Maybe you do, Maybe you don't - ADHD, Let's find out!
What I’ve been hearing a lot lately, is that adults, particularly women, are coming forward and asking the question about whether they may have ADHD or not. However, these adults aren’t being met with curiosity, rather they are being dismissed with comments like ‘EVERYBODY has ADHD’ or ‘You’ve been watching TikTok, haven’t you?’ or my absolute favourite ‘No you don’t, you can concentrate’. Insert a slapping head emoji.
To the untrained eye, it may appear that there is a sudden unexplainable increase in ADHD diagnoses. However, I want to throw out a couple of potential reasons why we are in fact noticing an increase in ADHD presentations in our practices around Australia.
Firstly; continued research and professional development. Which is awesome! We know more now than what we used too. Our brains trusts have studied and spent time on ADHD and have found that is can present very differently in females, than males. We now know that you can be diagnosed with ADHD and not be jumping off the walls.
Secondly; awareness. TikTok, Instagram, any social media - it has opened the world to information. I hear from a lot of people that before getting their diagnosis of ADHD, they thought that it was ‘normal’ to have their thoughts jumbled together, flying a million miles an hour and that life was just hard. Then they saw a video on social media and it made sense, it made them question their experience of life. What if there was an explanation for why you forget things - ALL THE TIME. What if you’re not rude, and you just zone out, without meaning too. What if you’re a really nice person and a great friend, but have a ‘out of sight, out of mind’ kinda thing going on?
Imagine having times throughout your life where you were told that you would be better if you just tried harder. Or that you would get the results, if you just applied yourself. That you wouldn’t be stressed if you just organised your time and didn’t finish things moments before the deadline. Continuously hearing comments about not being good enough, or falling short of achieving great things because you were seen as lazy. And you believed it.
Undiagnosed and untreated ADHD introduces a magnitude of mental and physical health impacts. I hear from almost all of my ADHDers that they would wonder why their anxiety or depression meds didn’t seem to actually do enough. Well if you only treat to certain symptoms and not treat the overriding diagnosis - it ain’t going to quite hit the spot.
I’ll discuss traits, behaviours and symptoms in another blog, but for now I want you to know that if you think you fit the criteria, if life does feel like something just isn’t quite right - ask the question and don’t let anyone sway you. Finding out either way, ADHD or not, gives you information. Knowing yourself, understanding who you are, why you do things, empowers you to be able to advocate for yourself.
I love when people are brave and talk about their suspicions with diagnoses. I figure, you know you best, I want to get all the information you got about you. Then together we’ll come up with the right answers. You think you got ADHD - let’s find out!
Be proud of who you are.