Labels, do we need them?
Labels. I am too going to add my 2 cents to this debate, do we need them? My answer is clear, YES.
Society believes and understands things better when they're labelled, it makes things "official". This applies to just about anything that is labelled in any way, you trust what the label says (what it says on the tin).
Living with your ADHD Diagnosis
As much as an ADHD Diagnosis can bring about this “finally I know what it is” sentiment which feels like relief, it can also feel like grief for some. Grief for their previous self and the many years they spent questioning, judging, being unkind to themselves and struggling in many areas of their lives (at least 2 to get diagnosed in the UK!).
The years they laid in bed for days, unable to start or finish even the smallest thing. The many different medications they were wrongly prescribed or self-prescribed (including the misuse of other substances to feel better). The many arguments or disagreements with family members, colleagues, friends or partners. The accidents and lost items. The many times they wish they could push a button and just “function normally”. The list goes on, but it’s a story I hear more often than not unfortunately.
Women and ADHD
Since I’ve become an ADHD coach, I am not only meeting people who proactively seek out my help, but also meeting people via a number of other circumstances, and even just at the pub who have either recently been diagnosed or are waiting to be diagnosed.
These people tend to be women which could be pure chance, the fact that I am a female coach, or actually just because more women are finally seeking out the help and support they need.
The real answer is complex, whilst there are more men than women who have had an ADHD diagnosis (about 3:1), there is evidence to suggest that due to the difference in women’s and men’s behaviour, that isn’t due to ADHD being more prevalent in men. Women are just incredibly good at masking to a point where they are often misdiagnosed.
What’s happening to ADHD NHS waiting lists and diagnoses
The two most common things I hear since I’ve become an ADHD coach are “I’ve been on the waiting list for so many years” and “I definitely have it, but never been formally diagnosed”.
I may have a controversial view on this topic, but whilst awareness for ADHD has considerably increased since 2020 (anecdotally and in the sheer increase in articles, books, podcasts and influencers on the subject) it has also resulted in many people jumping to their own self diagnosis too quickly. Whilst I don’t want to discount anyone who has genuine symptoms and understands these better now thanks to society’s increased understanding and empathy for the matter, I do think that there is also a flippancy to these self diagnoses too.