Transcript:
Why are you becoming an Ambassador for ADHD UK?
I’m a professional who works in the neurodevelopmental fields, both autism and ADHD, and I’ve also got a diagnosis of ADHD myself. I’m so passionate about trying to spin the positives for someone who has ADHD, because we see all the negatives and I’ve seen that with working professionals. Well actually it’s not that, there’s the cliche superpower of it as well. So that’s why I’m so passionate and I want to help ADHD UK to spread the word and show that people can have a really great life with a brain that works a little bit different.
Tell us about your diagnosis journey.
I always struggled through school and even university. I had to work really, really hard. I didn’t have a diagnosis through university. So, when other people were cramming at the last minute thing, I used to have to work on my books all day and have background music just to be able to focus and stuff. It was actually through lockdown that, in my work, because things had really changed and like routines have changed for me, I found that the focus that I could have sometimes just completely went out the window. And through my work, I was doing more and more research on ADHD and I was like, you know, I’m ticking all these boxes. So I thought, you know what? I’m going to go. I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m going to go. And I actually went down the private route because at the time I worked in the NHS and I personally didn’t want people to know much about my assessment process. So I went through a private side. They were absolutely amazing. I filled in the paperwork, I then got given the diagnosis and medication and that was it really. It wasn’t like a grieving process, but it was more of, oh my goodness, if I had this diagnosis many years ago, you almost wonder what could have been. I don’t regret anything I’ve done, but you just sort of think, oh, if I had that help in school it might have been a bit different.
What would you like to tell people generally about your ADHD?
I might have the impulsive behaviour, but that impulsive behaviour has got me to travel all around the world. I’ve met amazing people and it makes me a go getter. So for me that’s a positive. I try new things constantly and every year I’m learning something new. So for me it’s a real positive.
What would you like to tell your employers about your ADHD?
It’s actually a bonus to have someone with ADHD in their work force. My way of thinking is to think outside the box. I can pick up on things in a room that maybe other people can’t. I can hear everybody’s conversation in the room. I’m very solution focused and because of my quick thinking, sometimes I can come up with answers that no one else could think of. Plus, if you put me in an emergency situation, I’m there and I just get on with it. There’d be no panic, I just get in there and get on.
What would you like to tell your school about your ADHD?
One thing that always sticks in my mind is I’ve had good teachers, but I’ve also had teachers who said the good old saying ‘has potential, could do better’. At the time I was trying so hard, and even now with my work I hear this from school reports that I have to read: ‘this kid has potential could do better’. That could be a real negative thing and it will last for a long time with people because you will keep in your mind that you could always do better. It doesn’t matter how much you achieve. You’re always thinking, I could do better. And it doesn’t matter how many degrees you’ve got or what levels you’ve got, you always have that in your mind. So that’s what I’d like to say to those teachers that say, ‘you could do better’. Actually, I did the best I could with what I had at the time.
What would you like to tell your university about your ADHD?
That actually with the right support, I could have helped other students, if I knew myself as well. But like how hard I had to work to get through everything. I mean, everybody works hard as a student, you know, it doesn’t matter. If you want to have a good degree, you do. But I would like to let my lecturers know that I had to work so hard, and actually one type of teaching does not fit all and that actually needs to be adapted a little bit.
What would you like to tell the NHS about your ADHD?
Because I’m a psych nurse, but I’ve also worked in general practice as well, I find that people that come through needing help because of their mental health, they’re almost written off because everything is put down to ADHD. Actually, you can have ADHD and another condition. It’s that diagnostic overshadowing. It’s not just ‘oh, they’re really impulsive’ and ‘they’re really emotional’. Actually, there’s a reason for that. There’s a communication thing. These people are overwhelmed. And again, it’s how hard someone has to work sometimes to fit in with the neurotypical world. We’d all be really boring if we were all neurotypical. So actually, you know, I think that needs to be taken into account and to adapt things like therapies. I’ve seen a lot of people come through who would go through to therapy and they just didn’t get the right therapy because it wasn’t real enough for them. So for me that’s what I’d be telling the NHS colleagues.
What would you like to tell your friends about your ADHD?
Just thank you for accepting me for who I am. I think they do accept me and I think that’s great. They see my, not my ADHD. Sometimes if I have to go off and just be my own, they accept that. I think maybe to new, it’s just to accept that sometimes as someone with ADHD you get so overwhelmed that you need to go off and just recalibrate a little bit and it’s nothing against them. It’s just that you need to have that downtime. So I think I’d probably say that to people in the past that didn’t quite get it. And, that sometimes I haven’t got that filter that other people might have.
What would you like to tell your parents about your ADHD?
All I’m going to say is neurodiversity runs in families so it’s very understood! And they just accept who I am so that’s great.
If you could have a magic wand, would you entirely remove your ADHD?
I probably wouldn’t get rid of it. I love having my ADHD. It makes me who I am really. I think sometimes I wish to be able to focus. I mean, I can hyperfocus and when I do, it really hyperfocuses. But I think my boredom threshold is so low that sometimes I don’t always stick with things. I think that’s probably something I would maybe tweak. However, again, on the other side, I wouldn’t try so many things if I was just focused on one thing.
Tell us about one of your favourite ADHD strategies.
Music to study. Even now, when I’m writing reports, it’s going to be music each time. Certain background music for me is really good. I’ve got so many notepads with to-do lists which helped, but not overwhelming things. And for me, exercise is really important. I try and get a bit of exercise every day because it just helps calm my mind. People say go and do mindfulness, but if you’ve got ADHD, trying to stay in an hour class, it’s not going to happen. So, you know, taking it when you can.
What is the worst thing that has happened to you as a result of ADHD?
I think the worst thing that’s probably happened to me is when people don’t get you and you can present as quite vulnerable and people can take advantage of that. Or, you may not progress as quickly in your career because you’ve gone off and got another job because you sort of got bored of one. It hasn’t stopped me, I’ve certainly progress, but it’s probably been in quite roundabout way. I think that’s probably the worst really.
What is the best thing that has happened to you because of ADHD?
Probably spending time in New York City…. getting on a plane and just going off to New York City. Going off when I felt like it, at a certain time of year and meeting loads of people and just spending amazing time over in the States. So I think that’s probably the most amazing thing that’s happened to me.