Transcript:
Why are you becoming an Ambassador for ADHD UK?
Because when I was 25 years old, I was diagnosed with combined ADHD. And on the 1st of January this year, I decided to make a change. I started to speak up about my struggles with ADHD, the highs, the lows, and all of the in-betweens. And since doing that, I’ve been able to help other people that are like me. And it’s charities like ADHD UK that share valuable information, like working strategies, that can help people just like me with ADHD, to be able to help them with that everyday strategies and I like to raise money for charities. So to be able to do that for ADHD UK, a charity very close to my heart, I’m very grateful to be able to do that.
Tell us about your diagnosis journey.
So when I was 25 years old, I was diagnosed with combined ADHD, but before that, I had suffered with my mental health. When I was 21 years old, I went to the doctors and I was put forward for a mental health assessment, but it come back inconclusive with a question mark on borderline personality disorder. Now, when I looked up the actual symptoms of borderline personality disorder, it wasn’t me. And I didn’t really understand what was going on with myself. I didn’t understand myself, but as more information about ADHD in women come out over the years, I was enabled to go to my doctor, speak with them about ADHD and be put forward for an assessment. Then when I was put forward for my assessment, it took roughly around, I was quite lucky to be honest with you, it was on the NHS and it took about six months. And yeah, then I was diagnosed with combined ADHD and it did change my life because I was then able to understand why I do things a little bit differently and it, yeah, it’s just flourished from, from there really.
I know how hard it can be to even speak to a mental health practitioner about this at the moment because cases are so high. But I think as well, some of the things that people might not understand is that it’s, it’s such a long, long waiting hall because there’s so many people that are backdated because of all of this new information coming out about ADHD. It’s so backdated for, for the NHS because of, because of that. So we need more workers, we need more, more people in the NHS to be speaking to people about ADHD because it is a real serious thing and yeah.
What would you like to tell your employers about your ADHD?
My employers are actually, I’m very grateful because my employers are fantastic with understanding how my ADHD impacts my everyday life. But that is because as well, I’m very open about my highs and lows and in betweens. So I’m very grateful to be able to share my everyday life, highs, lows and in-betweens with my employers. But before I was employed at this job, it wasn’t always the case and obviously before knowing that I had ADHD, I was in some jobs where my ADHD was actually heightened because of the stress levels and because of the environment. So, to other employers, I would like to say I would think that neurodiversity training should be mandatory, not just if there’s neurodiverse people in the team, but in case anyone comes in that is neurodiverse and that maybe is going for an assessment or is trying to figure themselves out.
What would you like to tell your school about your ADHD?
I look back on from my school reports and from my time in school is that I was always just okay. I was, I was surface level and there were times where I’d be told that I was too distracting or that I wasn’t paying enough attention. Now, if I could go back to school and have the sort of support for ADHD, obviously, I didn’t know then that I had ADHD, but if I did now and I could go back, I would ask for, for support in, in school and different learning. Startles, possibly, because I know that I just managed to scrape, scrape by through my GCSEs and I know that that’s the same for a lot of other people. So again, if there’s more neurodiverse training and more information regarding ADHD in schools, then people like me will be able to get the right support.
What would you like to tell the NHS about your ADHD?
So I was very fortunate to be diagnosed by the NHS for ADHD, combined ADHD. But I know that’s not the case for everyone. And in terms of ADHD in women, I know there’s a lot of people that are on a waiting list. Now the reason that people are on a waiting list is because there wasn’t that much information regarding women with ADHD years ago, so diagnosis trial is backdated. So we need more people in the NHS, on the mental health service to be able to not only diagnose ADHD but to have the support for ADHD in the NHS.
What would you like to tell your friends about your ADHD?
I’d like to tell my friends that If I don’t text back in a short time frame, it’s not because I’m doing it on purpose. It’s not because I don’t care. It’s because my mind works in a little bit of a different way, and sometimes I can go on my own little, you know, adventures, and I’m not always completely present. So, I’d like to tell my friends just to have a little bit I know a lot of them do already, they’re great, I’ve got great friends, but to have, a little bit more understanding in that way.
What would you like to tell your parents about your ADHD?
About my ADHD, to not feel guilt for not knowing before. So I was diagnosed with ADHD at 25 years old and my parents had a little bit of guilt of not knowing sooner, I believe. But I just want them to know to not because how are they supposed to know when there wasn’t that much information regarding women with ADHD back then. It’s, it’s not, don’t feel guilty for it. And my parents have been absolutely fantastic with my diagnosis journey, pre-diagnosis, after diagnosis, following through with my, my journey with me. It’s, yeah, I’m very, very grateful.
If you could have a magic wand, would you entirely remove your ADHD?
I wouldn’t erase my ADHD. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning and I might, go through the day a little bit earlier by losing things and and being distracted and being late and and going through the emotions and I think I wish I didn’t I have ADHD because it is a serious thing that impacts my everyday life. However, it is a part of me. So if I had a magic wand, no, I wouldn’t remove it because I am who I am.
Tell us about one of your favourite ADHD strategies.
It’s setting alarms. Now, I’ve been doing this for a little while and it’s actually been really helping. If I’ve got tasks that I know I need to complete on that day, the night before, when it’s on my mind, I will set the alarms the next day for what I need to do. So, for example, it could just be writing something down. For example, I’d write, I’d do an alarm at 10am the next day to do that and then it’d go off a couple minutes before and I’d say, right, okay, I’ve got to do that now. And I actually do that. I feel like sometimes I can get whisked away with to-do lists because I have so many and then I feel like nothing gets done. But in this way, I am able to complete my tasks. and feel good about myself.
What is the worst thing that has happened to you as a result of ADHD?
The worst thing that’s happened to me as a result of my ADHD is from misunderstanding. I’ve been through many friendships and relationships within my life of people not necessarily understanding who I am. But now I feel like at this time in my life, I’ve got the right people around me who do understand.
What is the best thing that has happened to you because of ADHD?
Actually, my resilience. So since being diagnosed with ADHD, I went through a stage of relearning myself basically and on the first January this year I decided to speak out about this and the best part about my ADHD and my experiences is being able to help other people who are in a similar situation find themselves and find their voice.