From a young age, I felt like I couldn’t concentrate and was always left behind at school. I struggled to focus on tasks I found boring, and my mum used to say I had a ‘scatterbrain’. Looking back now, although that is true, I know now my scatterbrain is my superpower.
It’s taken me 51 years to learn I had ADHD and my journey of self-discovery hasn’t been easy but along the way I’ve come to realise my ADHD diagnosis was one of the best things to have happened to me. It explains who I am, my strengths, my pain and gives a reason for the difficulties throughout my life.
I was finally diagnosed with ADHD on August 13th, 2020.
I was totally shocked I’d gone through life up until the age of 51 without it being clear, but I finally knew I wasn’t crazy, mad, or lazy – my experience had been validated.
Not long after my diagnosis, I decided to write a book: The Freedom Bus: From Adoption to True Self. The aim of the book was to share my life as a whole and the importance of finding the freedom to be me. As I wrote the book, I realised that understanding my ADHD has helped me understand myself. ADHD has been a big part of my life journey and is a massive part of who I am today. By accepting and embracing my difficulties and differences, this has enabled me to kickstart the mission to change the stigma of ADHD to the new superpower.
I am one of the lucky ones. My experience securing a diagnosis was brilliant. Once I recognised the symptoms myself, I researched experts who specialised in women with ADHD and referred myself through the private healthcare system. The assessment process was incredibly thorough – my consultant psychiatrist examined school records from childhood, asked me to write down my experiences in depth and interviewed members of my family.
One of the hardest things for me to do, however, was admit I had ADHD – I was frightened of what people would say. But once I mustered up the courage to speak out about my diagnosis, it became an asset, not a disadvantage – I embraced who I was and replaced shame with a newfound pride.
I am now 18 months on from my initial diagnosis and am feeling grateful for all the help I have received to help me understand what ADHD means to me.
Under the care of a brilliant Consultant Psychiatrist, the best therapist/coach on the planet, and a highly supportive GP, I am managing the symptoms of ADHD and unlocking the superpower my ADHD brings. Thanks to the effective management and treatment of my ADHD, I am a completely different person to who I was before receiving a diagnosis.
In fact, when I read through my history, I have forgotten how horrendous it was to live with unrecognised and undiagnosed ADHD. My advice to anyone that feels they might have ADHD is to seek out help, support and understanding from a healthcare professional and experts in the field, and never give up hope of releasing the shame and unlocking the superpowers that ADHD brings.
Sunninghill
Leadership coach, Author, and public speaker
Aged 51
Key symptoms Overwhelm
