Voice of Real Australia is a regular newsletter from ACM, which has journalists in every state and territory. Sign up here to get it by email, or here to forward it to a friend.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The hour was nearly up. My eyes followed the psychiatrist's every move, studying his facial expressions each time he wrote in his notepad.
Some of the questions felt tedious and invasive but I knew he was doing his job.
Silences were swallowed by the sound of the clock ticking on the wall.
The room had a clinical feel about it; a white box illuminated by long LED lights. The psychiatrist wasn't wearing a white medical coat but in my mind, he may as well have been.
He took a long breath and gazed over his notes one last time and said, "From what you've told me, I believe you have ADHD..."
He began to trail off and list treatment options but his words became muffled and faint. I could no longer hear the seconds ticking by. My whole body softened in relief.
I repeated the words over and over, allowing them to sink in.
I was not surprised by the diagnosis, I had expected it. Although, I'm not sure how I would have reacted if he didn't confirm what I already felt in my bones.
I'd done my research and waited over five months for this pricey appointment but, by God, it felt good to hear it from a professional's lips.
The diagnosis provided an answer to why I was the way I was; everything I had experienced suddenly felt validated.
For 23 years I had been fighting a silent battle inside my own head. Fighting, hating, and blaming a part of myself I could not control.
A kind of joy took hold of me, it was liberating.
There wasn't anything wrong with me. My brain was just wired differently.
While the diagnosis did not come as a shock to me, it was a surprise to most people who know me, including my friends and family.
Like most women who have ADHD, I am not the classic textbook example.
I may have been a bit of a daydreamer, forgetful, and always running late but my grades and school reports never reflected the subtle yet clear signs of ADHD.
Twelve years of schooling and four years of university and no one, not even me, had questioned the possibility that I might have ADHD.
It was not until six months prior that I first began to toy with the possibility. I had just listened to the latest Hack episode by ABC's Triple J after my mum had recommended it to me.
In the episode, they interview Rachel, a 27-year old female business owner and prior medical journalist, who is "the opposite of the naughty-kid-in-the-classroom stereotype" that people often associate with ADHD.
The episode goes on to address the lack of awareness around ADHD, particularly in women, and the importance of treatment.
I remember calling my mum afterward, laughing together as she told me how much it sounded like me. It was more of an entertaining thought, but one I couldn't quite shake.
Over the next few days, it was all I could think about. Nothing else seemed to matter.
I read numerous articles, listened to podcasts, and watched endless TikTok videos of other young women sharing their experiences of living with ADHD.
I couldn't get enough; their stories strongly resonated with me.
There was one particular article that really stood out. It was on the ADDitude website and was a list of common ADHD symptoms in adult women.
Everything I had previously associated with ADHD seemed limited, outdated, and wrong.
And it didn't stop there.
I've since learned there are different types of ADHD.
The hyperactive and impulsive type of ADHD is what most of us think of when we picture someone who has ADHD, aka the Bart Simpsons of the world. This type of ADHD is easier to recognise and more often diagnosed in children and men.
Whereas, people who have the inattentive type of ADHD tend to be forgetful, have trouble staying focused, find it difficult to follow detailed instructions, often misplace possessions, are easily distracted, and can often come across as spacey or a daydreamer.
This is me.
Inattentive ADHD is often diagnosed in adults, and is also a lot more common in girls and women than it is in boys and men. This is part of the problem.
Symptoms of the inattentive type of ADHD are often internalised, and therefore, more subtle and difficult to detect. It is largely misdiagnosed and can often be mistaken by medical professionals as mood disorders, anxiety, or depression.
Undiagnosed and untreated ADHD can have a major impact on an individual. It can affect all aspects of life, from your education to your career and relationships.
More concerningly, studies have shown that without proper treatment, a person who has ADHD is more likely to develop low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors, substance abuse and addictions.
For me, being diagnosed with ADHD completely turned my world around for the better.
Reading and listening to other women's experiences helped me and I hope by writing this I can do the same.
If reading this article strikes a chord and you suspect that you might have ADHD, please talk to your GP.
Want to read more on ADHD? Stay tuned. I will be sharing part two of this story where I dive deeper into all things ADHD, speak to an Honorary Professor of Psychiatry and share other journalists' stories.
In case you are interested in filtering all the latest down to just one late afternoon read, why not sign up for The Informer newsletter?
MORE STUFF HAPPENING AROUND AUSTRALIA:
- Dig in and nominate now for the 2022 General Jeffery Soil Health Award
- 'Fake' and 'low-rent': Labor's bruising Morrison attack at election launch
- Heatwave in west, flooding on the east coast
- Cleo Smith abduction accused in WA court
- The crossword clue that had a ring to it
- Don't drag feet on federal ICAC, former watchdog says
- The Block renovators reveal their top tips
- Voters tip Labor to win election: Newspoll