Hi, my name is Julie, and I am a late diagnosed ADHD individual after being mis-diagnosed over 12 years ago. Although I have always known I was different, in my early life and school, nobody had even heard of ADHD. Those were the days that if you got something wrong or could not process questions quickly enough, you were laughed at and made to believe you were stupid. I was very miserable in school and suffered from extreme anxiety, I couldn’t wait for the school day to be over. I was so easily distracted by other children and noises around me, I found it impossible to focus and concentrate on the actual learning. Trying to sit still was also very difficult for me. I remember being in the dinner hall and our headmistress walking around addressing the whole school of some changes to be made. Just as I had my chair balanced on the two front legs, as I had been swinging between them, she stopped directly behind me. I remember desperately trying to hold the chair up as I felt my grip begin to slip. The back two legs came crashing down on her foot. She was furious and shouted at me, reducing me to tears. This then led to the other children laughing and taunting me for the rest of the day. I was never happier than the day I left school. I had no ambition at that time to progress to college or university as my self-esteem was on the floor and therefore, never thought I would be capable.

In my work-life, because of my tenacious character and my need to feel accepted I always gave 110%. Often to my own detriment, working long hours in my spare time just for some praise and recognition. Finding out I was dyslexic in later life, explained why I found certain things difficult, for example, spelling, reading reports and lengthy documents. The words would seem to jump around on the page, and I would have to read something several times to be able to digest the information. 

As the pressures of work increased, I was able to put coping strategies in place and having an amazing memory, (compensation they say for the impairment of dyslexia) I could remember how words were spelt and learnt how to skim through text to get an understanding of its content. Also, being diagnosed with anorexia in my early 20s, I was given support on how to lead a healthier lifestyle. Eating healthy foods and exercise was not only keeping my anorexia under control, it also, unknowingly helped my ADHD symptoms. All of this got me through my teaching degree, whilst working full time as a teacher. A very early menopause is when life became so difficult for me! Masking my ADHD symptoms, unknowingly, became very difficult to do. Brain fog, memory issues, hormonal imbalance’s and contracting viral meningitis, led to a mental breakdown. This unfortunately is when I was mis-diagnosed as having BI-polar. I was taking very strong, secondary medication for over 12 years, when I never even needed them! My absolute trust in the medical profession prevented me from challenging their diagnosis, although I was never really convinced. The side effects to these medications and the fact they did nothing to help me with my ADHD symptoms, prevented me from returning to the career I loved as a teacher. My ADHD diagnosis and being prescribed the correct medications for this, has changed my life. This is the reason I am so passionate about becoming an ADHD ambassador. As an ambassador, I aim to share my lived experience, insights and the realities of living with ADHD to help and support others on their journey to assessment and diagnosis. Also, to realise it’s not just about the challenges; it’s also about the strengths, creativity and resilience that also come with it. My belief is that raising awareness, combating stigma and promoting resources for individuals with ADHD and their families, can create a world where ADHD is understood, and everyone has the tools to succeed.