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Should you get an ADHD diagnosis - is it just a label or an excuse?
Episode 26 • 26th June 2024 • ADHD Powerful Possibilities: New and Late Diagnosis & Beyond • ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders
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ADHD Coach Katherine Sanders

Welcome back to ADHD Powerful Possibilities!

I'm your host, Katherine, certified advanced ADHD coach, and in this episode, we dive deep into why getting an ADHD diagnosis is crucial. Whether you're a parent hesitant to label your child or an adult who’s adapted to life without a diagnosis, this episode is for you. We'll explore the benefits of understanding and support that come with a diagnosis, backed by solid research. Tune in to discover how a diagnosis can transform your life or the life of your loved ones.

Key Topics Covered:

  1. Introduction: Why understanding ADHD and getting a diagnosis matters.
  2. The Fear of Labels: Addressing common concerns about labeling children and the importance of early diagnosis.
  3. Adapted Adults: The personal cost of adapting life around undiagnosed ADHD and the benefits of recognizing it.
  4. Breaking the Stigma: How a diagnosis helps in understanding oneself and accessing necessary resources.
  5. Family Dynamics: The impact of ADHD on family relationships and the importance of a diagnosis for better communication.
  6. Long-Term Benefits: Research-backed benefits of a diagnosis, including improved job performance and mental health.

Important Points:

  • Early Diagnosis in Children: Studies show that early identification and intervention can significantly improve academic performance, enhance social skills, and reduce the risk of anxiety and depression.
  • Adapted Adults: Research indicates that untreated ADHD in adults can lead to chronic stress, burnout, and higher risks of mental health issues.
  • Stigma and Support: A diagnosis isn’t a label; it's a key to understanding and accessing support systems.
  • Family Dynamics: Understanding ADHD can improve relationships and communication within families.
  • Long-Term Benefits: A diagnosis can lead to better job performance, reduced risk of substance abuse

 If you found today’s discussion helpful, please share it with someone who might benefit. Remember, understanding yourself is the first step to living your best life. For more insights and support, follow us on social media or visit my website for resources and coaching options.

Connect with Katherine here:


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https://lightbulbadhd.com/


Subcommittee on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Steering Committee on Quality Improvement and Management; ADHD: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics November 2011; 128 (5): 1007–1022. 10.1542/peds.2011-2654


Shaw, M., Hodgkins, P., Caci, H. et al. A systematic review and analysis of long-term outcomes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: effects of treatment and non-treatment. BMC Med 10, 99 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-10-99

Transcripts

Speaker:

Welcome back my friend.

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It is ADHD, powerful possibilities.

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I'm back this week is ADHD.

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Coach Catherine.

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Catherine.

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This week, we're going to talk

about the value of a diagnosis or.

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Do we want a label?

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And ADHD, powerful possibilities.

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I share the insights, the

information and the thoughts.

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That come to me, a certified advanced ADHD

coach through working with my clients.

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To looking at research.

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And talking to the wider community,

the people that get in touch with

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me that keep in touch through my

email, through my social media.

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And something that's come up quite a

bit in the last two or three weeks is.

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Why should I get a diagnosis or my partner

doesn't want my child to get a diagnosis.

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My.

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Relative doesn't understand

why I want a diagnosis.

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And the, maybe don't even

believe that they have ADHD.

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And they're confused.

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They don't get why having

a diagnosis matters.

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So this episode is for

people who hesitate.

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Around to labelling, their

children and adults who don't

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really think they have ADHD.

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Because at the moment, their life

has adapted round about it and

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we're going to look at why having

a diagnosis matters, even if you

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think it's not a problem right now.

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A very common circumstance is when people

say, I don't want them to have a label.

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I don't want my kids to have a label.

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Everybody has a label.

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Now everybody has letters.

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Why do you need a diagnosis?

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It doesn't mean anything

you're doing okay.

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It's so normal for people

to feel some anxiety

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it might be your cultural background.

