My Story
When I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early 50s, everything finally made sense. It felt like looking at the front of a statue and someone suddenly gave it a quarter-turn, revealing a side I'd never seen before. As I rewound the tape of my life, I could finally see it clearly: how my constant need for stimulation had shaped my life decisions, how boredom quietly steered me off course again and again. But that same lens also explained my strengths.
I couldn't wait to tell my friends and family the good news. I was met with blank stares and condolences, which left me baffled. One friend said, "You don't look like you have ADHD. You're not fidgety and you're not scattered." Hurt by the dismissal, I told them, "Thanks for noticing, because it took me YEARS to develop the coping skills to look this normal." (more below)
I may not be “normal”, but that’s a good thing.
I stopped telling people I had ADHD. Instead I obsessed about learning everything I could about it. But everywhere I looked I was bombarded with information about the deficits and weaknesses—how to fit in better, how to be more "normal." Except I felt normal.
Didn't everyone have a million ideas bouncing around in their head at once? Didn't they feel compelled to acknowledge and weigh every sight, sound, smell, touch, and even other people's emotions? Didn't certain sounds like a vacuum cleaner, a barking dog, or a beeping machine distract them to the point of near madness?
My ADHD brain doesn't work the same way as a neurotypical brain. It thinks panoramically. That’s what makes us creative and gives us the ability to look at things differently. When solving problems, we can leapfrog ahead of linear thinkers—quickly connecting dots and complex patterns to find endless possibilities. Often to the point of distraction. I may not be nor
I would love to hear your story.
In my journey to better understand myself, I became an ADHD coach to help others sift through the mountain of misinformation and to help them focus on their strengths.
Listen to my 2-part series radio documentary about the strengths of Neurodiversity.
I recently shared my thoughts about all of this in an opinion piece for CBC. I also produced a two-part documentary on neurodiversity, “Myth of Normal”, for the CBC Radio program IDEAS.
Below are the links. The first one is Part One about the history of neurodiversity. The second one is Part Two. I hope you’ll find it interesting!
