To mark ADHD Awareness Month in October, SWU Vice Chair Chrissie Beatty shares personal reflections about her recent ADHD diagnosis.
Two years ago, I shared with you my experiences of being a perimenopausal social worker (The Hormotional Social Worker), and I can report that my fan and chocolate remain my best friends. But perimenopause has also led me to a diagnosis of ADHD.
Allow me to rewind around 40 years, to a time when only boys could have ADHD (apparently) and the focus of clinical studies was on white, hyperactive males. I was a bright, bouncy (literally, I spent a year on a pogo stick) and happy child, who was blessed with loving parents that accepted me for me, and went along with my ever-changing hobbies. But teachers, other children and their parents, were not as accepting. In fact, it is estimated that children with ADHD hear around 20,000 more negative comments by the time they are 10. Needless to say, that by the time I went to secondary school I had learned to be considerably less bouncy.
This lack of understanding about ADHD has resulted in a lost generation of women, receiving a diagnosis of ADHD later in life, often coinciding with perimenopause. This is certainly true for me; the coping techniques I had learned throughout my life became woefully inadequate when my neurodiverse brain collided with the hormonal changes.
So, what is ADHD?
Well, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, to give it its full name, is listed in the DSM-5 as a neurodevelopmental condition with three main diagnostic criteria: Hyperactivity, Inattention & Impulsivity.
I have Combined ADHD, meaning I have symptoms in all three categories.
Common signs of ADHD in adults are –
- being easily distracted or forgetful
- finding it hard to organise your time
- finding it hard to follow instructions or finish tasks
- losing things often, like your wallet, mobile or keys
- having a lot of energy or feeling restless
- being very talkative or interrupting conversations
- making quick decisions without thinking about what might happen as a result.
However, for women ADHD can look a bit different.
This can be due to hormonal differences, gender roles and expectations, social difficulties, different hypersensitivities and co-occurring conditions. Also, women are more likely to “mask” – this is when neurodivergent people make enormous efforts to fit with neurotypical expectations, and I can confirm that it is exhausting.
The place I did this the most (and still do this), is at work. I have the constant anxiety that my imposter syndrome brings, believing that people would see through my ‘I’ve got this’ persona and the chaos in my mind will start to show; think of the proverbial swan – gliding across the pond but with legs going ten to the dozen under the water. However, an out-of-control seagull at a fish and chip party may be more accurate.
Studies suggest that a significant portion of the social work workforce may be neurodivergent, with estimates ranging from 15% to 20%, and many ADHD traits lend themselves perfectly to social work.
These include, but are by no means limited to –
- heightened creativity
- the ability to think outside the box
- minds that often operate at a rapid pace
- the ability to make quick connections between seemingly unrelated concepts
- a thinking style that allows for innovative ideas solutions
- high levels of empathy
But, and this is a big but, individuals with ADHD need an understanding and compassionate workplace in order to put these skills to use.
According to Deb Solomon, who spoke to Community Care during her time as chair of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) neurodivergent social workers group, there are some systemic changes that need to happen within the social work profession to support neurodivergent colleagues, including –
- Awareness training around what neurodiversity is for students, educators, and line managers.
- “A clear path” as to what the process is to access support as a neurodivergent social worker.
- Altering recruitment processes to be inclusive towards neurodivergent applicants.
- Ensuring there is access to equipment to support neurodivergent needs.
- Encouraging workers to form peer support groups.
I am very fortunate to have a line manager that I can talk openly with about the challenges my ADHD presents, and who ensures I feel safe and supported. I know not everyone has that and it is important you understand your rights in order to advocate for yourself.
If you have, or suspect you have, ADHD, you are protected at work under the Equality Act 2010.
That means that once an employer has been made aware, they are required by law to make the necessary adjustments to accommodate your needs. These could be – among other things – adapted equipment, making physical changes to the workplace, training and support for people the employee works with, or allowing the person to work somewhere that is more comfortable for their needs.
There are also ADHD-friendly strategies I have found help me to manage my workload, stay organised, and thrive in social work. For example,
- Externalise Everything – get things out of your head and into a system.
- Structure Your Day with Themes – create consistent blocks of time for types of tasks.
- Reward yourself with regular breaks – eg. 25 minutes focused work, 5-minute break.
- “Race the clock” to make paperwork more engaging – turn it into a challenge to unleash the dopamine reward.
- Pair up with a colleague for co-working or accountability check-ins.
- Get Support – don’t be afraid to ask for help and if possible, join a peer group with other neurodivergent colleagues.
The newfound knowledge and understanding that my diagnosis has given me is helping me to be kinder to myself.
It is helping me to reduce the harsh self-criticism when I am forgetful / messy / disorganised / chaotic / talking too much / zoned-out / late / forgetful (did I say that already?!).
Women and girls like me, are too often suffering in silence and being left out of the ADHD conversation – we need you to stand in solidarity with us to ensure nobody is forgotten, misunderstood or overlooked again.
If you think you may have ADHD and are unsure of where to turn, you could have an open and frank discussion with your GP. If you don’t feel ready to do that, the internet has a raft of information, as well as ADHD bloggers, vloggers, TikTokers and podcasters but a word of warning – there is also a lot of disinformation out there, so always check you are using a reputable source. ADHD UK is a good place to start.
And if you are a fellow Neuro Sparkly ADHDer, here are 5 things I want you to remember –
- You are a PROBLEM SOLVER. You think of solutions that other people haven’t even imagined possible.
- You have a wonderful IMAGINATION and have brilliant CREATIVE skills.
- The room lights up with POSITIVE ENERGY when you walk in!
- You have a fantastic ability to NOTICE the little things that other people may miss.
- You have an AMAZING ADHD brain!
