ADHD Support and Teamwork

This is a VERY special episode featuring some of the incredible cyclists of The Big ADHD Fundraiser. From 1st - 3rd Aug '25, these legends are cycling almost 300 miles in just 3 days! This inspirational team of ADHDers share WHY they have taken on this challenge to raise funds for ADHDAF+ and ADHDadultUK charities.

These late discovered ADHD adults are stepping up to do their bit for the ADHD Community and helping push for change to try to save future generations tfrom suffering as we have. I SALUTE YOU ALL!

TRIGGER WARNING: contains mentions of very sensitive topics including; fatal accident, premature mortality, bereavement, addiction, drug use, depression, anxiety, suicide, self harm, trauma, anxiety, depression, mental health crisis, work struggles and unemployment. If you are struggling, lo siento. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Please reach out for help HERE

- If you are able, we would be so very grateful if your could DONATE to The Big ADHD Fundraiser HERE
- Fnd out more from James Brown & Darren about the fundraiser in THIS EPISODE
- Find out more about ADHDAF+ Charity Support Groups, and sign up for email reminders for Peer Support and ADHD Bingo Seminars HERE
- Buy one of Darren's Handmade Pens and 75% will be donated to the fundraiser

Enormous thanks to all the cyclists: Darren, Claire, Beth, Katie, Micky, Jill, Steph, Tracy, Ronny, Richard & Emily! To all who have donated and helped raise awareness about this fundraiser. And to the ADHDAF Podcast Online Peer Support Community for inspiring and informing the work of ADHDAF+ Charity. 

Sending our condolences and deepest sympathies to Tracy, and to all who love Thomas Agathangelou. This episode is dedicated to Thomas and to all of our absent friends taken too soon due to a lack of support and understanding of ADHD. 

You can help Darren and the Team on their mission by donating or even just by sharing this episode or the fundraising page; and we would all be so grateful for your support!

Thanks so much, and hope to see you at July's London and Birmingham ADHDAF+ groups for ADHD Bingo!
BIG LOVE
Laura x
LEOPARD PRINT ARMY!

*though ADHDAF Podcast inspired the creation of and helps fundraise for ADHDAF+ Charity, the two are entirely separate entities!

Transcript

 Hi, I am Laura and I am A-D-H-D-A-F. If you've not heard this podcast before, thank you for tuning in to this little leopard print corner in a vast sea of A DHD podcasts. I promise you this one is particularly special. This episode does come with a trigger warning, so do have a read of the description in the show notes before diving in.

And whilst you're there, you will also see. Link to resources for support. I really want you to know that whatever you are going through, you are not alone. There is support out there. Maybe not a DHD assessment in any timely fashion, but there are lots of organizations that can offer free and immediate support to those in need, so.

I discovered that I had a DHD at the age of 35, and I spent three years on an NHS waiting list, which eventually ended up with me in serious mental health crisis. I'm very lucky to be here because a fluke and a privilege gave me access to private health care, A DHD diagnosis and treatment genuinely.

Saved my life From that point, my justice sensitivity paired with some, uh, pretty hefty survivor's guilt, having lost quite a few people along the way, enraged me to such an extent that I wanted to use my squeaky voice to raise awareness. To make some serious noise for all of those, like me and for future generations so that they would not have to suffer as I did, and as the many that have lost their lives due to unidentified and unmanaged A DHD.

And its co-occurring conditions. As I said, this is a very special leopard print corner of the A DHD podcasting world, and it's been going for three years. It led to starting an online peer support community full of like-minded legends, leaning on and learning from each other. When it began, I really had no idea.

Quite how invaluable peer support is to have people in your corner to understand what you exactly what you are going through and witnessing the validation and information and all the rest of it camaraderie shared in that space led to going on the road and doing some podcast tours in which we played A DHD Bingo, which is where a seminar meets bingo and witnessing the connection.

The empowerment that that connection led to in the A DHD community is what inspired me to start a charity. So A-D-H-D-A-F plus charity aims to connect and empower A DHD, adults of marginalized genders in Scotland, England, and Wales. And we've not long started, it's the very beginning for our chaa. We've got five peer support groups each month in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, and Birmingham.

And not in that order at all. 'cause in the spot, I couldn't remember which order it came in. So each month we have peer support groups that are free to attend. And much like this podcast, they are primarily focused on, on kind of women's A DHD, women's health and those of marginalized genders. But. Just as with this podcast, whatever your gender, you are very welcome here.

