I'm ADHD! No You're Not Why Am I Like This? With Gemma Styles
Oct 3, 2024
Gemma Styles, a British writer and mental health advocate, dives into her experiences with anxiety, depression, and ADHD. She shares insights from her book 'Why Am I Like This?' while discussing the stigma around mental health. Gemma candidly recounts her journey through diagnosis, touching on suicidal ideation and recovery. The conversation also critiques misinformation on social media and reframes ADHD as a difference rather than a deficit, empowering listeners to embrace their uniqueness and strengths.
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Diagnosis Came From Childhood Details
- Gemma described her formal ADHD assessment with a psychiatrist using the DIVA interview and questionnaires including childhood corroboration from her mother.
- She initially didn't see ADHD in herself but answered honestly and childhood examples emerged that supported the diagnosis.
ADHD Can Amplify Depression
- Gemma felt her depression was likely amplified by undiagnosed ADHD rather than wholly caused by it.
- She realised ADHD made treating depression harder because an unrecognised underlying factor undermined interventions.
Honest Account Of Suicidal Thoughts
- Gemma candidly shared recurring suicidal ideation during severe depressive episodes and how the ADHD assessment triggered follow-up support texts.
- She emphasised that these thoughts felt part of her daily internal landscape until treatment and help reduced them.
