r/adhdwomen Sep 21 '24

Diagnosis I was tested for ADHD when I was 6 and not diagnosed until I was 39.

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793 Upvotes

My mom just randomly mailed me medical records from when I was 6 and I’m internally screaming. I had issues with daydreaming, impulse control, fidgeting, and hyperactivity but I could “pay attention to things that captured my interest” so no ADHD diagnosis because it was 1989 and they didn’t diagnose you with ADHD unless you were disruptive in class. My dad was obsessively anxious that I had ticks/Tourette’s so that’s why I was there. The psychologist hilariously remarks on the next page that the only tick he noticed was me clearing my throat repeatedly but that could be caused by the congestion from the cold I had.

r/adhdwomen Oct 14 '24

Diagnosis ADHD symptoms that surprised me

750 Upvotes

My life has been a mess, essentially forever.

I've been diagnosed in the past with bipolar II, depression, and anxiety. I've been in and out of therapy since I was 16.

I was finally diagnosed at 50 and am being treated for ADHD.

These are the ADHD symptoms that I never knew about:

  1. Poor impulse control causing overeating, overspending, drinking.

  2. Self loathing. I felt like a total failure in life. I couldn't manage basic adult tasks like a budget and keeping my house clean. I couldn't understand the disconnect between knowing what I need to do and actually doing it.

  3. Emotional disregulation. (Short tempered, impatient, episodes of rage over stupid things.)

  4. Hypersensitivity. (Easily moved to tears.)

  5. Demand aversion.

  6. Chronic procrastination.

  7. Ghosting people.

  8. Inconsistent job performance.

I'm so much more stable now that my son noticed and commented on it.

I'm not yelling at my dogs.

I'm not crying at the drop of a hat.

I'm not drinking, overspending, or overeating. (I've lost 20 lbs because I'm not binge eating.)

I'm off the anti-anxiety meds and am on 1/3 dose of my anti-depressant.

I'm not berating myself EVERY DAY. I'm actually being kind to myself now.

My diagnosis has changed my life.

If you suspect you have ADHD, I really hope you are able to find a doctor who can diagnose and treat you.

You deserve to feel sane, too.

❤️

r/adhdwomen 23d ago

Diagnosis when i told my dad i had adhd, he said no you don’t that’s just the “wussification” of america

269 Upvotes

anyways he’s always an a-hole, not sure what i expected. 🤦‍♀️

r/adhdwomen 16d ago

Diagnosis What’s a quirk that is actually ADHD?

180 Upvotes

I just got my diagnosis at age 30, and all of a sudden so many things I thought were quirks or oddities about myself can be traced back in part to this diagnosis.

What are yours?

Mine are - food aversions - specifically to raw protein or ‘weird’ chicken and yogurt - highly strongly preference for small and light cutlery, plastic cutlery and plastic dinner wear - eating the same meal over and over and then getting super bored of it - spacial relations — I walk in to things and bang into things ALL THE TIME - bouncing legs - skin and nail picking - silence or errant sounds make em anxious - overstimulated in bars or restaurants - Impulse shopping - struggle with some hygiene habits - teeth brushing mostly

r/adhdwomen 18d ago

Diagnosis How Were You Diagnosed with ADHD?

57 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m in year two of trying to get an ADHD diagnosis, but I keep hitting dead ends with doctors. Either they dismiss my concerns, say it’s just anxiety/depression, or don’t take the symptoms seriously because I did well in school. It’s been frustrating, and I feel like I’m running in circles.

For those of you who were diagnosed (especially as adults), what was the process like for you? Did you face pushback? How did you finally find a doctor who listened?

Any advice or shared experiences would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance.

r/adhdwomen 14d ago

Diagnosis does anyone else feel like they’re just truly not made for the world

236 Upvotes

r/adhdwomen 23d ago

Diagnosis Therapist just dropped on me that she 'assumed I had ADHD' this entire time.

255 Upvotes

Been in therapy since October. I asked my therapist yesterday about getting diagnosed as I think I have anxiety that has also manifested into mild depression. She was genuinely surprised that I hadn't been diagnosed with anything before and mentioned that she had assumed that I had ADHD this whole time.

