The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast

Hello and welcome to the Neurodiversity Voices podcast, where we celebrate and amplify the unique perspectives and experiences of neurodiverse individuals. And I'm thrilled to have you join us on this journey of exploration, advocacy and celebration of neurodiversity.

And I'm Gino Akbari, your volunteer co host. Together we'll have meaningful conversations, share inspiring stories and challenge misconceptions about neurodiversity.

This podcast is for everyone. Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, an educator or parent, or just someone curious to learn more, our goal is to amplify voices, aster understanding and spark change in the way we view and support neurodiversity.

We're so excited to have you with us as we celebrate the beauty of diverse minds and work toward a more inclusive future.

So sit back, relax, and let's get started. Welcome to the Neurodiversity Voices podcast.

ADHD is a condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Yet its complexities are often misunderstood or overlooked. For many, the journey to understanding ADHD begins with a diagnosis, which can bring clarity, challenges and opportunities for growth. In this episode, we explore the personal experiences of navigating ADHD. From the discovery process to its impact on work, relationships and self awareness.

Through open dialogue, aim to shed light on the emotional and practical aspects of living with ADHD while also addressing advocacy, stigma, reduction and the role of social media spreading awareness. Whether you're seeking insight, support, or inspiration, this discussion offers a thoughtful perspective in managing ADHD and embracing its unique challenges.

Welcome to today's episode. I'm thrilled to introduce our guest Emily Fitzpatrick, a CBC journalist, advocate and researcher who has been navigating life with ADHD since her diagnosis during the pandemic. Emily, thank you so much for joining us today.

Thank you for having me.

What's your understanding of ADHD evolved since your diagnosis and what has surprised you the most about yourself?

I think for me, my understanding before was similar to a lot of people, where it was that hyperactive child, you know, bouncing off the walls and distracting students, which I had a little bit of, but that was kind of my understanding of ADHD, like the inattentiveness. So, through my process of getting diagnosed, I learned a lot of things that I've just kind of thought were my personality, were symptoms of ADHD. So that was surprising to me, some of the things that I struggled with. You know, there was the inattentiveness, but there was also not liking a lot of sounds around me or getting kind of overstimulated by touch. Just like things I didn't think I thought were just things I didn't like.

Hearing people eat, I thought was just a completely separate thing. So I think, you know, going through it with my doctor and hearing some of the symptoms and watching some TikToks and hearing other people's symptoms, that kind of started to shift my understanding of it. And that's kind of where I went. Have all of these things. So as my definition expanded, that's kind of what motivated me to get a diagnosis.

And the most surprising part was probably the dopamine and chasing that dopamine high all the time, which I just thought I worked well under pressure. But turns out if you get that little spark of dopamine in your brain, it keeps you going for a while. So that's something that I've always kind of chased. My therapist was like, No, no, that's ADHD. So that was the most surprising one for me.

Right. So you told us what motivated to seek your diagnosis. Did you find that the healthcare providers were supportive once you started the process?

I didn't realize how lucky I was until I started doing more research in terms of the piece I did on ADHD for work and now my thesis, because I've had the same family doctor forever, so she's probably known forever. So for me, it was basically booking an appointment with her and then having like two hour appointment going through the diagnosis, like, check the spreadsheet with the check marks of, do you do this? Do you do this? And then her basically being like, yeah, girl, you have it. And then kind of working with her, which I didn't realize was something that not everyone got, to kind of work on my dosage and what kind of medication I tried.

We had a lot of follow-up appointments, so I thought it was just that easy. But then it was, you know, talking to my brother who didn't have a family doctor and he had to pay for his assessment. He paid like $500 and then the thought of, did I just pay for them to give me the answer I wanted or do I actually have ADHD? Like that kind of mind play there, and and then just talking to people who had to wait like six months for a psychiatric assessment. So yeah, I got really lucky and didn't really realize how lucky I got just based on never leaving my doctor.

In what ways has ADHD benefited your approach to work and how have you adapted to overcome challenges?

