ADHD AF

Welcome to the wonderful world of Sheri Scott, aka @foreveryoursbetty We are both longterm fans of this incredible creative's content, so we feel very lucky and incredibly grateful to have had a blether with this absolute tangerine dream! Glasgow's finest Sheri, is a multi-hyphenate - very appropriately nicknamed 'the ideas factory'. Her flame haired head hosts a brilliant brain constantly buzzing with brightly coloured ideas, which she uses to put the fire into businesses. From high fashion to chimpanzees,  you name it and  Sheri's unique and creative 'big picture' brain waves will catapult companies to flaming results. You've only got to take a quick glance at her own platform to see that this lady is a Queen amongst content creators! As the pandemic threw a spanner into the works the world over, Sheri's work and coping mechanisms shut down, just as Tik Tok began raising awareness about ADHD - opening her eyes to the neurodevelopmental disorder. In 2020 Sheri received a late ADHD diagnosis at the age of 34, and was referred for a screening for Autism, as she presents highly for this also. (We will further explore ASD in a furture episode)What followed was sadly nothing short of a frightening and dangerous ordeal!Without the essential support she should have been provided(!) Sheri has taken treatment into her own hands.  She takes responsibility for managing her clashing ADHD and Autism symptoms, and has found what works for her. *We hear of many using ADHD medication in a way that works for them, but just in an attempt to be responsible (though being so isn't our strong point!) I'm sure all will understand that we have to say this - always read and follow medication instructions* We are so grateful to Sheri for sharing one hell of a ride on the late ADHD diagnosis rollercoaster with us! Her insight into 'NEURODIVERSE JOY' is so touching, that it's even giving me goosebumps now just thinking about it! We were so moved in her description of the joy that the colour orange brings her, that we've changed our signature colours, turning our socials orange for the week in her honour... WE'VE BEEN TANGOED! Serendipitously, orange is also the colour of ADHD Awareness Month, so we are very happy to be giving Sheri mega dopamine hits, whilst raising awareness for the cause at this important time. Further serendipitously, having been enamoured by Sheri being her striking citrus self unapologetically; we were hurt this week for being called - in a nutshell - 'too much'.  We end this episode with a Reynolds rant(!) in which we acknowledge our need to educate ourselves about social media accessibility. We understand that we need to be mindful of that going forward; but taking the lead of Sheri, we outright refuse to dull our sparkle!We are loud, colourful, chaotic and busy-minded people who won't be to everyone's tastes; but after a lifetime of masking, authenticity is essential as we embark on this new chapter which we share for the cause. Our podcast and our platform are a reflection of ourselves and how ADHD presents in US.  We take great inspiration from your authenticity, creativity and bravery, and therefore we are forever yours Sheri! *TRIGGER WARNING* There is some swearing, mentions of medication, misdiagnosis, malpractice, mental health crisis, financial struggles, and heart stabbing - metaphorically! Support the show

On Tuesday 4th October Dawn went for an NHS ADHD Assessment in Aberdeen. We couldn't believe that her long awaited diagnosis day was falling in ADHD Awareness Month, AND on the day we hit 100K downloads! Suffice to say, this was not the episode we thought we would be putting out! This is an Episode of two parts. As planned, we wanted to share this very important experience in real time, so began by the pre preparation and feelings the day before the big day to help others awaiting their assessment. Turns out the day was indeed big, but for the wrong reasons! If you've read the Press and Journal article, you will already know about this ordeal. We are very grateful to journalist Chloe Irvine for the fantastic feature on Dawn, highlighting how very broken the current system is: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen-aberdeenshire/4876867/im-not-sure-ive-got-another-four-months-in-me-to-wait-rgu-students-desperation-for-adhd-diagnosis/This is NOT what we thought we would be sharing, and certainly not the answers that Dawn had hoped and hung on for.  We understand that the underfunded and overstretched NHS is absolutely up against it! The real issue here is the lack of communication. Not laying out the timeline of the process is so incredibly damaging and unforgivable, and Dawn has made a formal complaint. Whilst Dawn recovers and gathers her strength, as she plans her next move she would like to thank every single one of you who has reached out with messages of support both before and after this horrendous experience. It is your encouragement that is giving her fuel to carry on fighting this battle. Though we had so wanted to put out a positive message to all of those seeking NHS ADHD diagnosis and treatment, sadly what we have instead is a podcast episode from two women who were not just let down by the system as children; but now who have also been let down by the broken NHS ADHD diagnosis process in their late 30s this ADHD Awareness Month. Dawn feels that the only positive is that in sharing her ordeal she is raising crucial awareness and letting so many others who are suffering similar know that that they are not alone. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. We hope for a better, quicker, more communicative and supportive diagnosis system by next ADHD Awareness Month.We conclude on a positive note, looking ahead to alternative ADHD diagnosis routes, and announcing the exciting things we have planned this month:If you follow our socials you will already know that Laura managed to hit her starsign deadline and get the brand new website up on 9th October! LOLS. We could not be more excited to collaborate with Working Clasp for handmade ADHDAF jewellery and All The Discos for handmade festival style ADHDAF party capes made from recycled party decorations! Check out our amazing new merchandise and website here: https://www.adhdasfemales.com/We are doing an Intagram Live with Louise 'Pink Pear Bear Williams' on Wednesday 12th October at 8:30pm - we invite you to click this link and 'ask us anything', which we will answer LIVE: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjcgF8DKWKc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_linkFinally we invite you all to join our LEOPARD PRINT ARMY for ADHDAF DAY - Friday 21st October. Wear at least one item of leopard print in a show of solidarity for the cause. We want change! If you do too, join us by tagging us in your pictures, and videos wearing at least one leopard print item. ADHDAFarmy!Trigger Warning Due to the emotion of this long awaited appointment, this is a very sweary episode. Lots effing, but this is all very raw, having been recorded the day before and day after the ordeal - apologies for swearing like sailors!Mentions of suicide and severe mental health struggles.Support the show

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