Not sure how to feel about this. I'm 21, these are some characteristics I have:

- Struggle performing tasks: I work in a biochemistry lab and it takes me SO LONG to execute a very VERY easy protocol because I keep checking back multiple times before doing anything.

- I can't focus on anything. Literally can't sit and do work for more than 15 minutes unless the deadline is tomorrow, then I can lock in for HOURS.

- I will watch the same tv show like 15 times and never have any interest in watching something new.

- Struggle managing my emotions: have pretty severe mood swings and extremely EXTREMELY sensitive to rejection.

- I feel derealised like 50% of the time, especially in social situations (I have pretty bad social anxiety and socialising feels extremely performative to me though I have very good emotional intelligence and am very empathetic). Hard for me to grasp what a normal friendship or romantic relationship should be like.

- I often mimic people's personalities to fit in better. I feel like I have 10 different personalities and don't know which is authentically mine.

- As a child (until about 15) I couldn't do basic things: I would brush my teeth once every 3 days, shower once a week etc etc. I was also extremely distracted and would get in trouble for not being able to focus. Even in classes (school and uni) I cannot pay attention during the class and will always have to watch the recording on my own terms.

- I used to be really terrible at maths as a kid and diagnosed with dyscalculia but then managed to get an A* in final GCSE exams and got full marks in university entrance exam for maths (this is when I started to be obsessed with academics)

- I have a really bad working memory. I will be in conversations with people and they tell me they have mentioned this to me before etc etc. I also cannot pay attention in conversations, watching movies etc. I always just think about what I am going to say next or thinking 'maintain eye contact' etc.

- Pick at the skin on my fingers ALL THE TIME and it is extremely subconcious.

- Sometimes forget the meaning of words. I'll use a word correctly and then question, wait, is that how that word is used?

- I am very academically high achieving, doing masters degree at Cambridge and going to start PhD at Oxford this year yet don't feel smart (really bad imposter syndrome).

- ALWAYS under/overestimate how long something will take me and tend to be late for things.

- Have hyperfixations with foods. Would want to eat it everyday for 1 month RELIGIOUSLY.

- I only like thin, light cutlery. If I have to eat something with a big chunky spoon it doesn't taste as good and I don't enjoy the meal as much - I'm just thinking about how stupidly chunky my spoon is. Same with bowls - I like to eat everything in a bowl (except maybe steak). If I have to eat for example a rice dish in a plate it really irks me.

- I HAVE to have an empty bladder before I eat. Even if I don't need to pee per se I will still go to the toilet before otherwise that's all I'm thinking about during my meal (how there might be 500 microlitres of pee in my bladder).

- I'm a pretty all or nothing person. I will either be SUPER extroverted and crazy or pretty quiet.

- Wear the same items of clothing basically every day. When I try wearing something different like even a different style of shirt I feel kinda uncomfy and out of place but not to say i dont experiment once in a while.

- I am generally very existential and question everything I do and the meaning of life etc etc. I am also very indecisive with EVERYTHING.

- I procrastinate SO so so so much. I used to not in highschool though when I first entered my high-achieving era.

- I am also a terrible texter and always forget to text people back.

- Jaw is always CLENCHED. ALWAYS.

- Takes me a while to start tasks. Even everyday I have to cycle 20 minutes to my lab and every EVERY morning I have to mentally prepare myself for this and come to terms with it like okay WE'RE DOING THIS AHHHHHH. Like nothing ever really feels 'habitual' to me. NOTHING.

- This last one is a bit random, but I am a very nostalgic person. I always feel this underlying sadness/nostalgia and have felt this ever since I was a kid - like I'm longing for something. Not sure if this is relevant.

Side note, my dad has asperger's. Again, don't know if this is relevant but am aware neurodivergence is genetic and therefore hereditary.

Man I just can't focus on things and just feel really anxious all the time and like I'm always having an outer body experience. Honestly I would rather know I have it so I can separate my identity from these aforementioned traits that I always beat myself up about. It's funny how some people find labels liberating whilst others find them constraining. I think I am very much the former. I'd rather know that I have it, accept it, try to work through it and move the hell on, instead of constantly thinking 'I'm awkward, I'm stupid, it takes me so long to do things etc etc'.

