You're Already Paying the ADHD Tax. Let's Stop the Bleeding.

By Liz Wooten, LPC

About the Author: Liz Wooten, LPC, is the founder of Enlitens and a rebellious academic dedicated to dismantling the broken mental health system. As an AuDHD therapist with years of front-line crisis experience, she brings a deep, lived understanding to her work. Read Liz’s Full Story Here

Let’s be clear: The “ADHD tax” is not a cute meme you see on TikTok. It is a real, measurable, and often devastating financial drain that is actively sabotaging your future. And you are already paying it.

You’re a brilliant artist. Your sketchbook is full of ideas that could change your life. But you’re stuck. You’re working a soul-crushing service job on Cherokee Street just to make rent, and every dollar you try to save gets eaten alive.

It’s the stack of late fees on your utility bills. It’s the expensive art supplies you bought in a burst of hyperfocus but are now too overwhelmed to use. It’s the shame of feeling like your incredible talent is being held hostage by a brain that feels chaotic and unreliable. The lie is that you’re just “bad with money” or a “starving artist.”

The ADHD tax is the direct, predictable result of Executive Function challenges. It is not a character flaw. It is a neurobiological reality.

Working Memory Deficits lead to forgotten bills and missed deadlines (The Late Fee Tax).
Impulse Control Challenges lead to unplanned purchases (The Forgotten Supplies Tax).
Task Initiation Deficits lead to avoiding logistical tasks like returns or subscription cancellations (The Avoidance Tax).
Time Blindness leads to miscalculating time, often resulting in rush fees or missed opportunities (The Urgency Tax).

The Neurobiological Truth Bomb

An assessment and therapy are not another expense draining your resources. They are the single most important investment you can make in your own creative enterprise.

You are worried about the Cost of getting help. That is a logical concern. But you are looking at the problem from the wrong direction. You are already paying a steep, unregulated, and shame-filled tax every single day. The goal is not to avoid a new cost, but to reallocate those wasted funds into a strategic investment that pays dividends for the rest of your life.

The purpose of our Assessments is to conduct a full audit of your unique neurological operating system to identify the precise sources of these leaks. The purpose of our therapy is to build the custom tools and systems to patch them permanently, freeing up your cognitive and financial resources to finally invest in your art.

This isn’t about “trying harder”; it’s about getting a better set of tools. When you’re ready to stop paying the tax and start investing in your system, Start here.

Go Deeper Down the Rabbit Hole

A Guide to Corporate Burnout

The ADHD tax is a major contributor to professional burnout. A deep dive into the exhaustion of masking and performing in the corporate world.

A Guide to the "Vibe Check"

The first step to stopping the bleed is a no-pressure conversation. Learn about our free consultation where you’re in charge.

The Chemical Imbalance Myth

If you feel like your brain is “broken” because of these struggles, you’ve been sold a lie. The scientific takedown of a marketing slogan.

*The information here is meant to guide and inform, not replace the care of a qualified healthcare professional. If you have questions or concerns about a medical or mental-health condition, please reach out to a trusted provider. The examples shared are based on general personas—no personal health details are used. At Enlitens, your privacy is a top priority, and we fully comply with HIPAA regulations to keep your information safe and confidential.

This is a Conversation,
Not a Debate.

This is not a space for debate or unsolicited advice. It is a space for sharing stories. We read every submission, and we will periodically feature the most resonant and validating stories here with the author’s explicit permission. Submit your’s below!

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Take one second. That’s all I’m asking.

Do not try to “calm down.” Do not try to “fix it.” Do not listen to the voice screaming that you need to do something right now.

Just be here, with me, for one single breath.

My name is Liz. I’ve spent years working overnight in the ER, sitting with people on what was often the worst night of their entire lives. I have sat in the eye of the hurricane, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that the chaos you feel right now is not the truth.

It is a storm in your nervous system. And a storm is just a weather pattern. It is not you. It is not permanent. And you do not have to navigate it alone.

Right now, your brain’s alarm system is screaming. The logical part of your brain has been taken offline. That is a normal, brilliant, biological survival response. But you and I are going to bring it back online, together.

We are going to do one, simple, physical thing. This is not a bulls*hit mindfulness exercise. This is a direct, manual override for your nervous system.

Place your hand on your chest.

Can you feel that? The rise and fall. The rhythm. That is the anchor. That is the proof that you are here, in this moment, and you are alive.

Keep your hand there.

Now, we are going to make one choice. The storm is telling you there are a million overwhelming things you have to do. That is a lie. There are only three choices right now, and you only need to pick one.

If you or someone else is in immediate, physical danger and you need help on site, right now:

This is the button you push when you need the paramedics or the police to show up. This is the “bring the fire truck” button.

If you are having thoughts of suicide and you need to talk or text with a human, right now:

This is the national, 24/7 lifeline. It is free, it is confidential, and it is staffed by trained counselors who are ready to listen without judgment. This is the “I need a lifeline” button.

If you are in St. Louis, you are not in crisis but you are in deep distress and need to talk to someone local:

Behavioral Health Response (BHR) is our community’s lifeline. They provide free, confidential telephone counseling and can connect you with local resources. This is the “I need a local guide” button.