I think with that, like originally I had a lot of, I wouldn't say guilt, but originally I didn't want to be a burden and I didn't want to ask for accommodations, because I still, I think in the beginning I was feeling a little bit of stigma and shame around it. So originally I didn't ask for any help. And then I did a, you know, eight minute piece on ADHD and women and kind of came out to everyone in my office at the same time. So that was one way to do it. I think the things that I have found over the last two or two ish years that I've had it, is just knowing when to kind of check myself when I know I'm I'm being bad and doing things that I shouldn't be doing that are not work, just like chatting and, like, putting off getting started.

Because getting started has always been, like, trickiest thing for me. Once I'm, once I start, usually I'm, I'm good, but getting to the starting point. So I think if anything, I've been able to check myself and be like, okay, you know, you know, the stars part, just get going. You don't want to work late. You don't want to leave everything to the last minute because you don't do well in that because you miss things.

Knowing when that I should go hide in an office or put my noise canceling headphones on or tell a colleague, no, I gotta I gotta lock in now. So I think just the ability to have a little grace with myself and know and call myself on it without feeling like, can't I do this? Why can't I get started? You're so annoying. Like, why, like, why are you doing this to yourself?

Like, instead of feeling that going through that cycle, it's more of like a, okay, you need to, get together, go sit in an office and just turn this out. So I think it's more just I understand myself a bit more, I don't waste time questioning.

So Emily, how has your ADHD diagnosis impacted your relationships with family members? Have you discovered any shared experiences with them?

Yes. So of the four siblings, or I guess three include four including me. Wow. Three of us have ADHD, all diagnosed within the last few years. So that has been very interesting around the family dinner table, kind of talking about, you know, why we do certain things, how we all kind of have slightly different symptoms, people, helping each other out.

My youngest brother just started university, so I was able to help him out with things that were really beneficial for me when I started school. I'm at a later age in terms of the apps that are now available for students and AI and that kind of stuff, helping him find that. Those tools have, has been really nice in the bonding moment. You know, teasing my parents who gave everyone ADHD has been fun for us, less fun for them. But, yeah, so it's kind of been a fun little bonding moment and then kind of comparing, like my brother is trying the generic Vyvanse right now and kind of get like that work for you, talking about what kind of dosage we're on, asking for each other's medication if they run out, which I had to shut down.

But yeah, it's been a fun little brother bonding moment with all of us struggling.

That's your support group, which is also your family.

It's true. Those were the first people I kind of talked about getting a diagnosis with. So again, they were kind of the first people there, and I think it was me talking about how it's helped me that motivated my one brother to go and then so on. Yeah, so that was kind of a nice surprise.

I know you told earlier that some of the emotional hurdles that you faced, but after your diagnosis, you find, has it been more of a positive thing or a balance between a negative and positive once you heard that you had ADHD?

I think it has shifted to more positive, but yeah, there's certainly some things you need to tackle once you get the answer, especially as an adult, because it does have more of an effect, I think, than I realized. The feeling of not ever think like, no matter how hard I try, it's not going be good enough, or I'm not smart. I, no matter how much I study, I still don't understand this stuff, or I can't remember anything. So it's kind of working through that and working through like, I think if anything, yeah, the ability to give yourself a little bit of grace is the strongest emotion I felt. Like I was mad about some things I didn't think I was good enough for, so I didn't pursue.

And I know my brothers kind of echoed that because all of us kind of dabbled in university before we found something that we were passionate enough about that we could do it. So there's kind of that period of mourning, but then yeah, the ability to let yourself off the hook a bit more, I think has been the most has outweighed the negative for me. But I know it's everyone has kind of a different journey and I was lucky that like my dad was a journalist, so I knew in grade five that I wanted to do this. So I always kind of had that passion for it. And the program I went to at NAIT is very like hands on learning and that's the best for me.

So I kind of was lucky in that regard. Not everyone has been. So yeah, it's been interesting to hear a lot of people's stories, especially the age that they get diagnosed, you know, like people are getting diagnosed in their sixties and seventies and like, that must be difficult. So yeah, there's a lot of feelings that go on when you get this like answer that you maybe were searching for, or just kind of always questioning what was up. Yeah, a lot of different emotions go through your head.

Yeah, it's quite interesting.

What tools or strategies have been most effective for you in managing ADHD, especially in high pressure situations?

Yeah, I mean Vyvanse has been, right? Remembering to take it is also great. I was saying earlier that I do thrive in high pressure situations, so that's always where I do the best. When I have extra time, that's where I do the work. Because I stopped it.