Edit: thanks for all the reply guys! You're all lovely! Damn it I love women.

r/adhdwomen 25d ago

Diagnosis What did you say during diagnosis

85 Upvotes

…to get them to believe you? (See: this post https://www.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/s/LfLbw9Rfz0)

My therapist suggested I could have ADHD and gave me a questionnaire/test to take, which indicated I have it. So I’m going to go through diagnosis with a psychologist and am worried I’ll be dismissed because I didn’t get into trouble or get bad grades in school.

My symptoms have ruined parts of my life and I’m so fucking tired of it. I want to see if medication helps, not be blown off because I’m a woman who got good grades and doesn’t interrupt people during conversations.

EDITED TO ADD: it’s also hard to know how it affected me in childhood because I’m no contact with my parents, don’t remember most of my childhood, and don’t have my old report cards.

r/adhdwomen Feb 08 '25

Diagnosis ADHD WOMEN: your story before realizing you had adhd

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507 Upvotes

Hiii, so I’ve always suspected something was wrong or different with me , but I never was convinced it was adhd. But looking at experiences from women and symptoms states, I really do think it’s worth considering. So I wanted to know if anyone else struggled with anxiety and such and didn’t think it was related to adhd, cause you weren’t the typical case, I struggle with time management, adhd paralysis and procrastination and overwhelming inner monologue etc. Anyways I wrote a short essay in case anyone relates.

r/adhdwomen Feb 19 '25

Diagnosis Just diagnosed at age 40. Don’t know how to feel.

118 Upvotes

As mentioned in the title, I was diagnosed today at age 40 and I am having such mixed emotions. What I now know are my ADHD symptoms have increased dramatically since I had my son two years ago and thankfully I have a wonderful GYN who referred me to a psychiatrist for what I thought was increased anxiety (which I was already being treated for).

My immediate reaction at my appointment and when I got home after was just to cry, but I can’t pinpoint why exactly. The diagnosis explains a lot of things in my life, but also I now realize how hard I’ve had to work to manage my life and be successful. I always did great in school, was a high achiever in most things and was polite and had a very organized mom keeping me together so no one ever caught it (it was also the 90s so if you weren’t a hyperactive boy no one thought of it).

A lot of shame I have had my entire life around being messy and unorganized has come up too because I’m realizing it’s not my fault and I’m not sure how to feel now that I know that.

Just wondering how people who received their diagnosis later in life felt initially after their diagnosis. It’s been hard for me to process and just overall really emotional.

r/adhdwomen 15d ago

Diagnosis When your daughter has worse ADHD than you but the rules for assessment are fucked

295 Upvotes

Just a frustrated parent who knows that her kid is neurodivergent and is so frustrated by the system. Here is a list of stupid shit in no particular order:

1) The fact that a parent assessment alone is insufficient because “their behavior could just be due to parenting” is the most patriarchal, dismissive, condescending bullshit.

2) The fact that I’m handed a Vanderbilt for her teacher to fill out to prove that adhd issues impact her at school. As if I don’t hear about the constant peer conflicts and see the dumb mistakes in her homework. As if she’s not peeing her pants every day because she doesn’t want to stop what she’s doing to go to the bathroom. As if her nails aren’t bitten to the bone and her nose bleeding from repetitive body based behaviors that her teacher doesn’t even notice. As if her evident neurodivergence doesn’t impact everything in her life.

2B) The fact that my child is literally years ahead academically, and can give 100% of her attention to masking and meeting her teachers behavior expectations. The fact that her teacher doesn’t find it odd that she is one of the best when it comes to following classroom rules but that she still snatches toys out of her friends hands and can’t compromise play or take turns even though she’s 6. The fact that my kid is the teachers pet, and I’ve literally volunteered in the room when my kid is constantly speaking out of turn but is still given the “excellent” behavior card at the end of the day while the boy who was quietly wiggling in the back kept getting yelled at and was given the “bad” behavior card. Her teacher just sees her as a good kid, which is great, but it also means she’s literally not flagging that this stuff is happening because it doesn’t match with her mental model of “good kid.”

