ADHD Awareness Month '24: Part 7

This mini episode is part 7 of a mid-series-mini-series created for ADHD Awareness Month 2024. This October's theme is 'Awareness is Key', so I'm sharing the 'key' pieces of ADHD awareness the ADHDAF Community need the world to know and amplifying the voices of those that have gone unheard for far too long.  NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US!

Enormous thanks to Maria, Rachel & Tracy for volunteering their voices and for all of their support!

It's ALMOST ADHDAF DAY! We invite you to join us online THIS FRIDAY: 25th Oct for the THIRD ANNUAL ADHDAF DAY! In which we paint the world leopard print to raise ADHD Awareness. Simply wear at least one leopard print item on 25/10/24 to stand in solidarity with the leopard print army and post a selfie or video on your socials sharing the special message you want the world to know about ADHD, then tag @adhdafpodcast and #ADHDAFDay and I will reshare your messages for the world to see and hear us at a time of ADHD diagnosis crisis and medication shortages.

Trigger warning: Contains swearing and mentions of sensitive subject matter some may find triggering; mental health struggles, divorce, childhood struggles, ableism, bullying, school struggles, misdiagnosis, medical negligence, low self esteem, mental health crisis, suicide

If you are in need of support YOU ARE NOT ALONE! There is immediate help out there so please REACH OUT
Search the ADHD Medication Directory if you are struggling to access medication during the national medication shortage HERE
Listen to Riyadh Khalaf's self support stratergies for ADHDers HERE
FIND OUT about ADHDAF+ Charity HERE

- Alongside ADHD Awareness month it is also Menopause Awareness Month. Find out more about Menopause HERE and listen to Dr Nighat Arif explain Multi Hormone Sensitivity Theory and how hormones impact ADHD HERE
- It's also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I'm in awe of the INCREDIBLE work of the late Kris Hallenga. Sign up for self examination reminders from her charity Coppafeel HERE
- AND it's Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Resources for support curated by @feminist HERE

As mentioned in this episode, If you are Coming Out later in life, you can join the Late Bloomer's Community HERE

You can connect with literally likeminded legends and support the continuation of this podcast by joining the Patreon Peer Support Community
Enormous thanks to the Members for keeping this podcast going for over 2 years!

PLEASE SHARE this episode and write a review/hit those stars, because doing so means that these episodes will spread far and wide. Each one contains important information that society NEEDS to know about ADHD and from the very people whose voices have gone unheard for too long!

Let's join forces this ADHD Awareness month
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN!
Myself and the Leopard Print Army thank you so much for your support and hope to see you on socials in Leopard Print this Friday!
Laura x

Transcript

  If you're a first time listener of ADHD AF, this isn't the usual episode.  This is part seven of what was eight but is actually going to be nine mini episodes as part of a mid series mini series created for ADHD Awareness Month 2024. So October is ADHD Awareness Month and this year's theme is Awareness is Key.

So in these mini episodes, I'm practicing what I preach by leaning into the community as I advise all ADHDers to do. Now alongside ADHD Awareness Month, October is also Menopause Awareness Month. And Friday just gone, 18th of October, was World Menopause Day. Obviously I missed it, but I didn't realise what date it was on Friday. 

I knew that World Menopause Day was coming up, but dates and numbers are not my forte, as that is one of the ways that ADHD presents in me. So, the purpose of the day was to raise awareness of menopause and the support options available for improving health and wellbeing. Perimenopause and menopause can make ADHD symptoms harder to manage, and that is because throughout the different stages of our lives, Our hormone levels fluctuate and this can exacerbate ADHD symptoms.

A little while back I had the wonderful Dr. Nighat Arif on the podcast, well a couple of times actually. I'm going to share a link in the show notes in case you missed it or if you'd like to revisit it to Dr. Nighat talking about multi hormone sensitivity theory and explaining this in more depth. I will also put a link in the show notes.

to World Menopause Day, having missed it, but you know, I'm raising ADHD awareness at the same time.  So there's a link to that in the show notes alongside a full description of what will be covered. So please do have a read before listening on to avoid hearing any topics that you may find triggering. And there is also a link there to free and immediate support for anybody who is struggling.

So what you are about to hear are three snippets from three crucial conversations had over zoom with members of the ADHD AF online peer support community. Now in line of the theme of ADHD Awareness Month, I asked them to share the key piece of awareness that they would like raised this month. Having always said, ADHD services need to be patient led, nothing about us, without us, it's time to hear from the people who listen to and support the ongoing production of this podcast.

The absolute legends who have received validation from the conversations held over two years on this platform. The peers supporting each other in the absence of adequate  It's so important for those of us who have not been heard or supported to have our say. So I wanted to use the platform this special month the best way I could.

So I'm going to hand you over to leopard print army legends, Maria, Rachel and Tracy. Hi,  I'm Maria. I'm based in Vienna in Austria. I stumbled into the ADHD AF discord on a day. After getting into a ridiculous fight with my dad, who is obviously so ADHD,  and I just didn't know what to do because he wouldn't listen, and then he'd blame it on me.

I thought, what is this body doubling? I went on and, uh,  people got it. I decided three days before the event in Glasgow in December that, yeah,  I can go. Of course I can go. I got off track now. I got diagnosed a year and a half ago after my lovely therapist asked me, Hey, have you ever been assessed for ADHD?

And I was like, no,  but my sister has been. So my sister is trans. And when she, um, for all of the  things she had to do to transition, she had to, um, Well, she ended up getting an ADHD diagnosis, and even then afterwards I'd be like,  you know, I forget everything, but I have systems, and stuff like that, so I was like, why do you just blame everything on, you know, and I mean, it's been a thing, so, again, off track, and then I started reading, and I was like, oh, yeah, maybe.

