For most of my life, I have always felt like I was behind, even when I was working my hardest. In school, I could not pay attention and often forgot to turn in assignments or lost track of time. At work, I would start out very energized when beginning a project, but then get distracted and leave it half finished. I always thought it was just being lazy and disorganized all those years. Deep down, though, I knew something was off. It wasn't until I turned 30 that I found out why I felt that way. I finally learned I had ADHD. The news was a combination of relief and shock for me; it all suddenly made sense. I had struggled my whole life without understanding why since my brain simply works differently from most people. My test results demonstrated that while I was hard-working and disciplined, my brain worked differently than everyone else's.
Since being diagnosed, I have gained an understanding of how to manage the way I pay attention, the things I do in order of importance, and how to manage distractions. I received therapy and coaching, which helped me identify my strengths as well as figure out how I could best use those strengths instead of continuously beating myself up about everything I was incapable of doing. I learned to practice self-compassion and appreciate every time I have accomplished something significant, rather than only appreciating the things I had trouble with.
Because of the late diagnosis of ADHD at 30, I was able to see the world from a very different perspective. I now have the ability to find the best ways to function and be successful due to the diagnosis. I continue to learn something new every day and I have the tools to help me manage my ADHD instead of allowing it to manage me.