Hi, I’m Hannah. Being diagnosed late in life is complex as you spend half your time trying to make sense of the past, and the other half trying to navigate life in this new way, (even if it’s not truly new at all).

I was always different but never thought of myself as being neurodivergent. But times are changing, and when 15-20% of the global population is neurodivergent, we need to increase awareness, challenge misconceptions, and understand the diversity of human minds.

From a young age, I was told I had an overactive mind and a creative imagination. I loved fashion and would collect magazines. Every weekend I’d sort them in alphabetical and chronological order and read them from the beginning. I never actually got round to reading many of them and can still reel off the articles in the first few that I read. That was my routine, and it made me happy. I loved routine and still do, but I also like spontaneity, and this is where it gets confusing when others don’t understand this surge of energy.

I was in and out of counselling since the age of 15 and spent all my childhood being more mature than my age, so when I was put in a session designed for under 18s, it didn’t help. This was the start of 10 confusing years. It led to a lot of misdiagnoses from Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Bipolar, Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder, followed by counselling. But I was still none the wiser.

I later found out that these were just feelings of burnout and overwhelm. At the time, I kept asking myself: “Why do I keep getting picked on? Where am I going wrong? Why is this easier for others and not for me?” You start to feel like a catalyst for destruction because you don’t understand where you’re going wrong. You attract and mirror the wrong people, which gets you into trouble. In reality, and hindsight, you’re just trying to appear neurotypical in a society that wasn’t designed to accommodate you.

We need awareness and education. That is why I work closely with Neurodiversity in Business, a not-for-profit organisation. I want to not only make a positive impact for my future, but also for others like me. Since my diagnosis, I talk a lot about neurodiversity and bring it up as a way of explaining my behaviour. My brain is wired differently and whilst I don’t let that massively impact my life, there need to be some adaptations.

So, if I’m ever quiet or isolating myself – there’s nothing wrong, I’m just trying to focus. If I’m overly energetic, I utilise that energy. If I’m struggling with a social interaction or going bright red, I’m not actually shy, I could just be taking a while to process it all and have gone red due to being aware. If I interrupt, I’m so sorry and I’m so aware, I’m working on it. If I take a bit longer to process something, just give me that time. I’m not weird, and neurodiversity doesn’t make me weird, I just process things a bit differently but can still be an asset in a team.

Together, we can build a world where neurodivergence is not just understood but embraced and I’m proud to be part of that journey.