ADHD in women and girls ❤️ #adhd #adhdbrain #neurodivergent

[SARJ]

OMG, when you said, "They grieve the life that could have been" it brought tears to my eyes. I was late diagnosed with ADHD at 36 and I'm still processing what my life was, before the diagnosis and the impact it has silently had on me as a person, my jobs, friendships, and more. It's even lead me to discover that I've been subject to a lifetime of emotional abuse, which I'm struggling to get away from, and I feel my ADHD makes me weak and more vulnerable to this... It makes me feel ashamed and hurt, confused, lost and very, very alone. Hopefully, one day I'll come out the other side of it all and be able to start living a happy, safe, simple life.

[tiegrsidesignsandstudio]

We didn't try to fool our doctors - our doctors weren't LISTENING to us.

[dag]

Diagnosed at 50....happy that I finally know I am not lazy and stupid

[missdirectedawakening]

Rarely does anyone talk about grieving the life that could have been had I had the chance

[guineverebachelor]

As a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD only in my 60s, I want to thank you for this. It’s so accurate.

[sumis]

“Grief the life that could have been” 😭💔 this is me 💔

[MoreWaterThanBlood]

My brother had adhd and was diagnosed very early on like at 3/4 … when he was 16 and I was 18 I went to pick him up from his neurologist apt and the dr met me 5 minutes later she asked me if I had ever been tested for adhd … booom she was spot on. It is always baffling to me this is something I could have known about and learned tools for from such an early age just like my brother. Also so baffling my parents, family, friends, teachers, coaches no one ever noticed or mentioned I should be checked for it. This woman knew me for 5 minutes and gave me so many answers I wasn’t even asking the right questions for. I am always going to be grateful for her.

[katiejenkins]

I use to think I was crazy until I found videos of people talking about ADHD. so glade to know I’m not alone.

[Calibizaro]

The grieving part got me crying because it's so true. 😢

[NancyMcCurry]

Diagnosed at 63. I cried, so much lost time. The diag helped me find my tribe and discover a boiling anger at being scolded as a ditz and a trifle all while scrambling to regain some order in my life.

[danaw]

Labeled with depression half of my life by physicians and therapist. Self diagnose two months ago at age 58 when I saw a video and started to cry because it was me. Asked my physician and psychiatrist, and they agreed with me, but they don't seem to know what to do with me.
I'm grateful for Youtube videos knowing I am not alone.

[none]

I'm 46 and refused to take drugs for depression and anxiety.
I have been miserable trying to figure out what was wrong with me. All my life traumas just distracted me and I have tried to hide how broken I feel on a daily basis. Trying to find myself... I found me. Now I don't hate myself anymore.

[JB-qfep]

I masked in my childhood and internalised all of this (except time blindness, skin picking and other traits). I am now in my 30s and can't get a diagnosis because my GPS won't refer me because I can sit in a chair during the appointment and because I masked in childhood. Extremely frustrating and can't help feeling diminished and misunderstood.

[GoDenimAndLeo]

This is my life in a nutshell. Not diagnosed until age 51 after my boys were diagnosed. I am constantly overwhelmed and often grieve the life I could have had if I had been diagnosed and treated early on. Every part of this is exactly how I have felt my entire life.

[brendatomlinson]

I’m in tears. “Grieve the life that could have been” is where I am currently. I was diagnosed one year ago, at 60 years of age. The clarity that’s coming to me now is overwhelming. I was diagnosed bipolar II about 10 years ago. I’m planning to revisit that with my current p-doc at my next appointment. With so much overlap of symptoms between bipolar and ADHD I think it’s worth exploring the possibility of misdiagnosis.

[plcumming]

Thank you - I had multiple doctors consider an adhd diagnosis over the first 34 years of my life - I even had two full psycho educational assessments - everyone decided I did not have adhd and my symptoms were caused by anxiety, depression and bulimia. I finally had a wonderful female psychologist who suspected adhd and sent my last assessment results (and even all my old report cards) to a specialist in women & adhd and said that my results were bang on for a woman with adhd and a moderately high level of education / intelligence. Turns out my depression, anxiety, bulimia and even sensitivity to rejection all stem from undiagnosed and unsupported adhd. I often wonder how different things could have been if someone had caught my diagnosis during my first assessment - at 6 years old!

[Jsonkempson]

52 year old man misdiagnosed as bipolar, i didn't even know inattentive was a thing. Lost a marriage due to me going down Hill while being medicated for something i didn't have, i nearly killed myself. Needs to be more training in mental health for this in the uk, been waiting 2 years for an assessment.
I don't normally reply to shorts but this has been my life experience.

[jessycagoldman]

This hits hard. Every thing he just says is exactly how I am

[louana]

So true, i have autism and ADHD, i know it since my 23yo birthday where my mom said to me than i might be autistic because a psychologist tell her than i might have autism (she make me consult because she think i might suicide, which wasn't the case, i just need to be alone because the world was overhelming me) but she keep it to herself, she never make me diagnosed and i feel betrayed because i could have learn long ago to be myself and not be in this permanent masking mechanism, but also than i can actually have a diagnosis because now it's late and it will take so much time to just have a yes. I know i have ADHD too because i am very hyperactive mentally, i have the inattentive form. My Autism and my ADHD mask each others and i also mask to reach the expectations of my parents and of my social anxiety which can make me even more depressed. I start to unmasking little by little, i'm accepting myself and i try to find more healthy ways to cope with my autism and my ADHD. Videos about those make me feel better and it explain and give me advices to actually live with my disorders instead of denied them.

[anitarashidi]

I relate to this so much! Misdiagnosed for so long, and was incredibly good at masking - until I found a therapist who helped me “unmask” and get the proper diagnosis.