I won't take it every weekend. Like, sometimes I don't take it on vacation. So I like that I can kind of make it work for me. So that was less scary off the top. And I I I understand, like, it's a it's a scary medication to take off, like with it being a stimulant, but, and like often like people will be like, do you, do you notice a difference?

I'm like, yeah, I'm not going take it every day if I don't notice a difference. That has been beneficial. Like we said earlier, there's kind of like that, that check system that I know when to get down to business, and I know that I need to, like, go to a coffee shop if I'm not being able to work at home in terms of working on, like, my schoolwork. I was usually doing it on the weekends, so I'm tired, and if I'm stay at home, then I know I'm not going to do it. So I've spent a lot of time in coffee shops because I like people around me and I like being able to, you know, get a sweet treat and do my work.

So that I found works really well for me. Noise canceling headphones have worked really well because if I'm not able to isolate myself fully, at least I can isolate the noise and kind of focus in that way. Like, I work exclusively with, like, movie scores, so I can't listen to lyrics when I work or I start writing lyrics. So I have a whole, like, twenty four hour playlist of movie scores. Oh, yeah.

Just know I guess you kind of start to develop a toolkit of what works for you and how you can keep yourself going. Like, I've tried the Pomodoro Technique, but usually I'm either checking to see how much time is left or I'm extending the breaks. So I do feel like that I can't remember what the ADHD term for it is, but, like, the body doubling. That helps me just, being at a at a coffee shop on my computer. I can look up if I want to get distracted, but I'm not going to sit there and watch TikTok at a coffee shop.

So yeah, I think it's slowly starting to I'm finding the things that work for me and like not every day is perfect, but I was telling my mom the other day, she said, don't doesn't your medication make you like stay on task? I was like, yeah, but sometimes I'm more powerful than my medication mom. Like I could push right through and still distract myself. So yeah, I think the high pressure situations are ideal for me, which is kind of where I've gotten into trouble, I crave that deadline and I crave the time crunch. So I'm trying to develop skills outside of that to keep myself working, I guess.

So how has sharing your personal story given a positive perspective on ADHD?

I think it's just been really like freeing, I guess. I think because it's, I think the stigma is decreasing, I guess. I I don't know why I never really felt much shame or I like I felt a bit, but I never really felt much shame telling people because it's more of just like this it's like who I it's a part of me. And it wasn't, I was telling you guys, like, I did this piece for about my ADHD diagnosis and how more people are during the pandemic were getting diagnosed. And it wasn't until like the night before that came out that I was like, oh, wow, like I'm really sharing this.

That was, there was a bit of fear that night. And I guess I just, I don't know, I've always kind of been an open person, so I never really felt like a shame in getting a diagnosis. Cause I guess for me it was so, it explained so much that it was just, it made me happy in other regards. So I was like, guess you won't, you won't believe what I just got diagnosed with or what, what the things I've been doing forever. I have a reason for it now.

Yeah. Like, I know you you guys have been telling me you're two minutes away when you're fifteen minutes away for decades because I'm never on time. Yeah. But now, I'm sorry, it's just my brain chemistry. My clocks are are like ten minutes ahead, but like eight or like twelve or like fourteen minutes ahead so that I forget which one is which.

It drives my partner crazy, because he's like, all of our clocks are wrong. I'm like, I'm on time now. Yeah.

Inspired you to focus your pieces on ADHD awareness on TikTok and how do you navigate the balance between helpful content and misinformation?

I think the first off, like, I kind of had an idea that as an idea in my head when I first started my master's, but I didn't know I didn't I wasn't fully committed. But then someone that had done her master's a few years earlier basically was like, you're going to spend a year of your life with this. So make sure it's something you're passionate about because otherwise you will be sick of it by the end. So that kind of was what solidified the decision. And I thought it was really interesting because it is such a growing, it's just a phenomenon right now, I would say.

