11/08/2026
ADHD isn’t all fun and games.
It’s a constant practice of learning to have compassion and care for yourself. Noticing when your thoughts begin to spiral, recognising what you need, and learning to actually respond to it.
Because for so many of us, disregarding our own needs is something we’ve learned.
Feeling too much.
Too loud.
Too silly.
Too ‘boisterous’.
Too sensitive.
And this is why my diagnosis meant so much to me.
It gave me permission to start unwriting the stories that told me I was broken, difficult, lazy, or simply not enough.
But unmasking 30 years of behaviours, coping mechanisms and habits doesn’t happen overnight. And honestly, it’s one of the hardest parts of this process.
I still catch myself feeling “difficult” for choosing rest over pushing through, solitude over group dynamics, leaving loud or overstimulating spaces, or putting my own needs before what’s expected of me.
It can feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable.
We live in a world that rewards us for overriding ourselves.
So sometimes, choosing to stop, rest, say no, leave early, take up space, or do things differently is an act of rebellion.
And maybe unmasking is learning that you were never too much in the first place.