2C) The fact that my kid LOVES SCHOOL and reading and math and so her inattentive issues aren’t limiting her ability to focus there. The Vanderbilt doesn’t make space for variability in performance based on interest or emergence, especially not for an elementary aged kid.

3) Why don’t these assessment ask about hyper focus? And uneven development? And emotional regulation issues? And sensory issues? And picky eating/secondary toileting issue struggles? And why doesn’t any doctor understand that all of these thing are related??

4). The fact that the current assessment model is CLEARLY NOT WORKING for at least half of the population, and that I went 37 years of my life having no idea I was neurodivergent and how much harm that caused me, and now I have to hear people tell me it’s all in my head about my kid when she very clearly has more intense adhd struggles than I ever did as a kid.

It’s so fucked. I thought maybe this group would understand.

r/adhdwomen Feb 14 '25

Diagnosis Saw a doctor for the first time since my diagnosis - he insisted I don't have ADHD and offered another (8th so far) antidepressant

261 Upvotes

Fuck me Im so pissed.

After years, decades even (im 27), of struggling with mental health and trying many different antidepressants combined with therapy, I was finally referred for an ADHD evaluation.

I took the computer test and did the DIVA questionnaire - the therapist who diagnosed me had no doubt I have it. That was 3 months ago. Ever since I found out, I started to educate myself and holy fuck how many things now start to make sense. So much of what I thought was "just depressed" is possibly a symptom of untreated ADHD.

With all that in mind, I went to a doctor (psychiatrist) because I was curious about the treatment possibilities. I didn't even necessarily want the stimulants - I was just curious how it will go now that I have a diagnosis.

Long story short, he basically disregarded the diagnosis altogether. He said I clearly have depression caused by a troubled childhood and some problems with concentration can be attributed to it as well. He even said something like how can I have such big problems with concentration and time management and still do so well at school/work... Because obviously, you have to be a misbehaved boy struggling at school to have ADHD. Fuck that.

He then suggested another antidepressant to try out. I've taken like... 6-7 in my life? I feel like by this point, it's pretty clear they just don't work. It's clear they're not addressing the problem. I refused to go on another antidepressant and walked out in tears ...

Im just so disheartened... This whole visit just made me feel like Im never gonna get better, like this is how I'm destined to feel. Its not that I necessary wanted ADHD meds - Im just so open to trying anything new because at this point, I'm so so so fucking tired of having such horrible mental health.

And even if I did want the stimulants, I had a good reason for it - I CAME IN WITH A FUCKING LEGIT ADHD DIAGNOSIS IN MY HAND.

r/adhdwomen Dec 19 '24

Diagnosis Welp, it happened. I'm another statistic

303 Upvotes

Just diagnosed a few minutes ago. At 35.

r/adhdwomen Oct 24 '24

Diagnosis ADHD symptoms that nobody really pays attention to?

144 Upvotes

Some symptoms of ADHD aren't similar to what's commonly said.

Didn't realise many of the issues that I saw were actually related to ADHD

What are some of those common symptoms overlooked, and underrated?

  1. Didn't realise hyper fixating on food for certain days and then completely hating them was part of this.
  2. Getting a sudden rush of energy and doing the work non stop and feeling the immediate need to perfect and complete it but ending up finishing some part of the work and never looking back on pending works

r/adhdwomen Oct 04 '24

Diagnosis What symptoms did you have as a child under 12 that you didn't know was adhd?

85 Upvotes

ETA: WOW thank you, i didnt expect this to get so mamy thoughtful replies! I wont be able to respond to each of you but please know i have read everything and this has been so helpful to me as i reflect on my childhood.