So if you are in any of those areas, whatever your gender, as long as you're an adult, you can go along. It's just so long that you are respectful of marginalized genders and understand that most of the topics and learning and attendance will be. Of marginalized genders and, and those struggles, but all are very welcome because as we now know, there are half a million people on waiting lists for assessment in the uk.

And as I and the Leopard Print Army, all of you listeners out there know only too well the people on those waiting lists are in danger. So we have to get support now because you can be waiting up to a decade in some parts of the uk and even people that get it, they might still have to wait for medication because the medication shortages and some people can't or don't want to take medication.

So people are in need of support. We know that peer support works, and that's why coming out of the pandemic, getting out from behind the screens and doing the tours, I know that bringing people together in local communities. Literally life changing, and some have said lifesaving. With those connections and the empowerment that connecting with like-minded locals has led to over the course of three years, 150 something episodes and 1.7 million downloads in 208 countries or something ridiculous like that.

There have been all manner of amazing guests come along for the ride. My first guest was Dr. James Brown of the A DHD adults and the charity, A DHD, adult uk. And I will always be so grateful to him, not just for being the first guest of this podcast, but also for the support that him, Sam. Alex and all of the charity that they founded A DHD adult UK do because they helped me when I was AWAI assessment.

And their podcast inspired this podcast, which led to the charity. So as I said, they've been all manner of guests. I've tried very hard to give a really broad overview with different ages, races, genders have tried really hard to give us broader picture of this condition as I can. Knowing that A DHD impacts all individuals completely differently, and as shared by Dr.

Nighat Arif when she first announced Multi Hormone Sensitivity theory on this podcast, our ADHD symptoms can fluctuate and change throughout the course of our lifetimes. So I've really tried to have all different guests and I'm so grateful to all of them, but I didn't just come on here. To try and talk to the likes of Susie Ruffle or Clementine Ford.

Tanya Bardsley, ADHD. Love. It's been wonderful to speak to all of those people and so much name dropping. I've hurt both my feet, but in all seriousness, I've always said the real stars of this show. Are the listeners, it is you, the Leopard Print Army for keeping this podcast going for all of this time, for coming together and now helping me to found a charity so that all that has been learned in this space can be put out into the real world in real time to those in need at this ongoing time of diagnosis, crisis and medication shortages.

Now, before we dive in, I really need to tell you something exciting. So. Having done a few of the peer support groups for the charity, it's been a bit of a get to know you, and now we are moving into a second phase of the charity support groups, which sees us introduce very specific topics. So the topic for July's groups is unmasking alongside sharing your own experiences with peer support.

Our volunteer facilitators will be sharing some experiences, resources, information about unmasking and leading the discussions, and there'll be resources to take away with you. All of this is informed by the lived experience of the very community members of this podcast that they have shared in the private Discord forum.

So it really is the community supporting the community. What people who have just found out, whether they're diagnosed, self-diagnosed, awaiting diagnosis, whatever, this is what people want to know when they just find out that they have a DHD from literally a DHD as in real time. That have just found out themselves.

I'm really proud, not just of the work that has been done in that space, but what has been created from it, and I can't wait to share it with you all. However, just throw a little into the work. I have another plan up my sleeve. I. Invading some of the support groups along the way with my own A DHD Bingo.

Leading a seminar, but in my own ridiculous way has been one of the greatest joys of my life. It has also really brought people together, the ridiculousness, the collection, the humor, the shame, eradication. I will be invading the Birmingham. And London peer support groups. So you'll still get all of the information about unmasking, but you are also gonna get a game of A DHD Bingo with me.

And unlike the podcast events, this show, seminar, whatever you wanna call it. These are absolutely free. I'm just coming down to play some bingo with you all and get to meet you in real life, and I really can't wait. So full details of all of the groups, including the Birmingham and London shows are available in the show notes.

And you can sign up for email reminders so that I can remind you to come along and then I get to meet you and we can play bingo and you can win a prize and it's gonna be magical. Anyway, I'm gonna stop waffling on. If you remember back in March I had on the wonderful James Brown once again and the wonderful Darren, and we talked about the big A DHD fundraiser.

It's coming up to just five weeks until our cyclist cycled 288 miles in just three days cycling through Scotland, England, and Wales, exactly where we are setting up peer support groups and they're doing it in leopard print in honor of the listenership. Army of Hans and just like this is just me sat here in the kitchen.

