“Could be the top of the class, if she put her mind to it.”
“Finishes her work quickly, but then gets up to move around the classroom chatting and distracting others.”
“A pleasure to teach, but would get more done if she weren’t daydreaming out of the window.”
“Highly creative with huge potential, when she applies herself.”
“Talks too much, but excels under her own direction.”
Extracts from my school reports.
There’s a grieving period with a late diagnosis, of what life could have been had you had the knowledge or the guidance that is available now.
I don’t linger on this, but back in October after becoming official, there was a month or two when I was reeling with the information. My coping mechanism is always to learn as much as possible about whatever *it* is, in this case, ADHD.
Allow me to present to you, the best (in my opinion) places for information and validation.
Listicles aren’t the done thing here on Substack but sometimes it’s an easier way to digest information quickly.
Additionally, this is a post about ADHD so it would be remiss of me to try and write something too long when the experience of ADHD symptoms manifest differently depending on your own life.
Just gimme the goods, I hear you say!
The following helped me open my mind to neurodiversity after learning more about it due to one of my kids. Like many women my age, I recognise myself in much of what is going on for her.
Some of the resources below are from autistic folk. I’ve included them because, apart from being brilliant, they helped me to recognise the spectrum element and the crossover of some symptoms.
Think of this list as a jumping-off point for your own investigations, if you feel the need.
Side note- most of the resources below are from women because that is where I recognise my experience.
Books
Better Late Than Never by Emma Mahony. This book had me in tears at several points. The list of jobs was like reading much of my employment history, also helpful that it’s from a writer in the UK.
Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté. This book helped me, but I have complex feelings about some of his theories
Articles
The ADHD theory of "Everything Everywhere All at Once." I saw this film without knowing the backstory about the writers and the plot- I said to my husband within ten minutes of watching, “This is what the inside of my head is like,” and then I found this article.
ADHD_love_ - Hugely relatable content from a couple who recently published a book I’ve yet to get to.
neurodivergent_lou - Possibly the wisest 21-year-old ever?
amandaperry - ADHD business strategist.
adhd_girls - ADHD advocacy, also a WhatsApp group.
dt.perry - Over the pond is somewhat ahead of us with regards to ADHD, this is information with the science behind it.
myladyadhd - Another USA-based source here, Trina posts relatable and helpful content.
weareunmasked - A community for autism, ADHD & neurodivergents
Podcasts
This recent Mel Robbins episode
For general information and expert interviews ADHD Women’s Wellbeing podcast
Tiktok
Dr Sam Zoranovich The Neuroqueer Chiropractor blew my mind because he accurately named lots of the things I’ve had going on with my physical body, all my life. It turns out that there are commonalities of comorbidities (things that often occur) that are associated with ND’s. He is on other platforms and obviously has his own practice, but TikTok is where I found him.
Substack
Susannah Conway - I’ve followed Susannah for years, we got our ADHD diagnoses within a month of each other.
Charlie Rewilding - Charlie is a more recent discovery, she has a YouTube account where she powerfully shares the depth of her experiences.
Let me know if this is helpful.
Great list! I myself was diagnosed with and medicated for ADHD for a better part of my life, but my diagnosis was recently changed to autism. There is a lot of symptom overlap between the two, as both conditions affect executive functioning, but I also think there are important distinctions. I'm currently studying yoga therapy and eastern medicine to try and figure out ways yoga and other eastern wellness practices might be used to help support neurodiverse patients, and this resource list is super helpful for helping me better understand those with ADHD who don't also have ASD, particularly the part about comorbidities - so thank you!
Also, I too have mixed feelings about Dr. Gabor Maté, I think he is brilliant at outlining how lifestyle issues in the west that exacerbate attention issues, but I think he under-emphasizes the role of the genetic basis.
Thanks for sharing all those Susan so helpful! I haven't had a proper diagnosis but the more and more I read and hear the more and more I relate to ADHD. Going to have a read through all of your links too. I'm a lot kinder to myself now and give myself what I need when I am struggling to focus. It makes sense why exercise and getting into nature are so important to me and I get bored so easily!