Yes, Black women have ADHD too and need your attention! | Abigail Agyei | TEDxUniversityofEssex

ADHD affects everyone though women often go undiagnosed, black women even more so. Abigail Agyei has lived with this disorder for her whole life, though she only got diagnosed recently. In her talk, she explains how and why early diagnosis in everyone, black women included, is important for the entire society and discusses why it isn’t a norm now. Abigail Agyei is an award winning, MBE holding, dynamic senior policy advisor and change maker. She has over seven years’ experience in building and maintaining strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and community groups, leading community projects with vast experience supporting voluntary and marginalized groups.

[NiquesFresh]

So great to hear people addressing neurodiversity in respect of ethnicity. Abi you did so well sharing your experience with us and hopefully this will help employers consider their employees a lot more when it comes to creating more ideal work conditions and providing support

[jusbeautiful]

Thank you. I was recently diagnosed and I am 38. Now I understand and I give myself some grace. It was overlooked and now I am grateful I got the diagnoses.

[MakedaPhillips]

"You are not broken, and you do not need to be fixed." Love that

[createwithgloria]

Im just 23 and know that there's so much potential ahead and ways to make ADHD work for me, but this, that intro is the summary of my entire life for😢

[mermaiddebbie]

I needed to see this because i hold so much resentment to myself - wish i knew earlier.

[paigecdee]

I felt like a proud cousin watching this. I enjoyed watching every minute of your TED Talk Abigail. I felt seen, heard, and represented. I am 27 years old and was officially diagnosed last week and five days on meds. I advocated for myself, got the support I needed and took the steps to help make my life a little easier.

[paulmerritt]

The psychological approach complicates ADHD and people are constantly being dual diagnosed with ADHD and bipolarism or ADHD and imposter syndrome etc. ADHD is not mental illness. It is a neurological disorder and it took me 50 years of living to find this out. at age 48 my ADHD became so severe I thought there might be something else wrong. It was because my already affected chemistry was being affected by a new lack of testosterone due to age. I went to my family doctor and told him I needed referral to be diagnosed and treated for suspected ADHD. He sent me to a neurologist and told me he did not want me to see a psychologist for it as they would prescribe me medications before diagnosing me. The second reason my doctor told me was that I was not mentally ill. The neurologist I was sent to see told me I was the worst case he has had in his career. His specialty is ADHD and autism Spectrum Disorder. They are connected. ADHD is part of the spectrum. The education my neurologist gave me changed everything for me. autism is not a mental illness either, It is neurological also.

One "fact" she mentions here is that people with ADHD are of all levels of inelegance and it simply is not true as far as I am concerned. My neurologist also agrees that those with ADHD tend to be in the higher category. An IQ test was part of my diagnosis. I have been told all my life that I was so smart but was just too lazy to apply myself or that I just didn't care enough. Don't believe the lies. If you have ADHD you likely have a very high IQ and if you have had your education and intellect oppressed then your self worth is oppressed. The number one problem all folks with ADHD and autism share is that we are misunderstood. It is t he root of most of our troubles as we also misunderstand ourselves based on the context of others. As a person with ADHD when the ADHD is not recognized is seen as having all the worst characteristics of a model citizen. Thanks for sharing and bringing awareness. Keep advocating and researching! Please know ADHD can cause us to develop mental illness but it is not a mental illness.

[ClearlyitsJanae]

I finally feel seen and I needed this I should’ve advocated for myself more in the past but happy that I am doing so now. Thank you for shedding light on this!!

[CG]

Thank you Abigail this ted talk is very much needed. Who knew Symone, Mel B and Solange have ADHD? Thanks 4 letting me know now I feel not so alone. 💯😊

[FreeBird.]

Shading tears... Thank you so much for this talk❤️

[davinaboolaky]

Wow, this is amazing! You really opened a door for me, and after listening to one of your previous talks, I contacted my GP and am now on my journey to being clinically diagnosed. Being from a south Asian background, I also felt (and feel) shame around all of your opening words and more. I've done a lot of research and have found so many answers to my "why"'s - thank you! Thank you for being a positive role model and for sharing your experiences, more of this is needed to stimulate awareness and change in our society. I am proud of my ADHD and my new found awareness of it; our neurodiversity is our superpower.

[c.alexandraray]

❤❤❤❤❤ Thank you so much for this!! I am a neurospicy individual with AuDHD. I have a late diagnosis, but it was my 9yr daughter’s symptoms and diagnosis that led me to seek clarity and understanding of my own symptoms. We lead a fun and challenging neurospicy life. Our support needs are not the same!!! I thrive with isolation and few social interactions, she thrives with social interactions and few periods of isolation. I sent her the last statement you made. I feel it will help her bc it was something I would have loved to hear at her age. Thank you 🙏🏽

[bonniefrazier]

This brought me to tears. Thank you for every word.

[lynnemagruder]

Thank you I feel so isolated 35 years old army veteran just swinging

[lenabellamy]

Took me until age 50 to be diagnosed with combined ADHD.

[Adriellawinnie]

This was incredible and I feel seen and heard. Thank you for your vulnerability it’s means so much to me.

[wrecktanglin]

This walk was great!! Never realized that Ted talks needed to be memorized that’s so ableist

[saraelizabethdiamond]

So awesome to see and hear you Abigail! You were so grate at explaining what I have. I am a middle school educator and I will carry your message and maybe even get a few young ladies who I think would be helped by seeing people who look like them watch this TED talk. Thank you!!

[Ashley-urin]

Beautiful job. Related to so much of this. Feels so good to be seen ❤

[missbrittanny]

Thank you so much for this! I truly appreciate it. It really resonated with me for so many reasons.