Do I really have ADHD?
Or is it just a fad? My ADHD story
The Peridivergence Project
This post is part of The Peridivergence Project, my new paid weekly series exploring the messy, fascinating intersection of perimenopause and neurodivergence—with curiosity, humour, and a healthy dose of Surely it’s not just me. (Spoiler: it’s not.)
The Moment Everything Started to Make Sense
For over 20 years, I’ve been hyper-aware of ADHD and its impact—on those living with it and the people around them. It’s been a constant thread in my life, woven through personal relationships, parenting, and even the occasional blind date.
One stands out in particular. It was the mid-2000s, and I was in my late twenties, sitting across from a cute Aussie guy at a bar in London. We were mid-conversation, bouncing between topics (as I do), when I laughed and said, “I probably have ADHD.”
Without missing a beat, he replied, “Oh, I actually do have ADHD.”
Gobsmacked.
What started as a throwaway joke turned into one of the most fascinating conversations I’d ever had. He shared his experiences—his impulsivity in the workplace, the strategies he used to stay balanced (spoiler: exercise and a good diet), and how he managed his neurodivergence with a level of self-awareness I wasn’t expecting.
At the time, I already knew a fair bit about ADHD because of a family member’s diagnosis and its impact on my life. But that date planted a seed—one that would grow into what I now jokingly call my “half a qualification” in ADHD, earned over a decade of parenting a neurodivergent child and embarking on my own self-discovery journey.