ADHD at 42: From grief to grounded self-understanding
My diagnosis at 42 was a strange kind of relief. Everything finally made sense — the intensity, the exhaustion, the constant feeling of being out of sync — but it also brought grief for the years I spent trying to “cope” without a map. Parenting with ADHD has been both challenge and mirror. I’m learning…
At Forty-Two
They called him careless, just a phase,A boy who drifted through a haze.Too bright to fail, too wild to stay,He learned to mask and look okay. The teachers sighed, “He won’t apply,”While parents said, “At least you try?”The doctors guessed: anxiety,Depression, maybe low esteem. He blamed himself for every miss,Each chance undone, each hit or…
The best diagnosis i ever got
I was diagnosed with ADHD at age 36 (female, Germany) during a heavy phase of depression. Acknowledging that i am depressed was the hardest bit. My husband told me he worries about me. He was right, i was being bullied at work (social worker) by my former boss. I was suicidal. But i listened to…
Embracing ADHD and AS, as My Superpower
Growing up, I struggled with shyness and a lack of confidence. While I thrived in sports and music during my primary years, entering secondary school made me feel increasingly out of place. Now, at 57, I’ve come to terms with my identity as a misfit, and I’ve learned to celebrate it. As a writer when…
Yay! I got diagnosed early!!!
Hi! My name is Daphne, I got diagnosed with ADHD when i was 11! And my medication has helped me with focusing and needing a fidget in my hand every second. It has also helped with my understanding of some things. So, i highly recommend medication i take Ritalin its very good and helped me…
Living with ADHD
My name is Lizabeth Carney and I was diagnosed with ADHD, which came with several other disorders. I lived 48 years with no medication. It was hard and I put my body through hell living like that. I realized maybe I needed to adopt medication to my cognitive behavioral therapy and it’s working. I am…
Diagnosed at 49: I Wasn’t Lazy or Stupid—I Had ADHD
I never knew I had ADHD. I wasn’t hyper, so I figured everyone got distracted sometimes. I got by—but always felt just a little behind.
My ADHD
I was one of the lucky ones who got diagnosed early.
Rediscovering Myself at 52: How ADHD Changed My Life
At 52, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and it changed my life. For decades, I masked my struggles—feeling flawed, clumsy, and out of sync with the world. But receiving the diagnosis was both a relief and a reckoning. Suddenly, I had an explanation for my lifelong challenges, but I also had to grieve the little…
My Life with ADHD and how I made it my superpower, also how it influence my career choice.
From a young age I knew I was different. My 1st memory of day dreaming was in first grade and during math. We were learning what a dozen was and I went to another land, I honestly don’t remember much of course but I do remember feeling like sad because I didn’t know what a…