So I kind of felt that part was interesting because it's, it's, there's not been a lot of research on it, which I found during my literature review. So that kind of was what I was like this is happening right now, people are talking about it, maybe not in the academic sense, so I think it will be an interesting thesis topic. And once I was able to so it's a documentary film because I wanted to do it as a film because it's such a visual platform and a lot of people I think would rather watch a film than read an 18,000 word paper and I would rather make one than write an 18,000 word paper. Yeah, like if I can't make it through a paper, why would I write one? So yeah, basically I pitched it as my thesis and both the first people I pitched it to didn't even know it was happening, so I thought that was, I was like, this is maybe the right direction to go.

It was real, it was fascinating. I'm so happy I did it. I'm happy the way it turned out. And I was shocked. I thought the hardest part would be finding people that would go on camera and discuss getting diagnosed with ADHD in their adulthood.

I thought that would be impossible. And many people did too, and told me that. But like, I had like 10 women respond to me saying, yeah, men, like, are you sure? And it was amazing. I couldn't have done it without them.

Just like the openness and the vulnerability that they shared with me, I was I'm so grateful for them. Just being able to talk to three women that had similar experiences to me, were all been diagnosed in the last five years, I thought was really, really interesting. Then speaking to, I was able to ask kind of like questions that I was wondering about, so I think that helped in terms of some of the answers I got. And I knew that I did have to focus I mean, my entire thesis question is that, like is the information more helpful than the misinformation? Which is a hard question to answer but for the women I spoke to, it's more it's like being able to broaden the definition of ADHD, being able to see people dealing with the same things that you are, and then, you know, leading you to do research on your own has been more beneficial than, you know, certain videos maybe kind of boiling down the definition to get some likes.

And I think like, yeah, I try to stress in it as long as you, you know, have a conversation with your doctor, how you do your own research and you kind of figure it out for yourself after you watch TikTok, that's the most important thing. But I think the fact that it's like reducing stigma around ADHD, it's broadened the definition, especially for women from that, you know, hyperactive boy to all of these things are symptoms. All of these things I struggle with. I think it's been really beneficial. And if anything, like it's kind of highlighted some, the medical system is kind of playing catch up.

And if anything, maybe it will motivate people in power there to implement more training for doctors about diagnosing ADHD or just more research, and it already has. The States is working on a new regulation for ADHD right now that's coming out, so I think the surge might change some things, which also I think is more beneficial than some misinformation. But there are some things and there are some dangers to it and self diagnosing, they're going to have to do a lot more research on that and the benefit of the impacts of that.

So in your experience, Emily, how do you balance advocating for your workplace needs, like using noise canceling headphones or seeking quieter spaces while managing feelings of being a burden requiring special treatment?

I think I'm still kind of dealing with that. Like, no one I think a lot of journalists have ADHD. Like, I don't wanna generalize, but when a business is built on deadlines and, you know, a different story every day, it attracts a lot of people that, that look at. So I haven't had any issues in terms of like noise canceling headphones or disappearing for a few hours into a room. I don't know if I've really explored some of the, like I have people that I've met through this that, you know, they have different, things in place at their work that I don't know if I would even need, but you know, all the power to them for advocating for themselves.

So I think if anything, it's just like, oh, yeah, I think I'm still kind of battling with that. But yeah.

What personal advice would you give to someone who suspects they might have ADHD but is unsure about seeking a diagnosis?

I mean, I think it's a personal journey for everyone. And like I was even talking with my partner last night and he was talking about my project to someone and they were saying, oh yeah, I think I definitely have it. But look what I've built for myself, which I didn't know, I didn't really know how to react to because I'm like, I don't, nothing has to change if you get a diagnosis, a formal diagnosis, however you want to approach it. It was very beneficial and I know myself better and I know how to work with myself better and I'm able to give myself more grace because of this diagnosis. But I understand, like, not everyone feels they're ready for it.

If they know in their brain, I think I have it and that's enough for me now, all the power to them. I found it very beneficial. So I guess my advice would be do your own research outside of TikTok, talk to a doctor or a doctor adjacent and kind of approach it with your own comfort level in mind, because I know it's scary for some people. But I think for me, the benefits have outweighed kind of the fear that I had going into it. And I wish I would have done it sooner.

So yeah, I think that would be my advice. I was surprised by how much lighter I felt by having a reason and kind of letting go of some of that shame after like thirty some years of unknowingly carrying it.

So you're here now with everything you know. How do you envision your journey with ADHD shaping your future goals and your personal growth?