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I know lots of people who come

from places where it is still a

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stigma to be ADHD or autistic.

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Where it seen as a defect and it has a.

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An impact on how people perceive you.

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Whether you're capable,

whether you're intelligent.

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And in that context you can see.

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Yeah.

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It's understandable that you'd

want to avoid that stigma.

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Obviously, that's not what I'm

about, but I can understand

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where they're coming from.

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What's hard though, is when we.

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Live in a country where it's accepted

that neurodivergence is all around us.

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Why are those people still anxious around

having a child assessed and diagnosed?

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Just imagine.

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Constantly feeling like you're not

quite living up to your potential.

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Missing deadlines.

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Losing things struggling to

focus in important meetings.

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Not coping with the things that

you need to do on a daily basis.

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What does that do to you over time?

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And how you think of yourself.

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And what if there's an explanation

for all of those struggles?

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And ways to manage them better.

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So when I hear people say, I

don't want to label my child.

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I understand where they're coming from.

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Nobody wants their child to be pigeonholed

or treated as less or broken or defective.

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But here's the thing.

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Diagnosis.

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Isn't just about giving somebody a label.

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It is a key that unlocks their

understanding of themselves.

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As well as support.

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And by support, I don't mean the

mythical magic money tree, which lots

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of people seem to think happens when

you have a child diagnosed with ADHD.

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I have hair.

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Then we start Regis things.

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People think, oh, he'll get

lots of money and benefits.

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That doesn't happen.

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But there are things that you

can access and it is important.

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To have a diagnosis as early

and as accurately as possible.

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So for example, You are in a relationship.

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And your co-parent says

everybody's got a label these days.

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My daughter doesn't have any problems.

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She's a bit quirky is not a big deal.

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On the surface.

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Everything is fine.

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But when we don't understand what's

happening beneath the surface behavior.

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Both that young child and the parents

are trying to drive a road without a map.

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They don't know what the destination is.

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ADHD and autism are not just about.

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Special interest.

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It's not about hyperactivity.

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It's not about a lack

of focus or attention.

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It's basically your entire way of

experiencing and processing the world.

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And relating to other people.

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And going from personal experience.

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When your child is very small and cute.

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Their ability to monologue for half

an hour on a particular topic without

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noticing if you're interested or not.

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It's charming.

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And they can get away with a lot.

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When they're little.

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But if you've got.

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Especially for young men.

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If you've got a young boy and he's small

and cute is he can get away with a lot.

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When they are 15, 16 year olds and

they're very tall and they have that.

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Teenage boys thing where they

suddenly sprout and their own

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voice and arms and legs and things.

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It's very different.

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And how people perceive them and

respond to them will be different.

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And then their.

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Personal view of themself

will be different.

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Obviously with an official diagnosis

in theory, we have access to resources.

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Accommodations in school,

college and at work.

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We can also think about what strategies

we need to tailor to help that person.

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whatever their age is.

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Because we want them to thrive.

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Nope, just survive.

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And there are studies that show

early diagnosis and intervention

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significantly improve.

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Not just academic performance,

but social skills.

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Friendships relating to other people.

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And then they reduce the chances of

things like anxiety and depression.

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Which travel with ADHD and autism

because the young person thinks

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that the are some hope wrong.

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There's a problem with them.

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And it's not something

that they understand.

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They don't know why

they're getting it wrong.

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They maybe don't have

the social context to.

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Identify what it is about

how they make friends.

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It's just annoying people.

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Or if you're in an office.

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Why is it?

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Nobody wants to go out

with you after work.

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If you are running a business, why

is it that networking and going

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to the post office is so hard.

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If you're managing a department.

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What is it about your style of

communication that has your stuff

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rolling their eyes and not doing

what you have asked them to do?

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If you're delivering reports, if

you're pitching for work, what

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is it that you are not getting?

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And instead of it being, oh,

I understand it's because.

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My brain tends to go.

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Black and white, it tends to meet these

big leaps and other people bless them.

