ADHD in girls is a different beast. This has been this list of comments said to me since childhood into adulthood which have left me feeling inadequate and overwhelmed. Chatty Lacking in focus Takes on too many things Reactionary Drama queen Fickle Impulsive Disorganised Chaotic No direction Argumentative Bossy Stubborn Lazy Weird Bookworm The more research that seems to be in place, the more I connect with that research. I am not diagnosed with ADHD but the research into girls with ADHD has given me a better understanding of how my brain works and thinks. I acknowledge when: I’ve lost focus because I just can’t engage in a task. I need smaller tasks to feel I have achieved. I need to recharge high focused energy through isolation in a book I can manage multiple jobs at once, but sometimes they may not get completed or just take a bit longer because I need constant changes of focus. I struggle with emotional regulation and often just need a moment to put the lid back on. A lazy person wouldn’t have completed a PGCE, whilst working on a full time teacher timetable, whilst being a single mother. She just didn’t fancy doing the laundry until the weekend and that’s ok.
If the Daily Mail insists on using ADHD as a clickbait to drive their viewership, then allow me to repeat myself ( ‼️ ) What drove women who flew under the radar to look for help? Could it be: 👉 actually true that we do have ADHD? 🤔 👉 that we are going through hormonal changes that is so poorly researched in neurodivergent women that we don't know what to do when we're in the depths of a hormonal storm? READ THE ARTICLE I SHARED ON PMDD & Neurodiversity - sorry for shouting. 👉 that the consequences of living with undiagnosed and untreated ADHD had finally caught up with us, and getting a diagnosis with the hope of receiving support is a cry for help? My responses to lines picked from the article: 'People are feeling insecure, inadequate and it speaks to work being more competitive, pressure on women in particular to be perfect mums as well as good employees,' ❤️ true, the gender roles (raising kids alongside building a career) when switched, can cause overwhelm in a man too - it's just that they aren't traditionally expected to do this 'They see medication as a potential solution or boost to their performance.' ❤️ hmm, it's called functioning, not boosting performance. The right dosage of medication brings our functioning back to levels pre-overwhelm. Not one person I know is running towards getting medicated. The stigma associated with ADHD meds makes many women wary and so many delay taking it or try other means to manage. Those who take it have too much on their plate and are literally drowning from life’s demands to figure out alternatives. Academics are still attempting to piece together how ADHD affects older people. ❤️ maybe, ask, “older people”? AHEM. Who you calling old? And if you're new here, you need to know that the last time Daily Mail did this, we created an entire 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 “𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗗 & 𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻: 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲” that many told us is “refreshingly kind and non-judgemental”? Head to link in comments/ bio. #ADHD #WomenWithADHD #Neurodivesity #ADHDMedication