Well, I think I'm like already doing that. Like, I never would have had the guts to go back to school pre diagnosis. Like, I've known about this program that I'm in at Royal Roads for years, Cause my dad did it back in the early two thousand. So I've known about it for years and known that I might want to do it, but I never really had the guts to do it because I didn't think I was smart enough. And so, yeah, it wasn't long after I got diagnosed that I kind of pulled the trigger and applied.

And even after that, like I got A's in all my classes and I didn't think that was possible for me. So that has given me so much confidence in terms of appreciating myself a bit more. So I think I'm already in a good place with it and already kind of using it to my advantage, I guess, in terms of not missing any more opportunities and not holding myself back because I think that I can't do it, which has been pretty powerful for me. So I want to just kind of continue that

journey. ADHD is often described as a blanket term, and like how fibromyalgia is viewed, covering like a wide range of symptoms. It's hard to pinpoint. So do you find that frustrating or is having the diagnosis still helpful in making sense of your experience?

Yeah, think like it's a very personal thing. Like a lot of people, I don't know of a lot of people, but certain people don't recognize it as a real thing. And I think ADHD has a similar kind of vibe to it where they see it as, you know, hyperactive kid, inattentive. Yeah, so I think, I hope the understanding of it shifts, but like, don't, I have to not care what other people's version of it is because I know what it's done for me and how it's benefited me to know. But I do think, yeah, it's tricky.

Like I, the symptoms so much overlap, some of the symptoms so much overlap, like just like the brain rot that has been caused by our phones and our attention span over the last few decades. So some of the psychiatrists that I spoke to was saying like, it's going to be interesting to kind of separate them so it doesn't become a big blanket definition and so many symptoms overlap with what children are struggling with now.

Yeah. And sorry to interrupt Emily, but these podcasts and your YouTube clips and all that all help because I'm guilty of it too. Mean, I've had a close friend that was always late and I've worked with the military and for me I could never, no, I would be like, no, you're late because you're being lazy and because you're not respecting my time. But five years ago he was diagnosed with ADHD and he was trying to explain the process of when he is leaving home and what happens to him before he leaves home. And to me it was so difficult to understand.

I'm like, well, maybe you're not giving it enough urgency, you know? So through that, bit by bit myself, I had to get educated and understand. Talking to you and listening to you furthermore increases that literacy for me. It does help. It's giving me perspective and making the lanes narrower and narrower in terms of, oh, this is the result of this diagnosis and this is the result of that diagnosis.

Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's been a journey with my partner because he's like type A, which I'm like, is that what I was attracted to? Someone that would keep me keep me in line in terms of like, because now when we leave the the house, he goes phone wallet, keys. I'm like, do check for my phone wallet keys. Like, when I first started going on medication, I was like, I think you're gonna have to watch more than like, because so many things were ingrained in how I, you know, approach leaving the house or getting ready for work and that kind of stuff.

So I was like, I think you're going to have to watch me and tell me what's, what things you notice when I start this medication, because I don't know what type of things I'm doing anymore. So he was able to actually point out like, you're not like running around when you leave now, like you're a lot calmer when you leave the house. It's and yeah, just educating him like, I try so hard to be on time. I really, really, really do. But then like there, I mean, my psychiatrist put it like, you get the dopamine of being like, okay, how close can I cut it to when I have to leave?

And then, you know, fifteen minutes goes by in two seconds. Learning about time blindness was like my first, like, when I first started looking at symptoms, because like time goes by very strange, like very, very quickly for me and then very, very slowly. Yeah. Anytime I need to be somewhere on time, it goes by at like the speed of light. For this, I woke up, I woke up at nine this morning and I had this at noon, and I was like, oh, I should go for a walk.

And I was like, well, by the time I eat, it's gonna be 09:30, and then, like, I'm gonna wanna hang out for a bit, and then it'll be ten, but then I won't be back till, like, eleven, and then that might be too close to call. Like, this all goes I have three hours. I could have gone for a walk. Yeah. I've been off for the last, like, few weeks trying to get the thesis done.

