Getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult
In the last few years, I have talked to hundreds of adults who were diagnosed with ADHD in their thirties, forties, fifties, even sixties and older. The most common story was that one of their children was diagnosed, they started reading about ADHD and realized they probably had it too.
The reactions from being diagnosed as an adult range from this incredible “aha” of understanding how their brain works for the first time to a terrible sense of regret over “if I had only known earlier.” Sometimes, people experience both of these emotions simultaneously.
Depending on the data source, between 5% and 10% of people have ADHD; that’s a similar percentage of people who are left-handed. When you first get diagnosed, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to start telling your story. Older generations, who may hesitate to share their ADHD stories, can take inspiration from younger generations who embrace neurodiversity and have shed much of the associated stigma. Young or old, if you start telling your story, I guarantee that you will start finding friends, colleagues and family members who you love and respect who have ADHD too. This will give you a sense of belonging and make you realize you are far from alone.
As you get more comfortable with your diagnosis, you will realize that folks with ADHD bring great strengths to life: energy, creativity, quick and engaged brains. Some of the greatest entrepreneurs (Richard Branson), politicians (James Carville) and creatives (Ryan Gosling, Jim Carrey) have ADHD. What they have in common is they learned to play to their strengths and harness the power of the ADHD brain.
There’s also plenty of help out there for you to learn to do thrive with ADHD; there are coaches, like me, who can teach you to play to your strengths and build structure to compensate for your weaknesses, therapists who can help you deal with the emotional fallout of your ADHD, and medical professionals who can prescribe the right combination of medications to maximize your potential.
Whether you are 25, 45, or 65 when you get diagnosed, there is so much life ahead of you. With this new understanding of your brain, start right away to be the best possible version of yourself.