As ADHD Awareness Month unfolds, I’ve found myself in the company of several extraordinary individuals. Meet Kat, a remarkable woman who embarked on her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) journey just under two years ago. Kat, who was diagnosed relatively recently, sheds light on the often-underrepresented side of the neurodiverse world.

In my interview with Kat, she generously shares her experiences, offering a glimpse into all aspects of her life with ADHD and the strategies she’s found helpful. She explores the often misunderstood world of ADHD in women, a topic that is in its infancy for gaining attention and recognition. This isn’t just a story about the hurdles she faces; it’s a celebration of her discovery of the strengths it brings. Her story highlights the importance of self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Read more as we glimpse into Kat’s world, where ADHD is not a limitation but a unique perspective with strengths that bring value to those around her.

Can you briefly explain what ADHD means to you and how it impacts your daily life?

ADHD to me is still relatively new; I was only diagnosed just under two years ago, but it’s become an important part of my life and understanding who I am and learning to live my life in a slightly different way. It’s been enlightening and relieving, I’ve become more compassionate with myself and also others.

Day to day, the things that affect me mostly are forgetfulness, tiredness, lack of motivation and emotional dysregulation.  I’m in a fortunate position to be on medication for ADHD, which improves my symptoms significantly and has made me realise how much harder things are without it and how easy neurotypicals have life in comparison!

Balancing work and ADHD can be challenging. Can you describe some strategies or techniques you've developed to manage and stay productive in your job?

Honestly, I don’t think there are too many, a lot of my productivity probably stems from the anxiety of not completing it, ha! 

But I’d say one of the things I do especially when I’ve got a long/boring task, is I like to gamify it, so I’ll say get X number done before I get a cup of coffee or get to X before the clock hits the hour, or I’ll do this for 15 mins then move on. 

Slack is a big distraction, so I’m definitely better when it’s muted, or it’s at quieter times of the day when I’m not being bombarded with notifications.

Having a quiet environment also works for me (so being at home helps), or having headphones on while listening to music.

Are there any misconceptions or stereotypes about ADHD that you've encountered in your personal or professional life that you'd like to address or dispel?

I think one of the misconceptions is how ADHD presents itself. Many people think of it as those really loud, hyper boys they had in their class at school or in films when they’re talking to someone, and they go, ‘Ooh, look a squirrel’, but it’s been proven now that ADHD presents quite differently in women and girls, often not as hyperactivity but more inattentive.

This means the symptoms are much different and can be harder to spot, especially as women and girls have often had to ‘mask’ their symptoms in order to succeed and fit in with the societal pressures that are placed upon them from a very young age. It leads to misdiagnosis of other mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, as women struggle to hold it all together and wonder what is wrong with them.

I come across as ‘well organised’, I'm too smart/put together/etc. to have ADHD, but the truth is that I have to work extremely hard in order to ‘keep up’, and it’s exhausting.

Many people with ADHD struggle with organisation and time management. Can you talk about the tools or routines you use to stay organised and meet deadlines effectively?

I use my phone calendar a lot and put everything in it so I don’t forget any upcoming appointments and have reminders, as I will 100% forget. I ask people to put in calendar invites at work because I genuinely will forget even if the meeting is in 15 mins time.

Many people with ADHD find certain environments or routines more conducive to their productivity. Could you talk about your ideal work environment and how it helps you stay focused?

I’ve found since COVID and working from home that, this is a much better setup for me. It’s quiet, so there are fewer distractions. I find going into the office very distracting with the music, general people milling around, ambient noise, etc., and I often get less done as a result. I can also tailor my routine a little better, so because I'm not restricted by transport timetables and other things, I've found I can work at different times, which are quieter as I’m not being distracted by notifications.  

I also find being at home is a lot less exhausting because I don’t have to commute or see people and basically ‘mask’ all day, I'm not mentally worn out when leaving work.

As we observe ADHD Awareness Month, what message or advice would you like to share with others who are either living with ADHD or supporting someone who is?

I’d say if you’ve got ADHD, remember to cut yourself some slack. Once I accepted that the symptoms I was experiencing were ADHD and not a personality flaw, it became much easier.

Supporting someone with ADHD is hard because you can’t wrap around why they do the things they do, why they can’t just move that pile of books, they can’t just be on time, they can’t remember where they put their phone, they had 5 minutes ago. It’s not that they’re trying to wind you up or be lazy, they genuinely just lack dopamine and getting angry with them won’t help it’ll make them feel worse because they already feel rubbish about their lack of ability to do these things. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

ADHD is becoming more mainstream thanks to increasing awareness and social media. In fact, it’s how I discovered I had ADHD. However, there’s been a lot of negative talk about people ‘jumping on the bandwagon’. It’s not just the latest fad, adults who have been the result of a systematic failure to notice these symptoms when they were a child are now able to get a proper diagnosis instead of suffering from burnout and other mental health issues as a result of undiagnosed ADHD. 

Furthermore, the increase in awareness and children being tested and diagnosed with ADHD is causing parents to consider their own symptoms, as a child is more than 50% more likely to have ADHD if a parent has it. 

To hear more stories during ADHD Awareness Month, read Michael’s story on living with undiagnosed ADHD while he waits for an assessment.