I I I started kind of my insomnia came back, and I was dealing with some stuff, I was like, I don't know why, like, I'm having such a hard time. And I realized my routine is completely off because usually I have bought the fancy Hatch Alarm Clock that plays music, and I used to play that at night so that I would do it plays for thirty minutes, so I know that's like my TikTok time, and then I transition to reading when the other music comes on, and like just having schedules and like a plan in place kept me kind of on schedule and together and not having that I'm like oh I kind of miss it and I never really thought I was that kind of person but yeah it's honestly like it's I learn about it every day and I think now I'm more of in like the curiosity phase with ADHD where I'm like, is this part of it? Is this, is this something I need? Is this something that I've done to work with my ADHD unknowingly? So yeah, I'm very much in like a kind of curiosity phase right now where things come to me all the time where I'm like, oh yeah, this could be something that bothers me for this reason because of this, or this could be something I do because of this.

So yeah, yeah. I mean, doing a thesis, was afraid because I was like, oh, I am the deadline. So that is usually bad for me. So, you know, it was like putting in, you know, taking time off. So I knew by the end of my time off, need to have it done because I I'm not as good doing two things at once.

So No. Those are all the same for everyone, Emily. Yeah. My wife did my thesis too, and I feel like she had ADHD at that time too.

So Well, you're, like, so sick of it. You're even, like, taking the time off. I like wrote the script for the documentary in like four or five days after taking like months of just like, can't do it. I don't know. I don't know if I could do it.

Was like, took four days? Like, are you kidding me? Why didn't I do this a month ago?

So so I'm gathering that giving yourself structure really helps. Deadlines and structures. Like, if somebody had to help, they would just create a timetable for you, and it would make day to day much easier. Is that is that right?

Not a timetable. That's too far. Like, I still found myself in a job that does that automatically. I put it in place unknowingly because the funny the joke between my partner and I, we're both Virgos, and he is like every Virgo attribute, and I am none of them because we're supposed to be like on it, organized, type a, like studious people, and I am not that, which makes me question astrology as a a thing. Still, it's it's challenging, but I think the more I try to understand myself, the better it goes.

But, like, even, like, I had to do a paper accompaniment to the doc, and I was putting it off putting it off, and I was telling my friend, I was like, All I have do is write the paper. He's like, yeah, you've been saying that for two weeks, so write the paper. Like, I know. I know. I know.

And then it took a day to write it. So that's what I'm trying to that's my main mission right

now is trying to stop procrastinating. You've mentioned before that getting diagnosed earlier could have significantly changed your life. Can you share what you would have done differently if you had that understanding sooner? For people listening and that are not sure, would you advise them to go and get checked sooner than later? If you have a doubt, just go in.

Absolutely. Yeah, 100%. Speaking to the women for this documentary, all of us had the same thought process of like, why was I missed? And like, what would I have done differently because of that? And like, how would I have been nicer to myself?

I think that was the biggest one, but yeah, no, I struggled in high school with things I wasn't passionate about. Like I was great in English. I was great in social because I found those things interesting, but like math and science, no. And like, wasn't, I think what else happens is that you just accept that you're bad at it and you don't. There's no matter what I do, I will be bad at math.

So why try? I think that kind of continues, you know, like for someone, like one of the women I spoke to was trying to do her real estate license and she studied and studied and studied and then failed by like two points and then tried to do it again and failed by like one point, but then it was like too too stupid to do this. So she didn't end up getting it then. I think in terms of like, would my life have been differently? I think I would have approached things differently.

And, you know, just like the things that I've learned recently to help myself, I would have done that in other areas of my life because, like, I went a year and a half of university and then I dropped out because I was like, I suck at this and I won't won't be able to do this. So I just kind of accepted that and then traveled for a few years and was like, hey, what am I gonna do with my life? And, I really enjoyed Nate because it was so hands on and it was like, go do this, go gather this, go talk to people, make this project happen. And though that's kind of my better way of learning. And yeah, I think like, it's like every woman I just spoke to for this, they're like, there was a lot of relief, was a lot of answered questions, there was a lot of anger or there was a lot of grief or there was a lot of anger towards family for not recognizing this when they were younger.

So I do think whether I would have magically been good at math is probably a no, but I would have been able to be a bit nicer to myself, I think, and recognize my skills and my value in other ways rather than just kind of assuming a blanket not And good

set yourself for success sooner rather than later.

