5 Conversations I Found Hard with AuDHD

Conversations that tested my limits

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I live in Mumbai, India, and I discovered I had autism and ADHD at the age of 43. It’s a country where mental health awareness is still developing, with older generations often denying its existence. AuDHD is almost an unknown factor here.

The discovery that I have AuDHD helped me understand my past and connect the pieces. It was as if a burden I didn’t know I was carrying was finally lifted. I’m a professor of photography and can comfortably speak in front of large crowds. Yet, mingling at social events without a clear topic always makes me uneasy. It’s as if my mind freezes, and I can’t find the right words. I struggle to sustain a conversation after the initial hellos, unsure of what to say next.

I realise many of my hardest moments have been conversations where my nerves got the better of me.

When I missed the chance to ask

I studied at a Catholic boys’ school. In grade 7, in 1993, we had the chance to study computers after school. I signed up immediately, fascinated by what I’d heard they could do. There were 30 of us, and we had to choose a partner for the practical sessions. Neil, my friend since second grade, seemed like the obvious choice. We had shared so many good times, including…