I often say that receiving my ADHD diagnosis at the age of 49, followed by my autism diagnosis two years later, didn’t change who I was. It simply gave me a different lens through which to understand the person I’d always been. People sometimes ask whether it was a relief to finally have an explanation, […]
Two and a half years after my autism diagnosis, I’m still joining the dots Read More »
Reflecting on how sobriety, menopause and understanding my neurodivergent brain helped me build a more authentic life I’ve been thinking recently about how strange life can be sometimes. If someone had told me ten years ago that choosing sobriety, navigating menopause and discovering that I am both ADHD and autistic would eventually lead me towards
How years of self-criticism can make it difficult to recognise what we’re doing well Since writing my previous article about discovering ADHD and autism during menopause, I’ve found myself reflecting on what came afterwards. Not the diagnoses themselves, but the process of beginning to see myself differently. Recently, I was asked a question that, on
How menopause became the beginning of understanding myself for the first time For much of my life, I thought I was simply struggling more than everyone else. I was the woman who held everything together on the outside whilst quietly battling chaos on the inside. I was raising children, working hard, supporting everyone around
Late-discovered ADHD and autism in menopause: My journey from survival to purpose Read More »
Late diagnosis, societal expectations, and the uncomfortable question at the centre of the neurodiversity conversation We talk a lot about neurodivergence now: ADHD, autism, masking, burnout, sensory overload, executive dysfunction. And rightly so because awareness matters as does language and understanding ourselves. But lately, I’ve found myself circling a different question entirely: What even is
What does “neurotypical” actually mean? Read More »
Reflections on late-discovered ADHD and autism, motherhood, intergenerational trauma and healing within families. There’s something very strange about writing a book about your life. Not because of the writing itself, although that can be emotional enough, but because at some point the people who know you best begin reading parts of you that perhaps they’ve
There’s a sentence I hear often from women in midlife: “My ADHD diagnosis explained so much… but there are still pieces that don’t quite fit.” For many women, receiving an ADHD diagnosis can feel life-changing. Suddenly there is language for the overwhelm, procrastination, emotional intensity, burnout and exhaustion that may have been present for decades.
My ADHD diagnosis explained a lot… but not everything Read More »
I recently read an article about the growing mental health crisis affecting Gen X women, and it really stayed with me. Not because it was shocking, but because it felt familiar. It captured something many women are experiencing quietly. That sense of feeling unlike yourself, things feeling harder than they used to, wondering where your
No one told me that a caesarean birth could change my body for life. I was told how the surgery would happen. I was told how long recovery might take. I was told when I could drive again, lift a kettle, or return to daily life. What I was not told was that years later,
The hidden lifetime impact of caesarean birth on women’s bodies and nervous systems Read More »
This question often arrives with a mix of relief and doubt. Relief, because something has finally clicked and the struggles with focus, overwhelm, exhaustion or emotional intensity suddenly make sense. And doubt, because you’ve managed for this long, so surely it can’t be ADHD… can it? For many women, especially in midlife, wondering
Should I get assessed for ADHD in midlife? A gentle guide for women Read More »