What you're about to hear is real people real late discovered a ADHD as This isn't in a studio. It's not studio quality. They don't have a mic. It's probably all different. Nes and you know what? I don't care. This is a podcast. This is Pirate Radio. That's what this has always been. These are the real people really going through it, stepping up.

They're my absolute heroes and I could not be more grateful to them for doing this incredible challenge. To raise funds for A-D-H-D-F plus and A DHD adult UK 

ON YER BIKE HUNS! :)

Hi, I'm Darren Smith. I was diagnosed A DHD at the age of 46, 6 years ago now. I was sat on a waiting list for five years before getting my diagnosis.

Sat there with no information at all, no support, no nothing, and really didn't know what was going on with my life. After finally getting on medication, went through lockdown, struggled like bad. Uh, finally found a DHD af. And a DHD adult podcast. Wow. How my life changed. The information those guys have given me to be able to understand myself has changed my life.

With that in mind, I set out to give a bit back in the attempt to try and get more information out there, support networks for people who were struggling like I was. Was a big motivator for me. So year one, it was just myself and my wife Claire. We rode our bikes from Bristol to London Last year. We teamed up with A DHD untangled.

We cycled from London to Amsterdam. This year teamed up with Laura from A DHD AF to support her new charity, A DHD AF plus to cycle from Scotland through England, down into Wales. All the areas that Laura. Is looking to set up support networks. I'm immensely proud of what we do and how much money we've raised so far and what that money is being spent on.

So looking forward to the ride and we are gonna have a blast, but more importantly, raise awareness and raise money. My name is Claire Smith. I am the wife of Darren. To see the struggles that he was going through was really upsetting to hear what people were saying was even more upsetting. Then he found the podcasts.

It changed him for the better. He then wanted to do the bike ride, so I decided to join him because, you know, I, I like cycling, at least I did do, when I was in my teens, we were able to get out and about and do something together. So the first year was in support of him to see how much it meant to him was.

Quite heartfelt and I couldn't be more proud of him, but don't tell him that. We then started doing it for more charities, meeting more people, getting the awareness out there. It's evolved and now it's gone even bigger for the third year. We would never have ever anticipated this three years ago to know how much this is doomed for so many different people and the organization around it.

Oh my God. Hi, I am Beth. I live in Esha in Scotland, and I'm a farmer. I was diagnosed with a DHD in 2022. It was a bit of a, a rollercoaster for diagnosis, but after my diagnosis, I decided to hyper focus on all things A DHD, learning about it, help and raise. Awareness and even did a coaching course last year.

I took part in the charity bike ride last year with everyone going from London to Amsterdam. Actually took up cycling to do that. I hadn't ridden a bike since I was a teenager before that. I caught the bug and went down and asked me if I wanted to do a bike ride again this year. I said, yeah, why not? So we are cycling from air not far away from where I live, to wreck some this year to raise money for two amazing charities.

Which have both helped me through my diagnosis and after, which is A DHD AF Plus and A-D-H-D-L-K. It's not gonna be an easy ride. It's gonna be very hilly. I've helped Darren and Claire a little bit with Upon the Root, so we'll definitely see some amazing scenery, but I think there's gonna be some tough hills.

But the downhills always make up for the tough Hills. I just can't wait to see everyone, meet everyone on the ride. And raise some awareness and some money for these amazing charities. Hi guys. My name's Katie France and um, I'm taking part in the ride this year, um, like I did last year for a couple of amazing A DHD charities because.

I didn't actually know how much I'd enjoy it. I thought that it was an amazing experience being around so many people that have a DHD and are in support of it and aware that it is a thing because it's not a thing in a lot of people's worlds. And I suppose I've sort of embarrassed to talk about it a bit.

Really, I'm not, and I am. I have spent a lot of my time being embarrassed about it just because a lot of people don't necessarily expect accept it or know enough about it, but it was just amazing for me. I. I'm a bit of a lone ranger in real life, even though I've got loads of mates. But keeping involved in charities and people that can actually help me, I'm not that really good at.

So doing this was amazing for me and I know it helped loads of other people, obviously, where we raised the money and even just the people on the ride, just what we got out of it personally. So I really can't wait big up to everyone that's on it and I can't wait. Hi, I am Mickey. I'm part of the A-D-H-D-A-F community.

I've. Maybe somewhat impulsively signed up to cycle almost 300 miles from air to Rham to raise money for two A DHD charities. That mean a lot to me. The decision came partly because I struggled to say no to a challenge, especially a physical one. Even though the longest I've spent on a bike was two and a half hours, and that was yesterday training for this event, but also because A DHD and the work.

