A note to my neurodiverse friends…

I had a revelation today and I wanted to share it with you. I hope it gives you some inspiration.

I have been beating myself up mentally lately. Since my diagnosis, I’ve reflected on years of struggles and failures. I’ve looked back at everything I’ve been through, with a new pair of eyes, and I’ve noticed things I never saw before. Suddenly everything feels tainted by the ADHD label that has attached itself to me.

Whilst it’s come with so much validation, it’s also come with a loss of hope and a feeling of defeat. I’ve been feeling sad and hopeless; I am exhausted, I don’t want to fight anymore. I’ve realised that I’ll struggle forever – I’m hardwired to do so. And whilst it has come so easy to judge and beat myself up for that, it hasn’t come easy to realise that despite that, I’m still a success.

I am literally hard-wired to struggle, and despite that, I have achieved so much.

My office has become a space of inspiration. I use it to showcase my achievements, my inspirations, my proud moments, my blessings, my hopes and goals, my successes. The walls are vibrant with drawings, photographs, awards and memories. It’s become an area that makes me feel positive. But what I have overlooked is all the small achievements that I make each day.

I shouldn’t need to move mountains to feel proud of myself.

Brushing your teeth when your brain is hard-wired against doing that, is an achievement.

Getting up and getting dressed when your brain is fighting against you, is an achievement.

Living every day in a world that is not built for neurodiversity is brave, and it is an achievement.

We are amazing. And whilst we do come with our struggle, we have also developed incredible skills through that. We are kind. We are resilient. We are brave. We are strong. We are adaptable. We are empathetic.

In a world that is designed to make us struggle, we persevere.

I’d say that makes us pretty damn incredible, wouldn’t you?