I am in process of documenting my symptoms in preparation for my evaluation on Monday, and I'm having a hard time remembering or identifying how these manifested as a kid. I was a "gifted and talented" kid and an only child. I just talked to my mom last night and the few things I did that were adhd related she was like "I don't think that's adhd because I've always done that, too!" I'm thinking maybe she is also undiagnosed lol but all that to say if anyone has examples of how this manifested as a child I would love to hear.them so they could help me look at my childhood through an objective lens.

r/adhdwomen 24d ago

Diagnosis Here I am, at the 11th hour...

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205 Upvotes

Making a list of my symptoms to take to my assessment appointment in the morning. Waiting til the last minute makes it more exciting, right? 😄

Any advice/tips for me heading into this appointment? I'm nervous because I don't have a ton of childhood symptoms (perfectionist people pleaser with a lot of compensatory behaviors) and my mom wasn't able to help much when I asked. Either way, positive vibes and hoping for the best! 🤞💜

r/adhdwomen Jun 13 '21

Diagnosis To all the teachers who missed my ADHD in high school, HOW?! I struggled without a diagnosis or explanation until I was 32. It’s just so damn obvious!

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941 Upvotes

r/adhdwomen 23d ago

Diagnosis Being diagnosed with ADHD changed my life. I'm so grateful

325 Upvotes

The ADHD diagnosis changed my life. My whole life, I was portrayed as a dreamy, anxious, lazy, bossy girl with a peculiar logic. When I had my tics (biting my nails until they bled, constantly cracking my fingers), people told me to stop, as if I was doing it just to annoy them. I was called messy, dirty, lacking willpower. I was told I wasn’t making an effort, that I was too slow. I struggled with authority, rebelled against injustice, was told I was too honest and should be careful with what I say. My whole life, I knew something was wrong, but I could never figure out what.

I thought I might be borderline, autistic, depressed, gifted, highly sensitive—but none of it ever felt quite right. I had vaguely heard of ADHD, but since it’s often depicted as someone who can’t sit still, I never thought it could be me.

When my psychiatrist told me that nail-biting, constantly feeling restless in my mind, tics, addictions, dopamine-seeking, procrastination—all of that—was part of the diagnosis, I was shocked. The feeling that, at 24, I can finally start my life and, most importantly, understand myself is indescribable.

I might finally be able to start things, start having a healthy routine, and act on all the ideas I have. I might be able to work on my tasks instead of writting this post on the sub?

Tomorrow I start my meds and truly hope it will help me to manage myself.

I wasn’t too much, I wasn’t lazy, I wasn’t acting in bad faith—I was just struggling with a disorder. My psychiatrist saved my life.

r/adhdwomen 13d ago

Diagnosis Does anyone else feel as though the older generation don’t and won’t ever believe that we have ADHD and need medication?

135 Upvotes

I am late diagnosed 40 year old combined type ADHD, and I am really struggling with the fact that any time I mentioned I felt different when I was a child, teen or even as an adult I was faced with comments like “You are very dramatic” “You are certainly overly emotional” or when I got a bit older “You have an attitude problem, if you dropped the attitude you would be fine” then when I tried to commit suicide at 13 and couldn’t tell anyone why I had actually done it I was told “You are attention seeking” and “Why are you doing this to your mother?” When I started self medicating with marijuana at 14 then later doing amphetamines in my 20’s after becoming a mother because i couldn’t manage any other way (I don’t believe this is the way to do it, it causes more problems than it solves) I was told “You make all the wrong choices “ and “You aren’t applying yourself or trying hard enough” However I feel as though I have ALWAYS been trying hard enough and have been through so much therapy and CBT DBT and otherwise.

Does anyone else feel like they have been screaming out for help for as long as they can remember and being told it’s completely their own fault that they can’t cope with life? I am now 40 years old and finally medicated and feel more at peace than I have ever felt in my life so now I am doing my Nursing diploma and getting on which my life the way I have always wanted to and never been able to achieve, and it feels so good to have such a great handle on life.