These charities do around it has had a big impact on my life. I'm not diagnosed with A DHD, at least not officially, but over the last few years I've started to recognize that a lot of the things I've struggled with most of my life is very likely linked to A DHD. That realization has been a massive turning point for me, and honestly, I don't think I'd have made it through without support of this community and the people involved with these charities.

Unfortunately, I'm not even on a waiting list for assessment and like a lot of people, I'm caught in that postcode lottery. That is the current mental health system. I won't go into that here, but uh, it has shown me how important that charities like these exist. They're doing incredible work to support people with A DHD to raise awareness and help others understand the condition, whether that's families, workplaces, or healthcare professionals.

And I know that there are plans to do so much more. But that can only be achieved with funding. The reality is A DHD makes life incredibly tough for a lot of people. Despite my day-to-day struggles and long lasting impact, particularly on my mental health that having unrecognized and unsupported A DHD has had in my life.

I still consider myself to be quite privileged in many ways, but not everyone is. For some, the lack of support leads to serious lasting and sometimes. Devastating consequences. If we can raise a bit of money and some awareness, maybe we can help change that. So that's why I'm doing this, right? If you're able to chip in, that would mean so much, not just to me, not just to the other people that are doing this challenge, but to the charities and more importantly.

The people that these charities are helping. Hi, my name is Jill. AKA dressing gown gel to anybody that does morning body doubling. I'm doing the rides because I just think it's really important to raise awareness of A DHD. I've experienced firsthand the effect that having a DHD and nobody knowing about it.

Including yourself can have. It's pretty harrowing and I have also experienced positive impact much needed support can have on you. Since I started to get involved with any A DHD community, be it online via A DHD af, I now know that I am not the only one. This right means a lot to me. I really don't want.

Future generations to go through what I have been through. Getting an A DHD diagnosis at 43 was like discovering you've been trying to fit a square peg into a round hole your entire life. Turns out I was just looking at the wrong shaped holes, but the initial shock left me feeling utterly alone, scared, and completely clueless about what it all meant when undiagnosed A DHD met with perimenopause.

My brain went from running 47 tabs to full system Chaos. A-D-H-D-A-F, swooped in with brilliant support. Zero judgment, helping me realize A DHD isn't a flaw, it's just a different operating system. Laura and the wonderful community have quite literally saved my life. So when I heard that the big A DHD fundraiser was going to be raising funds for A-D-H-D-A-F this year, I really couldn't say no.

I love cycling. It's one of the times Hyperfocus really helps exercise and the great outdoors is medicine for my brain. It's cheaper than therapy. So now I'm cycling 288 miles from air to Rham to raise awareness, lots of money, break the stigma, and show that our A DHD brains can achieve amazing things supporting these fantastic charities.

Because everyone deserves to understand their wonderfully different brain. Now it's gonna be brutal, so please dig as deep as you can and donate. Thank you. Steph, by the way, I don't think I said that, did I? Sorry. Bye. Hi, my name's Tracy. Some people might know me as only me from the Discord server. I'm 45 and I was diagnosed with A DHD in 2022.

My oldest son was diagnosed with A DHD and autism in 2020 when he was 16. After 13 years of going backwards and forwards to the gp, and that's what first led me to start researching how to support him. When I was looking into it, I kept thinking that can't be A DHD. I do that. And then the penny dropped.

I had a DHD too. I started medication in 2023 and it was life changing. I was one of the lucky ones diagnosed through right to choose, able to access medication and now on shared care with my GP based, not that easy for us alum. So many people are still stuck on weight WTS or can't even get on list because of the postcode lottery in this country.

Two years ago, I decided to run two marathons in one week to raise money for the A DHD adults, and that's how this latest challenge came about. I didn't really think about it and honestly, until a few weeks ago, I didn't even own a bike, but I'm cycling 280 $18 to raise money to the A DHD adults. The A-D-H-D-A-F plus charity, both these organizations have been absolute lifelines for me as it last three walls.

I know it sounds cliche, but I truly dunno where I'd be without the support I've ever seen from the A DHD cruelty and the friendships I've made. Learning about myself starting medication and discovering the support that's out there with the help of people who really understand as absolutely my life, and I want others to be able to access the same support.

