ADHD Aha! | Masking ADHD symptoms to go above and beyond (René Brooks’ story)

René Brooks was diagnosed with ADHD three separate times — at ages 7, 11, and 25 — so she’s had plenty of “aha” moments.

When René was a child, mental health and medication stigma kept her family from receiving vital education about ADHD. But when she was diagnosed at age 25, she was ready to tell everyone about her ADHD diagnosis.

René started Black Girl Lost Keys to empower Black women with ADHD. She’s an advocate, a content creator, and the host of the “Life With Lost Keys” podcast.

In this week’s episode of “ADHD Aha!,” René unpacks her childhood ADHD diagnoses. She shares how she’d mask her ADHD symptoms, and how that led to anxiety and depression in adulthood. Also in this episode: Is ADHD really a superpower?

[drawnbysam]

26 finally diagnosed with ADHD after years of suspecting. Also PTSD, depression, general anxiety, PMDD. And it's been a long process to get answers and validation. This was very helpful and I love the advice. Thank you.

[sarahgilmour]

But you can also be anxiously early im both either late, or i over commit and i have a family member who has adhd who is a part of me and I'm a mum who they say adhd is hereditary, i mask alot to fit in i been told by my therapist that i have traits of both adhd and add thats from someone who works with people who have adhd

[danielcann]

It’s taken me so long to stop masking. Now it’s pen down, I’ll wait 😂

[taralilarose]

A lot of folks think they have ASD and/or ADHD when it's actually CPTSD!!!