Yeah. And like that doctor I spoke about put in such easy terms where he's like, you're not gonna go for this if you think you're not good enough, you're not gonna take that opportunity, you're not gonna take, you know, that course in university, you're not gonna think you can be a doctor because you kind of just accepted yourself for who you are and your downfalls. So, and it's not going to be like that for everyone, but I do think if you think you might have it, you will be surprised if you are diagnosed by how much your mind mindset can change and how much empathy that you will end up giving yourself. Because I was. It's an answer to a question you didn't maybe know you were looking for, but once you have it, you're like, like you're, it kind of like things click into place.

Yeah. So there had to be that discussion and like so many people, so many parents are finding out at the same time as their kids because they'll take their kids to get assessed and then be like, Oh, that's me! So, heard that from a lot of doctors that a lot of adults are getting diagnosed at the same time as their kids. So, yeah, I think, I mean, I could even do a follow-up study about, I I guess we already said that, about the effects a late diagnosis, but I think that's why there are support groups that are so busy. Yeah, and just hearing the same feelings was really gratifying when doing the doc, talking to these women and having the exact same kind of wave of emotions after getting diagnosed.

Yeah, it's been really interesting and I recognise that I'm very lucky to be able to speak to the leading experts in ADHD ask them questions for the doc and for myself. So yeah, I hope if anything, more research kind of reduces the stigma and gets more answers for people because I do think it's worth the diagnosis even if you're in your 50s or 60s.

Introduce this new segment in our podcast, the neurodiversity myth busting phrase segment, and ask our guest speaker a final question, your answer to one of the six myth busting phrases. We will show you, and please choose one of them.

I mean, I would say the one that spoke to me first, the neurodiverse individuals who lack social skills. I think for me is a huge myth because every report card I ever had said I had tons of social skills and all I had were social skills. But I do think that with ADHD, it makes us very creative people and it makes us, I think, high functioning people in terms of projects and things that we're really passionate about. And I know when I'm passionate about something that I talk about it to anyone. Like, I tend to ramble, but I get back to where I'm going.

You just have to bear with me. But it's true, struggled, if I have to speak For some reason if I speak in a very large crowd of people, I'm fine. If I speak in a smaller crowd of people, like five or six, that's when I get really nervous. Or that they're my superiors, that's when I get really nervous. But I do think like anyone, that can cover so many people.

I think that, you you got me thinking on both sides. Like, I still say it's advanced. I think we have great social skills. You just have to kind of take us for what we are, and we will maybe veer off from our original point. But our I think maybe even listening to how we got there can be eye opening and give you some insight that maybe you didn't think of.

So maybe listen a bit more to us and yeah, I think just, yeah, I think now I don't even know where to go, I'm not gonna ramble. That is what I was struggling with in interview. Like, I would answer the full question and then be like, and in conclusion, and say the question again. So, yeah, I think we have great social skills, especially when we're passionate about something because we will be able to show our passion, I think, clearer than maybe someone that isn't neurodiverse. And I think it's kind of infectious when we do have passion about something in the way we share it and the way we get excited and the different avenues that maybe we go down in terms of our research or in terms of what we learn about it.

I mean, that's one of my favorite things about my job is I get to learn a little bit about a lot and that kind of keeps things interesting and fresh. So that is how I will answer it. That it is a myth. Thank you. I should have picked an easier one.

Thank you, Emily.

Yeah, thank you guys.

We hope to encourage our listeners to submit their responses to the six myth busting phrases on our website at www.neurodiversityvoices.com and you could be featured on our next podcast episode. That's all for today's episode of the neurodiversity voices podcast. Thank you so much for tuning in and being part of this important conversation.

We hope you found today's discussion insightful and inspiring. Remember, every voice matters. And together, we can create a more inclusive and understanding world for neurodivergent individuals.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and a review, and even share it with your friends, family, or anyone who might benefit from these conversations.

Do you have any questions, ideas or stories you'd like to share? Please feel free to fill out our listeners feedback and survey form, or even apply to be our next guest speaker on our website.

We'd love to hear from you. Until next time, take care, stay curious and keep celebrating the beauty of diverse minds.

Thanks for listening to the Neurodiversity Voices podcast.