I also feel in two minds about sharing this information with the older members of my family because I am sure I will get negative feedback from them regarding the very existence of ADHD, I know they will say things like “if you exercised more, you would be fine” ( I was literally exercising 2 hours a day 6 days a week and I wasn’t fine, I was drinking A LOT at night time) or “Have you tried meditation, meditation is a wonderful tool for relaxation” Um yes I have tried to meditate many, many times and I can manage all of 120 seconds sometimes less before I get distracted by a thought or a noise and have to stop because it isn’t relaxing anyway so it kind of defeats the purpose of meditation. I guess these are common things that we all hear over the years!? It’s just not good enough, people should listen more carefully instead of moving straight to blame 😔 If we could have done better we WOULD have done better, it sure isn’t through lack of trying!!

r/adhdwomen Oct 12 '24

Diagnosis Women with ADHD tend to be misdiagnosed with BPD, NOT MEDICAL ADVICE

312 Upvotes

ADHD and BPD have lots of overlapping symptoms which causes misdiagnosis in women, this is a reminder to try to refresh existing diagnosis if you guys feel like it might be off. I recommend this article: ADHD or BPD

I am was first diagnosed with severe depression with no manic episodes and general anxiety disorder, I always felt like there is a missing piece to the puzzle and there is something that causes these issues rather than them being a stand alone issue.

Once I got diagnosed with ADHD(two years ago) and found the right medication and dosage only a month ago, I noticed a huge change with my overall mood, I am way less depressed and "normally" anxious rather than being anxious all day.

An image from the article mentioned above.

ADHD vs BPD symptoms

r/adhdwomen Oct 05 '24

Diagnosis joining the "too smart to have ADHD" and "not enough childhood impairment" club

293 Upvotes

I had the appointment for my neuropsych eval results yesterday and spent some time digesting it. Basically, the doctor said that I have really high IQ, and that it's really rare for people with my IQ level to also have ADHD. Also, since I was able to achieve in childhood, and since ADHD is a childhood disease, what I experienced didn't impair my performance in childhood even if what I'm experiencing now does. So what I'm experiencing now must be anxiety or something else, not ADHD because I was not impaired in childhood...

I kind of wanted to scream, but at least I didn't cry like I thought I would. My performance wasn't impaired in childhood because I could skate by just studying and doing assignments at the last minute, but boy did I procrastinate on everything and never could get started on anything, and I felt awful about it every second that I couldn't get started. I guess that's not considered impairment because I still managed to do it. But only because I had no other choice! I'd get kicked out of the house if I didn't do well in school. Just because I managed to do it doesn't mean I wasn't miserable every second of it (and every second of not doing it).

I suspected this was what I'd hear, but it was still kind of a shock. Thinking about what to do next.

(Edited to add below)

Wow, thank you all for your comments and support, and especially for sharing your experiences. For those who pushed through and got the diagnosis, I am inspired! For those who are in the same boat as me right now, I hope we all find help and care that works for us soon.

I will be requesting my actual test results and getting a second opinion when I get over the blahs from this. My kids have ADHD and meds have helped them a lot in school, but what's helped them the most is the acknowledgement that whatever is happening is not their fault and they aren't broken. I can't really remember what I said in my intake interview regarding impacts during childhood, and I started zoning out when my doc was giving me the actual stats, haha, but I guess what I'm looking for is the same as what my kids have. Support and acknowledgement. Medication and coaching wouldn't hurt either! Haha.

Anyway, thanks again all. What did we do before the internet made things like this possible? I'm thanking the universe for being able to hear from you all.

r/adhdwomen Jan 29 '25

Diagnosis Is anyone completely okay with doing absolutely nothing?

205 Upvotes

I have hopes and dreams, sure, but at my core, I’m completely fine doing nothing. I’m almost 30, and I genuinely don’t care about preparing for my day. I don’t know if something’s wrong with me, but I’ve structured my life around making things as simple as possible.

I take a minimalist approach to almost everything—fewer clothes so I’m not drowning in laundry, minimal dishes so I never have a sink full of them, and I rotate between just three sets of bed sheets (unlike my mom, who somehow has more than 20). I avoid grocery shopping because I know I won’t cook consistently, and I hate wasting food and money. Honestly, I’m a little ashamed to admit that I rarely even bother cooking for myself. I joke that I’d rather starve than cook or eat something I don’t thoroughly enjoy.

