I Lastly Perceive Myself! Readability After a Late ADHD Prognosis
I always knew that there was something about me that was different. I have extremely high energy. All my life, teachers, friends, and business colleagues have told me to slow down and take a deep breath.
In my early 40s, a mentor suggested I might have ADHD. A decade later, a friend blurted out, “I think you have ADHD!” Still, I dismissed it.
It wasn’t until a few years later, during menopause, that I really started struggling. I was sure I had dementia early on. I met with a psychologist. When she diagnosed me with ADHD, I asked her if she needed to interview my husband to find out more about my behavior. She laughed and said, “No, it’s definitely ADHD!”
[Take This Test: Do I Have ADHD? Symptoms in Adults]
I felt relief. I felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz when the screen goes from black and white to technicolor. I escaped.
How my ADHD diagnosis changed me
After I was diagnosed with ADHD, I stopped saying yes to everything. I’ve learned to stop and take a moment to think about what I really wanted. I’ve given myself permission to learn how my brain works, and now I know why I’m doing what I’m doing.
My job has always been to inspire, connect and help others. When my kids were little, I headed a Weight Watchers group for a decade. When they were in elementary school, I became the CEO and co-founder of the CUREchief Foundation, Inc., where I was responsible for hundreds of volunteers across the country.
I used to be obsessed with doing the right things the right way. I was fixated on everyone liking me. Nothing else is important to me now than being myself. I keep hearing echoes of the good witch Glinda from The Wizard of Oz, who says, “You always had the power, my love, you just had to learn it yourself.”
Understanding Myself With ADHD: The Next Steps
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