ADHDAF

This is a very special episode for ADHD Awareness Month! Part 2 of our collaboration with The ADHD Adults…In Part 1, Dr Alex Conner and Dr James Brown interview us on their Podcast - Tap here to listen: https://www.adhdadult.uk/podcast/Or watch us squirm in our first ever interview on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/hyzm9AMjOqQIn this episode, we swap roles (PHEW!) and invite Alex and James onto ADHDAF for our standard, disorganised, rambling blether. The four of us have joined forces to highlight the importance of community. Using our voices collectively, learning from each other’s knowledge and experiences, and supporting each other is the most powerful way to raise awareness in the hope to influence systemic change. We really are all in this together! The support of the online ADHD community has, and continues to be a lifeline for us both; which is why we always recommend leaning into it. In particular, we are incredibly grateful to James and Alex for their invaluable work educating the masses about the neurodevelopmental condition with their Podcast and Focus Mag, for supporting late diagnosed ADHDers (us included) with their charity ADHDadultUK, and for welcoming us into the ADHD podcasting community. We are on the same team making much needed noise for the cause!  Thank you lads (lads,lads!) we love this episode, in which the best frenemies confess their undying love for one another and set us a piece of homework- which obviously we still haven’t done!In all seriousness though, où est la banque?! *TRIGGER WARNING* It’s a sweary one, with naughty words throughout with references of mental health struggles.Support the show

Jenny Okolo is a lead psychiatric occupational therapist, and an award-nominated mental health advocate, with extensive experience in the criminal justice sector.  This summer Jenny became a TEDx Speaker for TEDxNHS.  In her incredible talk she invited listeners to challenge the limits of their empathy, displaying the enormous impact compassion can have. ‘TEDxNHS was founded as a unique movement to enable the voices of NHS staff and patients to be heard on a national stage and spread their learning across the system. Bringing change to the NHS through the power of storytelling, TEDxNHS aims to inspire us to think differently, dream bigger, and design better for the population we serve.’‘We as healthcare professionals have such an opportunity to look beyond labels’ ~ @jenokoloJenny is our first neurotypical guest, and she plays a part in the NHS ADHD diagnostic system; helping people to get diagnosed and to see the value of diagnosis. Her message is completely aligned with our values: COMPASSION for neurodivergents, and that ADHD needs to be taken seriously! With different perspectives on the current ADHD diagnosis crisis, inevitably we do see some aspects differently… but that’s the whole point! With an underfunded NHS stretched to its limit, and undiagnosed ADHDers suffering in silence due to stigma/lack of awareness or living in limbo hell for years on outrageously long waiting lists for assessment and treatment; people are suffering on both sides! We feel it is essential to learn and understand the problem from all angles in order to find a way forward. It isn’t a case of ‘us and them’… As we all desperately need a better system;  it is essential that ADHDers and clinicians pull together in order to influence systemic change! We loved hearing about the incredible work Jenny does, and are so grateful to this legendary lady for giving us invaluable insight into the alternative perspective of the ADHD Diagnosis Crisis. THANK YOU SO MUCH JENNY! *Trigger Warning* We discuss some sensitive topics which some may find disturbing. Including: BN, ED, criminality, and mental health crisis. Support the show

This EXTRA SPECIAL BONUS EPISODE is a wee blether with Phionna McInnes about her AMAZING Aberdeen event for ADHD Awareness Month🎗We welcome you to team weird and invite you to ‘You, Me & ADHD’, a ladies lunch at The Chester Hotel on 2nd October 12-4pmBringing the Aberdeen ADHD women’s community together and raising funds for Phionna’s incredible charity We Too! ,which empowers families of children with disabilities in NE Scotland. We are honoured to have been asked to join the panel; a Loose Women style fireside chat alongside Nicola McAlley of STV News! We really can’t wait! If you identify as female and ADHD, or if you want to support a loved one and learn more about ADHD in women,  join us for this very special day in the Silver City during ADHD Awareness Month… we hope to meet you there! Tap here for tickets: https://www.neurofabulous.me/Alongside discussing the event, local legend and Chief Ninja Phionna shares her very unique ADHD journey and experiences. Thank you so much Phionna for being our first in-person guest at ADHDAF HQ,  and for asking us to be part of your fabulous fundraiser… we really can’t wait! Support the show

