Anyone else with ADHD not realize how exhausted they were until they finally slowed down?

This might sound strange, but I don’t think I knew how tired I actually was until I stopped pushing all the time.

For years I thought exhaustion meant not being able to get out of bed. Or falling behind. Or things visibly breaking. None of that was happening, so I assumed I was fine.

What I didn’t notice was how much effort it took just to exist day to day. Staying “on.” Managing reactions. Keeping myself interested enough to function. Filling every quiet moment with something so my brain wouldn’t turn on me.

When things finally slowed down, that’s when it hit. Not relief, but this deep, delayed fatigue. Like my nervous system finally realized it could put the bags down and immediately collapsed.

I’m still trying to understand that part. How much of my energy went into coping instead of living. And how easy it was to confuse survival mode with normal adulthood.

Not sure what I’m asking here. Mostly wondering if anyone else has had that moment where slowing down didn’t feel peaceful at first, it felt heavy.