🎺 Launching Neurodiverse Diary. What it means to be a Neuro Divergent

“Pay Attention”

“Focus”

“You’re a little quiet, is everything ok?”

The top two are what I tell myself frequently when doing things I lack interest in, the last one is me being in a social setting where I also lack interest in. I promise I’m not being rude.

Welcome to The Neurodivergent Diaries Newsletter, where you can expect weekly posts on topics surrounding the Neurodiverse world particularly within the professional and corporate setting. This Newsletter will aim to Educate, Entertain, and Encourage individuals with Neuro differences on the challenges, opportunities, and strengths.

My Journey:

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am a Chartered Accountant with over a decade’s worth of professional experience, married with two adorable children and I’ve recently been diagnosed with ADHD… I potentially went over three decades being undiagnosed!

It was my spouse that brought it to my attention that I may have ADHD following the diagnosis of people she knew of, to which I initially refuted.… Upon assessing elements of my behaviour, i.e.:

•  Starting and not finishing chores

• Misplacing my personal possessions around the house

• Interrupting conversation (my reason is I’m enjoying the convo!)

• Zoning out on topics I have no interest in.

Then it dawned on me that I may have ADHD. So, I took two screening tests with different companies, which both came back positive! I then booked an official assessment privately which cost a fair bit.

The ADHD Test:

There were two parts to it, first I did the QB test, which measures my attention. So, each time for example I see the same shape and colour, I’ll press the space bar as quickly as possible, if the shape or colour changes then I don’t do anything. This is said to measure my impulse control, response time. I apparently scored well on this, then I had the assessment with Lucy the psychiatrist which took about 90 minutes where they asked me a series of questions, from:

• School performances

• Any childhood trauma

• Professional life

• Relationships and friendships

The psychiatrist went deep! I think they felt bad, so I had to reassure them that I’m very happy with how life has panned out and as a result I’m fully comfortable with them asking me any unconformable questions. Upon completion of the assessment, the psychiatrist diagnosed me with ADHD, and concluded it’s something I’ve likely had since childhood.

To which I wasn’t surprised, the moment my spouse mentioned it to me, and I assessed my symptoms, I was pretty certain I had it. I pretty much just needed full confirmation from someone qualified as you cannot self-diagnose ADHD. ADHD is said to be hereditary, so I first informed my family about the news, and they appreciated it.

This diagnosis did a lot for me, it helped put things into perspective, on why things have happened in my life, to the way I respond to certain situations, the type of friends and people I surround myself with, why I love doing specific type of work and get bored doing the same job. I love novelty, I like to consider myself someone who is creative. Above it all I’m amazed I’ve managed to progress far in my accounting career while being undiagnosed for years!! Us ADHDers are said to be resilient… According to Google an Accountant is the least compatible career for someone with ADHD! Can you imagine?!

Thinking back, I found studying difficult, I felt I had to work harder and study harder over ‘simple concepts’, but this is probably due to:

• Me not having an interest on the topic of study

• My mind wondering somewhere else, not allowing me to focus on what’s in front of me.

Final Thoughts:

I understand the challenges being wired different, it can suck, but then I tell myself my difference has served me well at times. So, here’s what you can expect from me for the time being:

Weekly newsletter (really a diary, post my diagnosis) every Wednesday

• Less than 5 minutes read (This may vary in the future)

• Easy to digest content

• Practical tools

I’ll treat this newsletter as a journey of discovery, blending personal insights with researched information. Every Saturday, so stay tuned.

The ADHD Exec

Last words - I want this newsletter to grow and help others. Please share this with any Neurodivergent people you know, or people interested in Neuro difference….. And please SUBSCRIBE 😀 

Disclaimer: Neurodivergent Diaries does not provide medical services or professional counselling, and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Everything I publish represents my opinions, experience, not advice.