Member-only story
Accepting My ADHD Means Learning To Embrace A Paradox
Self-acceptance, self-identity, and living with ADHD
Like many girls with ADHD, I grew up confused.
I was smart, yet scatter-brained.
Intuitive, yet impulsive.
Highly motivated in some areas, yet often called lazy and disorganised.
My self-perception bounced between extremes, leaving me unsure of who I really was.
I didn’t fit the stereotypical image of ADHD
Like many women of my generation, growing up in the 1980s and ‘90s, I thought ADHD only applied to boys.
You know the stereotype — mischievous kids like Bart Simpson and Horrid Henry, always getting into trouble, and giving their teachers grief.
I didn’t fit that image at all.
As a child, I loved school. Sure, I left my homework to the last minute, but I thrived under the pressure of exams. I was a quick thinker, and it showed in my grades.
But while I excelled in certain areas, I also massively struggled in others. Detention for a forgotten PE kit. Late marks at registration. In class, unless it was literature or art (both of which I adored), my mind wandered.
