Being diagnosed with ADHD is a relief for some. This is especially true for many of my female clients. It’s like they always knew something was different about them but they couldn’t quite put a finger on it.
After getting a diagnosis though, they are able to understand themselves better and they are also able to know why they do the things they do. For one of my clients, she said she finally understood why she constantly forgot her materials for school or why she needed multiple alarms to remind her to hand in her assignments. As the person with ADHD finally knows themselves better, it is often too late for other people in their lives though. So, let’s look at the three things that people with ADHD probably wish others knew:
1. How hard they try
Yeah, that’s right. People with ADHD are probably the hardest workers in the world. They are always trying to juggle things in their head with the demands of the outside world. Sometimes, it feels overwhelming but most of the time, it feels out of control.
2. How misunderstood they feel
The reality of living with a neurodivergent mind is not fully appreciated by many people around women living with ADHD. In fact, ADHD is often not even recognized condition in most girls because the DSM V takes most of its data from studies done on boys. ADD/ADHD in women are often undetected and therefore, not even understood or acknowledged by most professionals. This means the ADHDer is not even validated by clinicians, let alone other people around them.
3. How lonely it can be
Reaching out for help can feel like an endless loop of missed appointments and more medications being shoved your way. This can be overwhelming and when you share it with others in your life; they may think "You are getting better after taking meds!". You see, most people only see the results, not the hardships of the process itself. It can be a lonely time when you go through withdrawals alone, self-blame when you make one small mistake because you are scared to go back to the way you were and the mask that effort it takes just to try to fit in is enormous. It is a lonely world that can be hard to share.