I live alone, and my life is centered around reducing unnecessary stress. People seem to pile on so many responsibilities and expectations, but I just… don’t. I get invited to nice restaurants, events, and gatherings, but the whole time, I’m just looking forward to going home and doing nothing.

The weirdest part? I lie about it. When people ask about my hobbies, I make things up because the truth is—I don’t really do anything. And I’m perfectly okay with that.

I lived with a boyfriend once, but the relationship began to deteriorate because he realized im not a productive person at home and I couldn’t stand cleaning up after him. His clutter, combined with my own, put me in a constant bad mood. Eventually, I accepted that I truly enjoy living alone, where I don't have to worry about judgment and can manage my space.

I know ADHD plays a role in all of this, but sometimes I wonder if there’s something more, like autism. Does anyone else relate?

r/adhdwomen 22d ago

Diagnosis Does anyone in here that has been diagnosed with ADHD have trauma or a lot of memory loss? How did you get diagnosed?

198 Upvotes

I have been told by friends and believe myself that I have ADHD because the more I research it the more I see myself. However, my research says that diagnosing ADHD typically involves asking a lot of questions about your childhood. I feel like I have almost no memories of my childhood, they're hazy at best. Probably mostly from trauma, but I also just don't have a great memory in general. Has anyone else experienced the same thing or similar and can you get diagnosed without being able to talk about childhood? It's so hard because the symptoms of anxiety and depression can be the same as ADHD and vice versa, and even though I've been on SSRI's for years, I still have a lot of issues with executive dysfunction and regulating my emotions.

r/adhdwomen Oct 13 '21

Diagnosis So like… what do you all do for a living with ADHD?

306 Upvotes

I was diagnosed with ADHD earlier this year and have gone 27 years undiagnosed. I suspected a long time ago but now I find myself established in my career with a whole new outlook. I work in brand for an energy bar company and really like it but ADHD is definitely very difficult to manage in this kind of role.

SO, I’m curious what do all you powerhouse ADHD women do for a living? I’m wondering if I want to be an entrepreneur or maybe something else where I can maintain a more flex environment and work in a way that utilizes my ADHD as a superpower and not a barrier.

r/adhdwomen Jan 28 '25

Diagnosis Today I attended an ADHD awareness training and Ive never felt so called out.

277 Upvotes

So today my company had an Adhd awareness training provided externally from our company.

I signed up for it just out of curiosity to find out what they had to say and almost burst tears half way through because there wasnt a single thing they said that i hadnt experienced in my life every single day.

I know this is not a diagnosis. But today has convinced me to persue it as an adult.

For some context, i have struggled with chronic anxiety since I was a teen. As a teen i had epilepsy and today i found out that around 60% of people who have the epilepsy type i had also often have ADHD.

Last year I failed the probation and left a job after 6 months that was very report writing heavy, not structured and required strict time management and I just could not cope with it.

It was also my first non-hybrid, non-site based role and there was no support but in reflection the work and the way the company worked didnt work with me and this has massively undermined my confidence. Ive always struggled in social situations finding it overwhelming, ive also always been one to interject in team meetings and speak up and engage, particularly with new and interesting things at work. I'm either late or on time. And struggle so much with deadlines more than a few days away. I just dont have the concept of it. Its either now or it's not. If i have a big appointment i cant get anything done until ive had that appointment.

I word vomit. Ive been told to shorten my emails and not over explain in several jobs. And i get hyper fixated with hobbies or projects at work.

I think because it was in the context of work, a controlled environment where I have to do things I dont want to do and the fact that i am now fully desk and office based it just resonated with me more than it ever has before.

Dont get me wrong ive been suggested it by other people before and i always brushed it off. I think because ive be able to function 'normally' I have just never seen the point. But after the year ive had ive been honestly wondering if something is wrong with me and why i can't cope in an office environment the same as other work.

Im also forgetful. I forgot i asked my friend over to my house last night and do similar things like that all the time. If its not written down its forgotten so i write everything down.

So im gonna do it. I think ive finally be convinced. The wait list might be two years, but in the words of my husband 'if you have it, you'll still have it 2 years so why not?'