ADHD Awareness with Nadia Fowler

When I first considered writing about my experience with ADHD as an adult, I was admittedly scared of any stigma I might receive in that people might see me differently. However, I am personally guilty of stereotyping ADHD – I used to associate it with something that is only seen in children and that ADHD only really affects someone’s concentration. 

This notion made me realise that if people don’t show the different ‘faces’ of ADHD, we might all continue to stereotype it in the same way that I did.

Because I don’t ‘fit the mould’ of someone with ADHD, there have been assumptions that I have a mild or ‘high-functioning’ form of ADHD. But it’s not that I have ‘high functioning’ ADHD, it’s that I am able to mask so I can meet society’s expectations of what is considered ‘normal’.  

As an adult, there is a lot of pressure to come across as though you have it all together, and so that’s what I did for a very long time. I graduated university, started as an Associate Medical Writer at Ashfield and made my way to Senior Medical Writer, appearing on the face of it that I was ‘thriving’.

But behind closed doors, I was exhausted – I truly could not understand how people were getting through their day-to-day in such an organised and routine way. It felt so embarrassing that I could meet my deadlines at work, but on the other hand I would forget to eat without a reminder or I’d take weeks to reply to messages from my family and friends.

My thoughts constantly felt jumbled and it was like each thought was having to shout over the next. Most people didn’t see this side of me and most of the time I struggled to even explain it to others, but I felt like a failure.

When I finally spoke to my GP about what I was experiencing, it was a surprise to hear that I was being referred for an ADHD assessment – for the past decade I had been treated for depression so this came as a shock! She explained that ADHD looked different in adults than in children, but that the issues I was describing were comparable to those seen in adult ADHD.

Within six months I had been diagnosed and was able to access the right treatment and care. And now, one year on – my whole life has changed! Who knew my brain could have just one thought at once?

People often ask if my diagnosis and treatment has changed the way that I work – and the answer is mostly no. I’m still exactly the same person with the same personality and mannerisms (except I might fidget slightly less on Zoom calls!), and I haven't found that I’ve needed any special accommodations or changes in my day-to-day. Most importantly, I don’t want to be treated any differently.

I’m still the same person I was last year – just a much less overwhelmed and frazzled version of me!

Besides, it’s not all doom and gloom – ADHD does come with the benefits of being resilient and being able to ‘hyperfocus’, which doesn’t hurt in a job like mine! Now that I have the right strategies to manage my ADHD, I am truly able to thrive in the way I used to pretend that I was.

My only advice for those of you living or working with someone with ADHD is to be curious – it’s not a taboo subject and most people will happily talk about it with you. Open discussions help to build understanding without stigma, and help us to see under the surface of more ‘hidden’ conditions like ADHD.

If you’d like to ask me any questions about working in a corporate environment as a woman with ADHD, please feel free to reach out to me!