No matter what their circumstances. I recently helped set up the London A-D-H-D-A plus support group, and watching it grow into a real community has been amazing. But three weeks ago, something happened that changed everything. My foster son Thomas, lost his life in a tragic motorbike accident. Thomas came to me at 15, scared nearly the family.

Became a huge part of ours. Even though he hadn't lived with us for 18 months, he still spent the last two Christmases with our family. Thomas was diagnosed with a DHD as a child, but like so many others who never received any support, he wasn't medicated, not because it wasn't needed, but because nobody knew it could help.

His background meant people were scared that medication would lead to addiction. What they didn't know is that for so many, like Thomas, the real risk is not treating a DHD by the age of 19. Thomas was addicted to ketamine. We tried so hard to help him, but in the end it wasn't enough. On May the 26th, I got call that Thomas had ridden his motorbike into a canal and hadn't survived.

We believe he was under the influence of Ketamine, lost control of the bike, and crashed. We don't believe he struggled or even realized what was happening. We think it was very fast. Thomas has just one of so many another life loss because people don't understand how hard it is to live with A DHD when you're unsupported another life loss because the system failed him.

Thomas was unique. Funny, quirky. He brought life to our home and we'll be missed every single day. He promised me he'd be with us for Christmas every year, and now he can't do that. Riding 280 miles isn't gonna bring Thomas back or any of the lives lost to A DHD that he can help raise money to give others the support, the knowledge, and the acceptance that so many never get the chance to have.

Thomas. From the minute you walked into my home, I knew you deserved better. All in life you'd been given. This is your chance to find it, mate. So please the Thomas and for the lives gone too soon. Please think about, I know I'm speaking on behalf of all of the online community members, and I'm sure all of the listeners, when I say.

Just the deepest condolences to Tracy, to all of Thomas's family and all who love him. No, siento. We're so sorry. Another tragic loss to unmanaged. Untreated. A DHD. And I'm sorry to end on such a sad note, but this dark place is where all of this light has come from, where these charities have come from, and all of the legends that are doing this fundraiser.

Our testament to that light and what amazing things can come from this community. None of us want anyone else to have to suffer in such awful ways. The statistics o bleak and the help is seemingly getting further and further out of reach, and that is why this fundraiser exists and we really all need each other.

We need to lean in. So if you are able to make a donation to the big A DHD fundraiser, you can do so via the link in the blurb of this episode. And if you've not already, you can listen to the interview with James Brown and Darren from back in March called the Big A DHD fundraiser to find out how much I.

Of an impact. The fundraising so far has made for this cause with what the charity A DHD, adult UK are investing this money in. Funds are being split between these two charities. As I said, this is really only the beginning for A-D-H-D-A-F plus. There is so much in store, but we really need help. We do need the funds to get a charity up and running.

I'm in absolute awe of this team of people in the work of Darren and Claire and all of the cyclists and all of the people that have donated and helped in any way. And alongside all of these legends, we've also got Emily, Ronnie, and Richard, who are also cycling this fundraiser. And I cannot wait to join you all in Reham at the finish line.

Darren has given me a list of legends to say thank you to. So thank you to Leo Lynch, who is the leopard print shirt sponsor, cornerstone Hampshire for the leopard print support vehicle. Total Electrical for the donation and goodie bags, Medlock Electrical for their donation alongside GEMS Risk Management and Marsh Environmental.

Thank you for all of your very generous donations. And thank you all so much for listening. If you are in employment, we know that. A huge percentage likely be unemployed. 'cause that's one of the many ways that A DHD can negatively impact people's lives. Perhaps your company might want to sponsor the fundraiser, even put a poster up or put a post out on socials for us, or even share this episode.

With your employees, and if you are not in a position to donate to the fundraiser, you can still help us massively by just pressing share any way that you can help these absolute legends, give them that push to keep cycling nearly 300 miles in three bloody days. Isolate all of them. And I'm so grateful to all of you for listening, keeping this podcast going so that we could go on to create a DH DF plus charity.

You can find out more about the charity at a h df plus.org.uk, whereas I said you can sign up to get email reminders for our free peer support groups. And those very exciting, ridiculous bingo events that are coming up the first week in July. So I really hope to meet you there and I will be invading all of the peer support groups and there are more to come.

So if you go on the website and you cannot see a support group in your area yet you can apply to start your own and it can apply. To be a volunteer or even an ambassador. We don't care about influencers, just like we don't care about how you're meant to do a podcast properly, not in your kitchen. We don't care.

We are the renegades, the rebels with a cause. We are the leopard print army

HEAR US ROAR!