuits: Who do I trust deeply—and why? Who do I want to rebuild trust with, starting gently?
- Enact and Evaluate: Today, I’ll make and keep one small promise—to myself or someone I care about.
⚠️ Trail Challenges
- Missed deadlines or forgotten tasks may shake trust even with good intentions.
- RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria) may cause spirals of distrust.
- Past betrayals or criticism can make trusting others feel unsafe.
🪧 Trail Markers: Small Steps Toward Trust
- Choose one thing you know you can do today—and follow through.
- Communicate proactively: “I might need a reminder,” or “Here’s what I can commit to.”
- Forgive a past moment of forgetfulness—without disowning your growth.
🔥 Campfire Questions for Reflection
- What helps me rebuild trust with myself when I slip?
- Who has shown me steady trust—and how can I return it?
- What would life feel like if I truly believed, “I am trustworthy”?
Trust is not built through flawlessness—it’s built through presence, repair, and the choice to begin again.