Joe Charlan is both a legend, and ADHDAF family! Freshly diagnosed Joe was born and educated as female in the 70s and 80s - which will likely play a large role in why he’s only just been diagnosed at the age of 46! Mancunian Joe,  a Commissioning Manager supporting people with disabilities, now identifies as a transgender man. Right at the very start of this podcast, Joe reached out thanking us for our statement of inclusion re gender and sexuality and we hit it off.   We’ve had a mutual appreciation society ever since! Alongside sharing his experiences of undiagnosed ADHD, his recent diagnosis journey, and how the disorder and diagnosis effects his life; Joe shares a truly incredible insight….What has undiagnosed ADHD cost Joe? POWER. We resonate so hard, and we are sure you will too! Join us as Joe shares where he is up to on the late ADHD diagnosis rollercoaster, and the damage self deprecation can cause. This is a truly POWERFUL episode!THANK YOU SO MUCH JOE for helping us further understand the impact of late diagnosed ADHD! We loved this chat, and are sure you will too. *Trigger Warning* Contains swearing, and subjects some might find disturbing such as bullying, negative self talk, low self worth/esteem, anger, being misunderstood/belittled, mental health struggles and self sabotage. Support the show

We can’t believe we’ve made twenty episodes… ironically, that’s probably due to imposter syndrome!This is a really meaty episode(!) in which we share our insta story poll results, our personal reflections, and answer your ‘ask us anything’ questions. Never has their been a week where we have achieved so much and felt like such total failures! Comparison is the thief of joy, and imposter syndrome and dopamine deficiency suck all of the glory out of the wins! We’ve ended up letting the above upset ourselves and each other(!) and all on the week we are diving into the topic of imposter syndrome and identity crisis! You couldn’t write it, but we can discuss it… in our standard oversharey, brutally blurted out honest way that we hope listeners will find relatable and validating. Merriam-Webster defines imposter syndrome, in part, as "persistent doubt concerning one's abilities or accomplishments accompanied by the fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of one's ongoing success.‘’ ~ verywellmind.comWe’ve said in jest in the past ‘who T F are we? We thought we knew, but then we discovered at 38 that we’d been battling through life with undiagnosed brain disorders, and now we haven’t a clue’… in all seriousness, identity crisis is very common among late diagnosed ADHDers. ‘Being repeatedly misunderstood causes people with ADHD to deeply misunderstand themselves and their situations. Feeling deficient and mistrusting yourself from an early age makes it extraordinarily difficult to properly evaluate yourself as an adult. There is a continual internal vacillation.’ ~Additudemag.com As ever, this podcast is us documenting our experiences on the late ADHD diagnosis rollercoaster in real time; hop aboard and hold on tight! Trigger Warning: we use strong language, and mention topics that some might find disturbing; including imposter syndrome, self loathing, identity crisis, self sabotage, and excessive use of the word ‘journey’ - cringe! Support the show

Hanna, is so driven to achieve her healthy eating and fitness goals that she motivates others to do the same online: @hannabfitness So it could be a surprise to hear that Hanna was diagnosed this year with ADHD at the age of 40! BUT, what we have learnt on our late diagnosed ADHD mission is that THERE IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL! Despite the similarities between ADHDers there are as many differences. The areas in which some of us struggle to survive, some thrive and vice versa. Unlike us, and many other ADHDers, Hanna doesn’t struggle with self care, motivation or finances… One more time for the folk in the back - ADHD PRESENTS DIFFERENTLY IN EACH INDIVIDUAL! Hanna helps people (now us included) overcome the ‘all or nothing’ mindset which holds so many of us back. This ‘black and white’ thinking is so common with ADHDers, but having fought hard to overcome her own struggles, Hanna uses what she has learnt in battling her undiagnosed neurodivergence to motivate others. A genuine positive to ADHD that Hanna shares - EMPATHY. This absolute powerhouse understands struggle and blocks only too well, and is therefore able to help people to overcome theirs: https://form.jotform.com/210422639917053Alongside sharing how ADHD negatively impacts her life, and her diagnosis and treatment journey, Hanna gives us some fantastic advice about health and self care, which we are so grateful for! Mainly: STOP BEING SO HARD ON YOURSELF AND SETTING UNREALISTIC GOALS! Thank you Hanna, you ledge! There’s so much to take away from this interview,; relatable and inspirational, Enjoy! TRIGGER WARNING: We cover some sensitive topics which some may find triggering. Including; mental health struggles, weight loss, medication, ADHD diagnosisSupport the show