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Need me to take them in little steps.

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It's not that.

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Not that there's anything wrong with you.

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It is a little bit like.

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Your car runs on diesel and

everybody else's car runs on petrol.

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Or I've heard this used

before before we run on apple.

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iOS and everybody else's on windows.

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So an earlier diagnosis.

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Prevent people blaming themselves.

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Understanding how to translate.

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Between apple and windows.

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If you like.

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And being able to put

those strategies in place.

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Early enough to avoid things like anxiety

and depression and the social isolation.

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Which to me is one of the main problems.

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I see with undiagnosed young people.

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Entering the teens and twenties.

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And for, especially women

in the thirties and forties.

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That point where things start to

go really crazy off the rails.

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Wrong.

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And spite of you being really intelligent.

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And capable and

understanding lots of things.

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You can anticipate it.

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You can put strategies in place.

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You can have accommodations your

expectation and understanding

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of yourself changes.

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You can give yourself

grace and compassion.

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And that.

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Alone reduces the amount of

stress that you live with.

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So it's really important.

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That a diagnosis.

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Isn't just about a label.

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It allows you to understand

yourself, communicate your needs.

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And not blame yourself for being.

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Someone who finds it harder to do things

that other people appear to do simply.

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What happens if adults haven't had

a diagnosis in their childhood?

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I would say 90% of my clients

fall into this category.

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They are smart.

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They're capable.

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They're creative.

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They're.

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Generally go getting there.

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They're wonderful people.

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but they weren't diagnosed early on.

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And so by the time I start to work with

them, They've become aware of ADHD.

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If hopefully had a diagnosis, many

of them are trying medication.

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Ideally they've had some therapy

to do with the wounds or the

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scars that sometimes travel.

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And they're ready to make changes.

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If you don't accept it, ADHD even exists.

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What happens?

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So picture this..

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You have worked tirelessly

your whole life.

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To meet the idea of what being a

good boy or a good girl on means.

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And your family and your.

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Peer group in your workplace.

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And you're doing it.

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You're capable of doing

that and sustaining it.

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But what is the cost in

terms of your stress?

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In terms of your belief in yourself.

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As somebody who's capable.

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And what if.

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Recognizing that you have ADHD.

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Allows you to feel.

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More yourself.

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More.

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Energized.

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And just happier.

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More joyful.

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Able to do things that are fun instead

of constantly being on high alert.

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From missing the social mark.

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We see this in.

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Generally the older generation

who still have a stigma around

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ADHD or who have managed to adapt.

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And shut down their life and potential.

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To conform.

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To this idea of what is an

acceptable way to behave.

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Until usually they're sixties or

seventies or maybe a grandchild

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or something is diagnosed.

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Maybe they've done a great job

meeting the expectations of their

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family, their friends, their work.

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And maybe they have pushed through.

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They are people pleasing.

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They are perfectionist.

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And they give themselves a hard

time because they're worried

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that if they don't do that, Other

people will start to really spoke.

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What's different about them.

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It may look like they don't.

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Need an ADHD diagnosis.

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And these certainly do not want to accept.

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They could be ADHD.

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Apart from the fact that this

can affect how younger members

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of our family behave and Hosey.

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See themselves and it

can do damage to them.

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If they pick up these behaviors.

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There's a lot of research showing

undiagnosed ADHD in adults.

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It doesn't just lead to chronic

stress, which we know has a

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physical impact on our health

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All of these blood pressure, these

really significant physical things.

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But it also leads to more mental

health problems and burnout.

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And there was a systematic

review in BMC medicine.

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That found untreated, ADHD and adults.

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Led to poorer long-term outcomes,

including lower socioeconomic status,

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which means they don't earn as much.

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Eh, more unemployment.

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'cause they burnout.

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They lose their jobs.

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And a much higher risk of

substance abuse and legal problems.

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For example.

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The prison population is much,

much higher in terms of proportion

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of people with undiagnosed ADHD.

