Love this! It's so great to see that although being neurodivergent can be really tough to navigate, that there's also so many ways it makes us brilliant too! 🙌
I was diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago and it's definitely been a bit of a journey for me since then. All the emotions! Relief of finally getting a diagnosis, anger that it wasn't picked up earlier, grief for the 'normal' life I thought I'd be able to have 'one day' and empathy for myself as I learn to understand me and my needs more.
1. I'm definitely not much of a morning person! But for me, regardless of the time I'm waking up, my biggest struggle is just physically getting myself out of bed. A mixture of exhaustion from not being able to switch off during the night, and the executive dysfuntion of my brain just giving me a big NOPE. Having my dog there wanting to go for his morning walk helps me get up! But also just going straight into a warm shower before even thinking about anything else, helps me wake up, warm up and my body feel less tense too.
2. I have really learnt to be so much kinder to myself, to stop putting myself under unnecessary pressure to be 'perfect' all the time, and to make time for rest without feeling guilty. I've also learnt to question all the little things during my day that I've always done just because that's what/how you're 'supposed' to do them, and figured out ways that actually work for me muuuch better.
3. I got my diagnosis from a psychiatrist who then recommended which medication I should try & my GP is an ADHD specialist so I check in with her every few months. I also see my psychologist every couple of weeks which is a great support for my ADHD but just my mental health in general. And I'm also really lucky that 2 of my best friends are also neurodivergent - this has been soooo important for me. Being able to have loved ones that really understand what I'm going through is just so great. I think as neurodivergent people we spend the majority of our lives feeling misunderstood, so having people in your life that just 'get it' is priceless. ❤️
4. Love this question! I love how creative I am, and I love my ability to problem solve in ways neurotypical people tend to find difficult. My brain is super good at quickly analysing a problem, powering through an array of different solutions, thinking outside the box and then coming up with the best option to solve it 👏
I would love to hear some other people's experiences and stories! And feel free to ask me other questions about my journey if you want too 😊
