ADHDAF Episode 28: ADHD, Media Ableism, Burnout and Depression
Our late ADHD diagnosis rollercoaster ride is currently in a trough. But despite us both finding ourselves in the midst of a bit of a depressive episode, this is not a depressing episode!
We kick off with some ranting about the appalling Guardian article that has left the ADHD community feeling like the butt of a very bad joke. Thank you to everyone who has shared our open letter to The Guardian. Here's a link if you've not seen it and would like to encourage an apology: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkiaofRqKub/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
We are very happy to be reunited, and sharing our first blether with just the two of us in three weeks. It's taken Laura going on holiday to realise that she had been existing in a constant state of burnout for the last six months, and that she had gotten into the habit of equating her self-worth to her ridiculous and unsustainable productivity level.
Meanwhile, whilst Dawn was left steering the ship solo she came to the realisation that depression has crept in. Feeling as though everything is on top of her; the way ADHD presents for her being that she doesn't feel her emotions until they are at breaking point.
The VERY good news is that Dawn FINALLY has a date for her private ADHD assessment, and it is SOON! Monday 14th November, and we hope that this date is THE date! We will be doing a special episode sharing her experience, which will hopefully be a lot more positive than the last, with Dawn finally getting the answers she has waited so long for.
Dawn wanted to share the NHS ADHD diagnosis experience on the podcast and therefore (unnecessarily!) feels some guilt about going down the private route. But it really is essential for her mental health that she starts receiving the treatment and support that she desperately needs. She is so incredibly grateful to you all for your donations, enabling her to go private, which she otherwise wouldn't have been able to do, so a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all who have donated!
If you would like to make a donation to Dawn's assessment, you can do so here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/adhdasfemales
We have come to the realisation that how we are currently doing things just isn't working. We want to provide a better service in which we don't lose messages due to the sheer volume we receive daily, and we want to be able to do MORE! More activism, more connection. So we are going to be starting a community platform. We believe that in creating this we can do better work and be able to continue ADHD As Females, which in it's current form - despite all the will in the world - has become unmanageable. We look forward to sharing our new chapter with you next week.
As ever we are so grateful for your support and encouragement and are in awe of the ADHD online community. We really are all in this together!
Trigger Warning*
This episode features strong language and some topics that some might find distressing, such as: depression, grief, bereavement, ableism, mental health struggles , suicide, addiction, eating disorders