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As well as the things that people

have said to me, Conforming to

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social expectations, three people

pleasing and perfectionism.

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Comes a very high personal cost.

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You might not.

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Follow those dreams,

those bright, shiny ideas.

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That people with ADHD have that

don't just change your life.

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They changed the lives of others.

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The people we see leading industry

and world changing business.

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I generally people.

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who are neurodivergent, often ADHD.

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And they have these flashes of

insight if they don't embrace those

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in case the upset other people.

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We might be in a very different

place and not in a good way.

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And that's why embracing a diagnosis.

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Transforms your daily life.

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And things that are a struggle can

begin to feel almost like a strength.

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Because when you have the

tools to manage your life more

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effectively, It stops feeling like

you're pushing treacle uphill.

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I don't know if you saw the film.

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Nanny McPhee and the big bang.

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There's a wonderful scene where

one of the characters has poured.

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I think it's Maggie Smith, who I adore.

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She's poured treacle into

a drawer and the shop.

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And that is exactly what it's

like trying to live with ADHD.

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Without a diagnosis, eventually

it's going to come out.

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How it comes out is up to you.

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So you can make scones.

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Or you can make a mess in your drawer.

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Me, I love a treacle scone or

I really enjoy a nice pancake

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treacle pancakes are amazing.

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That if you just pour it

into a drawer to hide it and

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pretend you don't have treacle.

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It's not going to be

very good for anybody.

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So a diagnosis doesn't

just mean you get a label.

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You're not being pigeonholed.

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It means.

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You understand your needs.

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You can access, support.

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And resources.

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For young people, this can

mean earlier intervention, more

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long term improved outcomes.

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I for grownups, it means.

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You're more likely to get medication

that works really well for you as well.

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The energies that you put into

managing untreated undiagnosed ADHD.

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His energy that belongs.

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To you to do amazing things.

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Oh in the world.

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And for adults.

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Diagnosis means that C are

able to embrace strategies.

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They might not have considered

before and find support systems.

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That meet their unique ways.

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Oh, thinking.

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And working in the world.

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I'm going to invite you to think

about the possibility of a life

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where your strengths are recognized.

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Your struggles are minimized and managed.

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That your potential is

fully allowed to shine.

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All of the evidence.

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Points to earlier diagnosis.

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Or a diagnosis at any

point being beneficial.

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And I'm not saying this

because it's any benefit to me.

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I coach people, whether they have

a diagnosis or not, I will coach.

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Anyone.

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But if you have a diagnosis, You

can give yourself permission.

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To accept what you need.

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And that is the thing

that changes for people.

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That acceptance and permission and

other people will look at you with

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more acceptance, with understanding.

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And maybe even curiosity

wow, they are so amazing.

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They run their own business.

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They have this fantastic project.

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They've got this wonderful invention.

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They have created this incredible thing.

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They are doing so well.

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University.

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And they have ADHD.

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And that amazing curiosity.

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Wait a minute, you do that.

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And you have ADHD.

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Is what's going to change things

in the future for everyone.

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No just us, but people without ADHD.

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Who may be saying maybe

I could do that too.

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We are.

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Inviting them.

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To see that.

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It's not a label.

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It is a permission slip

to do things differently.

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And Z can use that too.

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Because one thing I can tell you is that

strategies that work for people with ADHD.

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Work beautifully.

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For people who don't have a diagnosis.

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So please don't be scared

of a diagnostic label.

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Don't be scared of having

a bunch of letters.

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It doesn't change.

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You.

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But it can change how you

call forward in the world.

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And it can change what support

is available to you right now?

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If this has been helpful, please

share it with other people.

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We really need to explain that.

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ADHD and getting a diagnosis.

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Isn't a bad thing.

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And we need to give people permission.

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To be themselves.

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And to try things that work

wonderfully for them in a way

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they may not have anticipated.

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Remember.

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Understanding yourself is just the

first step to living your very best

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life, which is what I want you to have.

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Until the next time.

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Take care.

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