Dear SKB,
I was diagnosed last year with ADHD at 36 years of age. It didn’t even occur to me that I maybe have ADHD. The one thing it did for me was it honestly gave me a whole new perspective of my life so far. And gave me the ability to start working on / with the cause and not only managing the symptoms.
After I got my diagnosis, I went home and cried, not because I was sad, but out of relief. All of my life finally made sense, every little thing that I struggled with for ages.
It is not an excuse but just an explanation, I can finally start to forgive the old me, that little girl whom everyone told that she should “just shut up” “get your act together” “why are you always like this”. All that negativity which I believed in and just resulted in self loathing or hatred in a more extreme term.
Sure I maybe was loud, obnoxious and “lazy” all that jazz, but it isn’t my fault, never has been and as much as the other people couldn’t deal with me, I wasn’t able to deal with myself too.
Now I feel I can work towards a better, healthier more empathetic understanding of my future. It is such a good thing to have a healthy foundation to build on. I have been wondering if there any other women who have been diagnosed later on in life with ADHD or something similar? Does anyone have any advice or words of hope moving forward? I cant wait to hear from you all.
@bandaidknowsbest
Hello. I wanted to reach you and say that getting diagnosed as an adult was a game changer for me to heal and improve my life. Understanding why certain things had always been so difficult for me when I had always thought I was deficient. It changed my life and I hope your diagnosis will help you lead a more positive, happy life.
Absolutely loved this submission.I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 29 and now I am 32. It was a complete 180 for me since it helped me to not only get treatment with medication but allowed me to connect with others with ADHD and find unique solutions that worked for me. Also it was immensely beneficial for my mental health since I realized all of my struggles stemmed from complications of my ADHD instead of some personal moral failing and not “Trying hard enough” which was the message I internalized from childhood. So happy for you and glad that we are together in our journeys xxxx
Love this!
Glad to meet you all on SKB, I was just diagnosed at 45 after a few years of being pretty sure I had it. It has been way more validating to get a proper diagnosis than I ever expected – indeed life-changing. I am at the very start of this process, still – but having access to medication has been magical. I feel like I can finally tackle all of my problems.
Good luck – you got this
Hi SKB. I got diagnosed at 32. Therapy and ADHD meds have been life changing. Have you thought about taking medication or are you already on meds?
Yes I am exploring medication and finding what works best for me. Thank you for commenting and making me feel less alone❤️
Hello ladies, I have suspecting that I may have ADHD for awhile but I never got diagnosed for it. It’s just that doctors are expensive in UAE and well I already have signs of anxiety and depression. I only have ever brought it up to my sister in Canada who is also fascinated by mental health and she agrees that I may have it to some degree. I have a fear of long term medication for a fact that I could be addicted to it and that terrifies me.
Hey bandaidknowsbest,
I read your post after seeing a video on Instagram and I just wanna say that I wish you all the best as you move into this new hopeful chapter. You can only go up from where you are now and that is exciting. Are you taking medication or seeking professional help by a therapist or coach?
Just sharing some advice I received a few years back – remember that your cycle directly impacts your adhd symptoms. Estrogen levels do affect dopamine levels x
I was diagnosed at 20 or 21 but getting diagnosis took me a while (adhd). Figured it out after the hundredth night of doing an assignment right before the deadline and not being able to focus at all. I started walking round the room every five minutes and all that. Realized that can’t be normal behavior. Thanks for speaking about something that many women don’t talk about.