The Tangent Club · Est. 2023
For minds that take a different route.
You went looking for one answer and came back with six questions, a new hobby, and a surprisingly strong opinion about something you’d never considered before.
Or you know someone who did. Welcome to The Tangent Club.
We bring together relatable stories, practical tools, and humor to help you feel less alone and find ways around everyday friction.
ADHD is part of our conversation. You don’t need a diagnosis to find yourself here.
Something sounds familiar
“Wait. Other people do this too?”
You can spend hours absorbed in something that interests you, then struggle to begin a task you actually want to finish.
You can know what to do and still have trouble doing it consistently. Finding words for those experiences can change the conversation you have with yourself—and with the people around you.
That’s where TTC begins: recognition, curiosity, and room to compare notes. Follow whichever thread feels familiar.
Finding words for what you’ve experienced
A ten-minute task that waits all week. A planner you were absolutely going to use this time. Sometimes a small, oddly specific story makes you feel less alone.
Recognition gives you somewhere to begin. You can notice what keeps happening, ask what’s getting in the way, and try something that helps. A familiar experience doesn’t have to become a label.
When your experience looks different
One person’s experience may be loud and restless. Another’s may be quieter, harder to see from the outside. Even your own experience can vary with the demands of the day.
There isn’t one way ADHD looks in everyday life. Someone else’s story can offer recognition without describing everything about yours.
When ADHD is already part of your story
Knowing the name doesn’t make every day straightforward.
There’s room here for what works for you, what hasn’t, and what you’re still figuring out. Someone else’s useful idea might give you a starting point. You get to adapt it.
You don’t have to turn every difficulty into a character flaw—or every strength into a superpower.
When you’re still wondering
Maybe you recognize a pattern. Maybe a friend’s story—or a very specific meme—stopped you mid-scroll.
You don’t have to settle the question before joining the conversation. You can learn, notice what keeps happening, and find better words for the difficulties you’re experiencing.
If those difficulties persist or affect daily life, those words can help you start a conversation with a qualified professional. Other explanations or overlapping needs may matter too.
When it’s someone you love
Maybe you’re a parent trying to understand your child. A partner trying to make sense of recurring friction. A friend who wants to help.
Recognition can make space for a different question: “What’s making this difficult, and what might help?”
Understanding doesn’t mean abandoning expectations. It gives you somewhere more useful to begin. For children, that includes seeking appropriate support and keeping room for learning differences and other needs.
When you need something practical
Sometimes you need a thoughtful conversation. Sometimes you need a way to remember the appointment.
A smaller first step. A reminder where you’ll see it. A routine with enough flexibility to survive an ordinary Tuesday.
TTC makes room for practical experiments you can try, adjust, and keep when they help. You don’t need to rebuild your whole life to make one part of the day easier.
When you need a laugh
Sometimes being understood sounds like laughter.
The memes, merchandise, Capt. Chaos, and little pieces of Club lore belong here too. They give us another way to recognize ourselves and share the experience.
You can follow a deep rabbit hole or just enjoy the joke. Both count.
A note from Steven Chais · Founder
“There must be a better way.”
That’s usually where I start building.
Looking back, those patterns were there when I was a kid. I just didn’t know what to call them.
Read Steven’s story
I had good grades in school. I could do the work. But I was bored, struggled with attendance, and didn’t know how to deal with it. I nearly didn’t graduate high school because of attendance—not grades.
A similar pattern followed me into college. I never completed a degree, but I kept learning through classes, certifications, books, and whatever question pulled me into the next deep dive.
As I got older, more responsibilities and stress made those difficulties harder to manage, and the consequences became bigger. Being capable didn’t make the struggles disappear. Finding ways to make everyday life work took more than curiosity or good intentions.
When something keeps getting in the way, I find myself thinking, “There must be a better way.” When I build or make something, it usually starts with a problem I’m trying to solve for myself.
When something works and removes some of that friction, my next thought is, “If this helps me, maybe it could help someone else.”
I can’t know how different my life would have been with earlier recognition and support. I do believe the right challenge, support, and tools can change a person’s direction.
That instinct to share is part of why The Tangent Club exists: to share what helps, learn from each other, and make room for the struggles alongside the humor. My experience is one starting point. There’s room for yours too.
The door stays open
Something sound familiar?
Follow that thread. You don’t have to explain your whole story to find a place in this one.
Recognition, not diagnosis
A familiar story is a starting point.
TTC shares personal stories, general information, humor, and everyday tools. It does not diagnose ADHD or provide medical advice. Recognizing yourself in a story or meme does not establish a diagnosis. Questions about persistent difficulties are best explored with a qualified healthcare or mental-health professional.
Reference: American Psychiatric Association (2022), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR). The DSM provides diagnostic criteria for clinical assessment. About the DSM · APA: What is ADHD?