This episode comes with an ENORMOUS TRIGGER WARNING! Containing mentions of: ED, BN, AN, ABW, BDD, BI, BETRS, COE, EDNOS, MH, SH, CA, SUIPlease handle this episode with care, and don’t listen if any of the above or any mentions of disordered eating are triggering for you.If you are struggling with disordered eating in any form, please reach out for the help you need. One example of a fantastic charity: https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/We cover this topic extremely reluctantly! As we bumble our way through, you can literally hear at points this discussion has felt like pulling teeth. Despite continuous requests from listeners to cover this, we’ve put it off for three months, but having discovered stats proving the strong correlation between ADHD and BEO / BN, we’ve put our shame and fear of upsetting people aside in the hope that our honesty can help others. We apologise if any of the language we use in an attempt to convey our experiences is inappropriate or upsetting. Our aim is to be part of the solution rather than the problem, but we accept the likely possibility of getting things wrong.  As ever, please note that we are not Drs, therapists, experts… we are just two late diagnosed ADHD women, reflecting on our own disordered eating and body issues of the past, with the new knowledge of our neurodivergence, and how the two relate in an attempt to validate the experiences of others like us; to eradicate the shame of potential comorbidities of a brain disorder, and to pull the community together. Though potentially as an instinctive defence mechanism, we move onto our usually silly blethering about nonsense, meaning this episode ends on a high after such dark subject matter. Support the show

Imagine getting a private diagnosis after hearing the lengthy wait for an NHS ADHD assessment, only to then have said diagnosis denied by the NHS! That’s exactly what happened to our next guest earlier this year… New Yorker, Nicole followed her heart to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she lives with her Scottish husband and works as a writer. She’s currently reviewing acts performing in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. ADHD Shared Care, in a nutshell: is where a specialist (ie a private Psychiatrist) shares responsibilities with a General Practitioner (GP) in the treatment of the patient. Including: management of prescription, monitoring progress, tests - such as ECG, communication of dose changes during titration, etc. Despite many ADHDers in desperate need of treatment being advised by the NHS to go private if they can afford to due to the wait; Nicole was told that her shared care was rejected BECAUSE she wasn’t diagnosed by the NHS! Nicole is a UK resident who has a brain disorder that is considered a disability in the UK.MAKE IT MAKE SENSE! Despite sharing her story with BBC Scotland, Nicole’s case has not been reviewed. Like many, Nicole has to pay for her medication, and feels so dismissed by the NHS, that she doesn’t have the energy to keep fighting to be heard to access the treatment she needs and is entitled to.  Fortunately, Nicole is privileged enough to be able to pay for her medication, unlike many already struggling to survive the cost of living crisis(!) forced to choose between medication that enables them to function and basic living costs.Despite her diagnosis ordeal, Nicole’s tale is a positive one…‘Having ADHD is the worst thing that ever happened to me. Getting an ADHD diagnosis is the best thing that ever happened to me!’ - Nicole Nadler After a lifetime of self loathing, battling depression, feelings of ineptitude and despair, Nicole has found acceptance, is thriving and making up for lost time! GO ON NICOLE! We LOVE this proper blether of an episode! There’s so much to take away from it, from validation to inspiration… ENJOY! *Trigger Warning* This episode contains strong language, and sensitive topics which some may find distressing. Including; grief, severe mental health struggles and suicideSupport the show

Undiagnosed ADHDers can’t cope. The NHS can’t cope. And we can’t cope with constantly hearing from listeners just how broken the ADHD (in particular the adult ADHD) diagnostic system is! We haven’t started this podcast to get internet points, we’ve done it to help others like us. We get multiple messages daily telling us our ramblings are helping people feel validated and less alone in their suffering, which is incredible! BUT, what we really want is to help (even in a tiny way) to influence systemic change, so that ADHDers that need/want to access medical diagnosis/treatment don’t have to suffer like they are!This very emotional episode, in which we share just a handful of the countless experiences we get sent, our @adhdasfemales Instagram story poll results, followers suggestions for how to change the broken system, and our own, is fuelled by rage at the injustice of how many undiagnosed adult ADHDers are being treated by medical professionals. It’s not all ranting and feet stomping though, we promise! This isn’t about pointing the finger, it’s about potential problem solving.. and there is some joy in it too. ADHDers need help, the NHS needs help, CHANGE IS URGENTLY NEEDED. We need to come together and understand this crisis from both sides and start a new system to save lives! *Trigger Warning* Alongside swearing, this episode contains topics such as medical negligence, false accusations of abuse, body shaming, ADHD denying, severe mental health struggle and suicide. Support the show

In this engaging chat, Helen Anderson, an internet sensation and lead singer of Sunny Bones, opens up about her recent ADHD diagnosis at 31. She hilariously tackles topics like imposter syndrome, task paralysis, and the challenges of navigating daily life as a creative with ADHD. With her no-nonsense attitude, Helen shares relatable anecdotes about mental health, societal judgments, and the importance of self-acceptance. Listeners will appreciate her candid insights and humor, making for an entertaining and enlightening conversation.