I Didn’t Know I Had ADHD Till I Was 21
Growing up, I was always hyperactive and my parents always put it down to sugar. Of course, that was a factor as I was a kid however, it wasn’t until I was an adult and still having those hyperactive episodes that I realised it was something different. I didn’t realise I had ADHD until I was 21.
What is ADHD?
The NHS defines ADHD as “Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people’s behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating, and may act on impulse.”
As a teen, I knew of one person who had been diagnosed with ADHD and I thought “Oh, I don’t have ADHD as I’m not like that”. Little did I know, I was like that but in so many different ways. Every person with ADHD is different but there are many indicators that many people with ADHD have.
What symptoms come with ADHD?
As I said, there are many symptoms that many different people display but the main ones that are associated with ADHD are:
- Being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet situations
- Fidgeting, had to be doing something all the time
- Unable to concentrate properly
- Excessive talking, interrupting
- Acting without thinking
As an adult, your symptoms may be the above but can also be:
- Starting new tasks before finishing old ones
- Losing or misplacing things
- Mood swings
- Impatience
Not only is ADHD hard to live with, but people with ADHD are also more likely to suffer from other conditions such as anxiety and depression.
ADHD in girls and adults isn’t researched enough
ADHD looks different in girls and women to men. This can have a knock-on effect for us in later life. Women are more likely to go undiagnosed than men and this is how it has been for years.
As an adult now trying to keep my ADHD under control with many other conditions combined with it, it is so hard to understand what my ADHD is affecting and what is my anxiety. Not having the chance to have seen a doctor when I was younger, created a different mindset for myself now as an adult.
The research behind ADHD mainly says that boys and men suffer with this condition and women are put on the back burner to keep living with it. It throws us into more turmoil than needed. More research is being done but I just wish there would have been more done when I was younger.
Coming to terms with the fact I had ADHD was weird. I was an adult at University and I knew that I was a loud, hyper and compulsive person however I didn’t know there was an underlying issue that was accompanying this.
Now, 2 years later, I am still getting to grips with how my ADHD affects my life. I have to be very cautious when I am having an anxiety or depressive episode as my ADHD affects this as well. I hope in the years to come, ADHD will be more widely recognised and more research has gone into helping young women with ADHD.
If you or someone you know are struggling with ADHD, consult your doctor or seek advice from a professional.