Transcript:
Why are you becoming an Ambassador for ADHD UK?
Was diagnosed at 47 after waiting for three years on the NHS list. And I’m aware of the I don’t see myself. Yeah, I’m aware that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the condition, not to see it as a disability, but to make the right allowances for it and allow people to thrive.
Tell us about your diagnosis journey.
So I’ve always sort of zoned out of conversations and always thought, well, the simple answer to that is don’t be boring. But I would zone out, like I’ve always struggled. I’m a very creative, good writer, which is why I became a journalist. Never liked, the other thing was that not, not, not, it was, it was going for a job that didn’t require me to sit at a desk all day. So I’ve never, I can focus, I can hyper focus for hours if I’m interested in the story I’m writing or interested in the project I’m working on, but I never ever wanted to sit at a desk all day. And when I read various articles I thought, hang on, this is resonating, and for a long time I thought, am I making this up? Is this just in my head, am I making excuses? And then a couple of people I knew who worked either for Organizations like CAHMS or one friend who is an SEN in a school and these are people who are experts on neurodiversity, sort of said, said separately, are you an ADHD? And I said, well, I’ve thought about it. I said, but I’m not sure. They said, oh, we’re pretty certain you are. And because of the changing nature of the industry I work in and a need to know for myself. I sought a diagnosis. And again, part of why I’ve come here, part of why I want to be an applicant for ADHD UK is very linked to the fact that I was offered no disrespect to the NHS, but it took three years to get a diagnosis. And at the same time, no disrespect to the NHS, but I’m struggling to get anything. They’ve offered me meds. But I’m struggling to get anything other than meds in terms of support. And, yeah so yeah, so that’s really why that’s, that’s been my, my, my sort of journey.
What would you like to tell people generally about your ADHD?
It’s the reason for my creativity. It’s also possibly the way I do things, the way I do, and that’s not right, that’s not wrong. That’s just how I do things. I think the diagnosis has helped me understand myself, and I think over time, I’m still processing it, but I will stop masking symptoms. So when you come to a place of self-acceptance, I think that allows you to be who you are. And that is, that’s because it was only a year ago that I got the diagnosis. That is something that I’m still sort of processing. So I think it will take time and yeah, it’ll take time before I know what I want people to know. But I just say, you know, the reason that I do a lot of sports, the reason that I but I’m not necessarily focused or any good at it. The reason I fly from hobby to hobby and probably look a bit flighty and all over the place. It is linked to the ADHD, but it’s also just part of who I am, so I think the founder of A DHD UK said to me, he’s, his, he, he, he describes his hobby as collecting hobbies, and I quite like, I found that quite a, something I could relate to. So, yeah, so I think that that is it, I think, and I think it’s that sense actually. I’m extremely creative. It makes me extremely productive at work. Yeah. So as long as I’ve got, yeah, as long as I’m autonomous in what I’m doing, and I’ve got the chance to chat to lots of different people and do lots of different things, I’m quite happy and I think that’s a good thing.
What would you like to tell your school about your ADHD?
I’m 47, and back in the 80s, when I was at school, I did encounter some bullying, and some of what I experienced was being called dopey. And, you know, I remember teachers commenting on the fact that I zoned out. And other things which I now know are, you know, how I understand the world comes from how my brain works. And there’s nothing wrong with my brain. I’m doing quite well in life, thank you very much. And I think, but I think there was real issues with confidence. And some of that came from the messaging and the hypersensitivity that I experienced. Now I’m lucky in that I come from a loving and encouraging family. So I was able, and I’ve got good friends, so part of it is I’ve got the ability to make friends, so I’ve got good friends, and I was always determined. I’m also high functioning, apparently, well you take that out actually, not everyone likes that, that phrase, but the psychiatrist described me as high functioning. So I’ve, you know, but I think what I’d like them to do is stop calling people dopey, don’t criticize the child, male or female, who’s staring out the window, who isn’t swinging from the chandeliers and you know, maybe look at if someone’s, you know, don’t criticize someone for being sensitive because actually, it’s a good trait, not a bad trait. So that’s what I think I would tell my school. I would also say don’t make people do sports they don’t want to do and give them access to swimming.
What would you like to tell your university about your ADHD?
That’s where I started to struggle would have been a level and university study. So I think for me I would like to have had a bit more structure with study that I was doing. And I think I, I felt, you know, I, I, I met my deadlines, but usually I met my deadlines by working. I mean, I remember getting a 2 1 once on an essay and being really chuffed, but I did it after I’d been to the pub because the deadline was the next day and the lecturer took me to one. So I said, this was really good. It was like, was it? So I think, I think it would have been more like, I don’t think. The way the course was structured, and this is no one’s fault because they wouldn’t have known, was necessarily the best, well it wasn’t the best for my way of working.
What would you like to tell the NHS about your ADHD?
I’d like the NHS to know that I am, I understand how hard it can be. They need to understand that it is, while I don’t consider myself disabled, it is a recognised disability and I’d like the primary care available to match the NICE guidelines. GP is very good. He’s working within about, he’s working with the resources he has.
The NHS, the NICE guidelines say that the treat, the patient should have a choice of treatments, and that could be talking treatment or, or medication. I haven’t been offered that, even though I’ve asked for it, and my doctor’s looking into it, but it’s taking a long time. And I just think that’s an absolute disgrace on the part of the NHS and I know that they’re underfunded, I know there’s resourcing issues, so I’m not criticising NHS staff, I’m just criticising possibly the government and possibly the structures which, which we know it’s not joined, you know, we know it’s not joined up, we know it’s hard, and we know that the medics are leaving in droves for that very reason, so, you know, not, I’m not, what I’m saying is I’m not criticising the doctors.
What would you like to tell your friends about your ADHD?
Because everybody’s got different perspectives. Most of my friends, a lot, when I got the, a lot of my friends went, Oh yeah, that makes sense. I think it’s just understand this might be why you might find this odd, but we all find each other odd. And I think, you know, my friends know that I zone out a bit. It’s why I prefer creative work to technical work. It’s why, for example, when I do a triathlon, my training might not be as focused as it should be. But I’ll move and I’ll get through it. Yeah, and I, it’s probably why I can dance all night.
If you could have a magic wand, would you entirely remove your ADHD?
Remove the bits of getting tired and the bits of getting low, and the disorganization in terms of things. And the yeah but I would keep the creativity and the energy. The high bits.
Tell us about one of your favourite ADHD strategies.
I use the Pomodoro technique. So it’s 25 minutes on a I might not be starting off the textbook. It’s how I do it 20. And I’ve used it long before I even thought I had it. So you really understood it was anything other than little boys who couldn’t stay still. So the Pomodoro techniques, it was to focus at work to accomplish tasks, 25 minutes. And then you can, when the alarm goes off, you have a five minute break, another 25 minutes, you do that four times. After four of those, you can take a 15 minute break. And it’s a way of getting things done because you can accomplish a lot in 25 minutes, knowing that in 25 minutes, you can get up, make a cup of tea, go to the loo, jump around, whatever, but it makes you focus.
What is the best thing that has happened to you because of ADHD?
Probably my ability to write quick.