I went to a psychologist who then wrote down that I could not have ADHD because I finished a master's degree. I did music, I could handle a job, I was a good student. So, no ADHD even though most of those other more objective tests just looked like it. And then my psychiatrist was like, well, yeah, let's feel free to ignore that bit.

I started medication and it helped a lot. It didn't cure anything. But it helped knowing about  ADHD is  what has helped me to turn so many things around to recognize so many of the patterns where I'd used to blame myself.  It has changed my life. Sometimes it doesn't look as obvious as you'd think it does. 

Because sometimes.  You just mask it through other things. I could get through school and most things easily, but then I would struggle in other things and sometimes I'd just be like, why can I not do the simplest thing? I have a piece of paper here since July. I need to call a number and say, I went back to work in June.

I need to pay you money. And I'm, it's here, every day. It's very simple. I'm not doing it. Yeah, I cannot hold on to a thought and I will talk too much. But if I don't know the people, I don't talk at all. So, yeah, I lost my point. I have no point. No, you have many points.  And I'm interjecting because you said the dreaded words.

You said too much. You do not talk too much at all.  And I think, no, but you don't. It's what, it's what society tells us, isn't it? And, yeah. That you proved your point absolutely perfectly is that it doesn't look how you think it's going to look. And just because you can get a master's degree and you know, you said you play music, you're actually a brilliant musician, you're a really talented musician, like all of these things that you can do,  but you can't ring that bloody number.

And that is perfect. That's a perfect point. Thank you very much. Well, thank you so much for having me on  and letting me ramble. You didn't ramble. You didn't ramble. You rambled less than I do. Hi, my name's Rachel and I'm 55,  so I'm late coming into this alien family. ADHD is feeling like an imposter most of the time, not feeling like an adult, feeling like I don't belong anywhere, feeling misunderstood.

Thinking I've upset people. If they're sad, I probably did something wrong or forgot something. Basically, it's my fault.  If I don't hear back from someone, they're annoyed with me. Then I panic and worry about messaging them again and being a nuisance.  Always running out of time, rushing around, yet always getting there just at the last minute.

Taking care when doing tasks, so it takes longer than other people. Not being able to stick to a job for longer than a few months. Either I get bored. Or feel like an imposter in the job, so leave before I get discovered.  Always falling over, tripping over, and late to learn to ride my bicycle.  To borrow from Nicole's phrase, At least I now know,  probably because of imposter syndrome, why I am like this.

Hi, I'm Tracy, I'm 44, I'm from Watford Hertfordshire. I was diagnosed in July 2022 with combined type ADHD. I started medication, Velvance, in November 2022. I was diagnosed through Right to Choose and I was one of the lucky ones. I only waited six months for my diagnosis and then six months after that for my medication.

Not so easy for my son. It took 13 years for his diagnosis for ADHD and autism and I'm currently on the waiting list for my daughter who's 15. She's been on the waiting list since she was 12. I would like the world to know how unfair it is that we have a postcode lottery in place and that people shouldn't be having to reach crisis point to be put on a five year plus waiting list for medication that will not only change but in some cases save their lives.

I've masked my entire life and was existing rather than living due to not feeling worthy of being me. Understanding my ADHD and taking medication has changed everything and everyone should be entitled to that. Over the last two years I've learnt to become myself, not feel scared about being me. I've come out as gay, that was a massive shock to me and people around me.

Through that, I have created a Facebook group called Late Bloomers UK. I've got over a thousand members who, there are a lot of people like me that are late diagnosed ADHD ers.  Should have known earlier, should have been able to live their lives earlier. Um, and should have had the comfort and support of the group.

And people around them understood them many years ago. And everyone should have that right. Everyone should have that right to know who they are and their diagnosis. Enormous thanks to those three legends. Thank you, Maria, Rachel and Tracy. It's funny because I'm actually on Morning Body Doubling right now with two out of three of those legends.

Using this time to record the intros and outros and try and get the episode out because time is not my friend. If you would like to join us on Body Doubling and connect with a whole host of like minded legends like these three, you ADHD AF peer support community via the link in the show notes. Where, as I said before, you will also find a link to free and immediate support.

So, this week, on Friday, the 25th of October, we invite you to join us for the 3rd annual ADHD AF Day, in which we paint the world leopard print to raise ADHD awareness. So, in case you didn't know, The reason why the ADHD AF community wear leopard print is because the leopard is a symbol of Aberdeen, Scotland, where this podcast first began, it also symbolizes bravery, the reclaiming of power, and we are total Huns. 

So it's become the uniform of our community, uniting us all together. Each year I ask listeners to simply wear at least one leopard print item, though you can be head to toe, I know I will be, on ADHD AF Day to stand in solidarity. And you don't have to have ADHD to stand in solidarity with the leopard print army and support the cause at a much needed time.

And self diagnosis is valid. And in a system so broken, you could be waiting the best part of a decade for life changing, and in some cases, like myself, even life saving. Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment, it bloody well has to be. So please do join us, this coming Friday the 25th of October, for the third instalment of this annual online event.

Wear Leopard Print! And take a selfie or video sharing your key piece of awareness you would like raised. What would you most like the world to know this ADHD Awareness Month? And then post it on your socials. Tag ADHD AF podcast. Hashtag ADHD AF Day and I will re share your messages so that we can amplify the voices of all of us who have been misdiagnosed, mistreated and gone unheard for far too long.

Myself and the Leopard Print Army thank you so much for your support. It's time for the world to hear us roar.