I never knew the chemicals in my brain were responsible for the cycle of burnout and shame that had consumed me. Turns out, I'm not the only one.
After two decades — and my fourth attempt at tertiary study — I was burnt out, consumed by a cycle of stress I didn't yet understand.In search of answers, I talked to my psychologist, who suspected I may have Attention -Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder .
It was the first time anyone suggested the chemistry of my brain could be responsible for my challenges.I thought my difficulties were personal flaws and I didn't realise how much of my life I'd been robbed of enjoying.Anything you can do freely requires much more effort from my brain but, before being diagnosed, I couldn't figure out why.Secretly, I had great difficulty with seemingly simple tasks: some household jobs, quick phone calls and meeting deadlines.I come from a cultural background that values determination and a strong work ethic, so I considered myself a failure; someone who lacked the desire to reach my goals. It wasn't true, but I was sad, paralysed, frustrated — and avoidant. I hid my struggles by making myself constantly busy with other things.I interviewed Caitlin and Emma Hughes, the couple behind Cathartic Collaborations, a therapeutic service assisting neurodivergent people in Magandjin . Caitlin and Emma Hughes know what it's like to have ADHD, and both use their work to help others living with the condition. Caitlin, an accredited mental health social worker, compared life with ADHD to a challenging video game.He explained ADHDers suffer from symptoms like inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity — which can be expressed in different combinations, affecting a range of areas in their lives.I definitely didn't look like the enduring stereotype of ADHD: a naughty school-aged boy — restless, disruptive and scatterbrained. Most people would say I'm polite and have a sharp memory, describing me as hard-working, with good attention to detail.Being capable but mentally unable to do the things I wanted to was constantly overwhelming.The experts I interviewed advocate for better awareness of ADHD, particularly in education, medicine, and policy. This is because the landscape is complex — the gaps in my own knowledge helped hide the invisible disability.Thinking I could keep a lid on it, I kept my challenges to myself. But they couldn't be contained.I mistakenly thought I should be able to work out my problems on my own and struggled to accept my experience. Combined with behaviours inherited from my mixed cultural upbringing, I didn't know how to ask for help. I didn't know how to accept help either.I can relate to how Emma describes her experience with ADHD: "It's constantly trying to … be better and do better, always chasing something that you can't quite catch, because it's just unfortunately outside capacity," she said. Currently, the condition is viewed as something to be solved; clinical engagement and diagnosis is sought as a solution to a problem.ADHD is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in the country, but the condition "remains under-diagnosed and under-treated", according to the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists . ADHD affects the nervous system, making emotional regulation and executive functioning more difficult."One of the things that's interesting about ADHD is that, although it can be quite disabling, it's not actually recognised as a disability under the NDIS," Caitlin said.Now that I understand the way my brain works, I can find strategies that make my life easier — writing down how I'm feeling helps connect my thoughts.Government data shows the number of people using psychostimulants to treat conditions like ADHD has continued to grow in recent years. Dr Sardinha's theory is the confines of COVID-19 lockdown "probably unmasked a lot of the ADHD behaviour". "It could very well be those environmental factors unmasked more of this pent up energy and unrestricted behaviour coming out, especially in children," he said. Since neurology and genetics haven't changed much since the pandemic, he said social norms and culture are driving diagnoses. "A fair critique is to say there is an increase in behaviour, not necessarily the prevalence," Dr Sardinha said. "Conversely, of course, because there is increase in awareness … are seeking more help, and hence, there is more diagnosis." So, while it might feel like there's more ADHDers these days, what's actually changed is how we understand the condition.Mental health classifications are based on the individual's symptoms, but Dr Sardinha said cultural dimensions affect how the condition manifests in people from different backgrounds. This can look different to the Western understanding of ADHD. He said research found more acceptance of hyperactivity — a key symptom of ADHD — in some Indigenous groups in Western Australia. "It might get under-diagnosed because there's higher tolerance of hyperactivity ," he said.That might be why ADHD didn't occur to me earlier in life — I'd never seen myself represented in examples of ADHD. My identity as a gay man added another level of intersectionality, which might've been further fuelling my desire to mask. "In neurodivergent spaces, there's often a lot more gender and sexually diverse folks," Caitlin explained.She said neurodivergent living can be "quite traumatic", and criticism of a person's sexual orientation or culture only adds to that.Caitlin said neuro-affirming practitioners can help provide a safe space, and Emma said it's important to make that approach known so diverse patients can find a place where they will feel welcome. "Culturally and linguistically diverse populations also have complex needs and barriers to receiving a diagnosis and subsequent treatment," a 2023 submission to a Senate inquiry about ADHD by RANZCP said.I think that's a good idea, but more than anything, I want people living with invisible disability to be kinder to themselves — life on "hard mode" is exactly that, so go easy on yourself and find what works for your specific circumstances.born, raised, and based in Magandjin , Queensland, and has Australian, Hong Konger, and Chinese heritage. He was diagnosed with ADHD in his 30s.Photo shows Computer generated depictions of unlabelled paracetamol tables coming out of a box with warning signs.Photo shows Family with parents, three kids sitting on sand dunes at beachAmanda says ADHD drugs helped her gain control of her life, but doctors say red tape is preventing getting helpPharmaceuticals Photo shows Computer generated depictions of unlabelled paracetamol tables coming out of a box with warning signs.
Disability Idpwd #Idpwd24 ADHD Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ADD Attention Deficit Disorder Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Neurodiversity Neurodiverse Brain Chemistry ADHD Medication Attention Focus Emotional Regulation Mental Health Mental Illness Mentally Ill Mental Health Stigma Mental Health Shame International Day Of People With Disability Mark Du Potiers Mark Cheung Mark Siu-Leung Cheung Blisteredhand A/Prof Sardinha Savio Sardinha Psychologist Psychiatrist Psych United Mental Health Support ADHD Diagnosis Neurodivergent Affirming Cathartic Collaborations Emma Hughes Caitlin Hughes LGBTQIA+ Intersectional Queer Gay Asian Asian Heritage ADHD Masking Masking Neurological Condition Executive Function High Masking High Functioning Social Norms Define Adhd Adhd Stim Is Adhd A Disability In Australia Signs Of Adhd Adhd Signs Hyperactivity Hyperactive Inattentive Chemical Imbalance ADHD Explained Psychostimulant Medication Emotional Dysregulation Adhd Adhd Stimming High Functioning ADHD
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