It sounds as if you have described my whole life and I appreciate finally being seen. The fun part is calling it ADHD from the outset is flawed thinking- it is not a deficit, or a disorder- and in women generally not even hyperactive- it is a superpower and a different way of thinking about life. If seen as a positive rather than a negative, a gift to be supported rather that pathologised, so much more could have been accomplished without shame.Unrecognized potential results ultimately in depression or rejection, lost opportunities- because- why even bother?
Medical research doesn't want to fund it simply because it was recognized as a problem women have,as we well know if it had have been for or about men, there would have been funding. It is still such a shame that the concern for the wellbeing of half of society is just not there.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Sandra. I'm really glad the article resonated with you.
One thing that struck me while researching this series is that being recognised and being understood are not the same thing. So many women are only now beginning to recognise themselves in ADHD and recognition is only the first step. We still need the science to understand how women's biology shapes their experience and how care can better reflect that. Thank you for adding your perspective.
When is the medical establishment, the research establishment, the whole GODDAMN world-going to stop treating women like we are not relevant to society? You just described my entire life. And not once has the female-bodied primary care doctor I've seen for 25 years recognized that I have ADHD. Of course, she also missed the h-EDS and lipedema that I fought her to diagnose. I hate it here.
You are so correct in how the biology underneath also affects presentation of any other issue such as ADHD (for lack of a better name). For women the cyclical hormone changes throughout life leading to fertility (menarche) then the winding down time on that (perimenopause) to cessation of that portion of hormonal shift (menopause) affect our lives and attitudes, overall strength, zest for life or lack of desire to participate.
One of the problems with western medicine is that the body has been divided from the mind since Descartes. And the body has been divided into systems. It is a whole intertwined organism that functions mostly as it was designed despite modern society's efforts to pick it to peices and only support parts. And a specialist for each part. And a greater portion of all of it- treatment, research- has been focused on men. (As an aside- most medications on the market- if tested on women- were only tested on postmenopausal or post hysterectomy women due to the thalidomide snafu and to prevent lawsuits)
Prevention of illness through good lifestyle choices is where a lot of focus would be helpful (and it has improved over the past several years!), rather than all the band-aiding after the fact of finding illness. Example- bypass surgery.
Once again, thank you for sharing this timely and inspiring article with the “proof in the pudding” so to speak.
Many women feel seen for the first time, thanks to works such as yours. And thanks to stories, such as mine, they will be told on stages, in books, podcasts etc.
I’ll be sharing my story of late diagnosis of ADHD as a doctor who didn’t recognize the symptoms in myself due to the research largely focusing on boys on the TEDx stage in Sept. We need more and more of us to take the stage and speak up!
It’s interesting that much rarer conditions that affect less than 1% of the population receive more attention and funding because of the “going viral” potential, such as ALS research.
So even in science, it’s not what is essential because of its implications in society that wins research dollars. It’s what leads to more “ice bucket challenge” viewers.
I’m hopeful that one story, one article, one book at a time will herd more research dollars to issues that affect 50% of the world population.
It sounds as if you have described my whole life and I appreciate finally being seen. The fun part is calling it ADHD from the outset is flawed thinking- it is not a deficit, or a disorder- and in women generally not even hyperactive- it is a superpower and a different way of thinking about life. If seen as a positive rather than a negative, a gift to be supported rather that pathologised, so much more could have been accomplished without shame.Unrecognized potential results ultimately in depression or rejection, lost opportunities- because- why even bother?
Medical research doesn't want to fund it simply because it was recognized as a problem women have,as we well know if it had have been for or about men, there would have been funding. It is still such a shame that the concern for the wellbeing of half of society is just not there.
Thank you so much for sharing this, Sandra. I'm really glad the article resonated with you.
One thing that struck me while researching this series is that being recognised and being understood are not the same thing. So many women are only now beginning to recognise themselves in ADHD and recognition is only the first step. We still need the science to understand how women's biology shapes their experience and how care can better reflect that. Thank you for adding your perspective.
When is the medical establishment, the research establishment, the whole GODDAMN world-going to stop treating women like we are not relevant to society? You just described my entire life. And not once has the female-bodied primary care doctor I've seen for 25 years recognized that I have ADHD. Of course, she also missed the h-EDS and lipedema that I fought her to diagnose. I hate it here.
Thank you so much for this. I feel seen for the first time in my whole life. I’m going to be talking to my doctors.
You are so correct in how the biology underneath also affects presentation of any other issue such as ADHD (for lack of a better name). For women the cyclical hormone changes throughout life leading to fertility (menarche) then the winding down time on that (perimenopause) to cessation of that portion of hormonal shift (menopause) affect our lives and attitudes, overall strength, zest for life or lack of desire to participate.
One of the problems with western medicine is that the body has been divided from the mind since Descartes. And the body has been divided into systems. It is a whole intertwined organism that functions mostly as it was designed despite modern society's efforts to pick it to peices and only support parts. And a specialist for each part. And a greater portion of all of it- treatment, research- has been focused on men. (As an aside- most medications on the market- if tested on women- were only tested on postmenopausal or post hysterectomy women due to the thalidomide snafu and to prevent lawsuits)
Prevention of illness through good lifestyle choices is where a lot of focus would be helpful (and it has improved over the past several years!), rather than all the band-aiding after the fact of finding illness. Example- bypass surgery.
Once again, thank you for sharing this timely and inspiring article with the “proof in the pudding” so to speak.
Many women feel seen for the first time, thanks to works such as yours. And thanks to stories, such as mine, they will be told on stages, in books, podcasts etc.
I’ll be sharing my story of late diagnosis of ADHD as a doctor who didn’t recognize the symptoms in myself due to the research largely focusing on boys on the TEDx stage in Sept. We need more and more of us to take the stage and speak up!
It’s interesting that much rarer conditions that affect less than 1% of the population receive more attention and funding because of the “going viral” potential, such as ALS research.
So even in science, it’s not what is essential because of its implications in society that wins research dollars. It’s what leads to more “ice bucket challenge” viewers.
I’m hopeful that one story, one article, one book at a time will herd more research dollars to issues that affect 50% of the world population.