My Journey to an ADHD Diagnosis and How it Might Help You
If you've ever felt a constant, unshakable sense of being overwhelmed, like you're fighting harder than everyone else just to keep your head above water, this is for you. This is my journey to an ADHD diagnosis; a journey that took four long years, spanning continents and countless moments of self-doubt, but ultimately led to clarity, validation, and hope.
The Unshakeable Feeling
It all started back in 2017. On the surface, I had every reason to be overwhelmed. My workdays were long and stressful, I was enrolled in a demanding MBA program, and my life at home was a quiet disaster. I was trying to support my parents, who were dealing with complex PTSD after fleeing the civil war in my home country of Syria. My physical and mental health were in a freefall.
So, I did what most of us do: I turned to the internet. I was looking for an explanation for my exhaustion. But it was more than that.
This feeling of being overwhelmed; you can call it anxiety, you can call it stress wasn't new. It was a feeling that had lingered in the background for as long as I could remember.
Then, I stumbled upon an article about adult ADHD. Like many, I thought ADHD was something only kids had, something you eventually grew out of. But the more I read, the more I saw myself in the descriptions. It was like a lightbulb went on, illuminating my entire life in a new way.
A Childhood in Hindsight
I started reflecting. I was about to turn 32, so there was a lot to look back on. In school, I was the "smart kid," often a teacher's favorite. But internally, I was always struggling. Homework, tests, and exams were monumental hurdles. My secret weapon? Extreme stress. I procrastinated until the very last minute, using the adrenaline and anxiety to fuel a frantic push to get things done; more on that in a later post.
Everyone told me how intelligent I was, but I never felt it. I was living with a profound sense of imposter syndrome long before I knew the term existed, constantly terrified that at any moment, everyone would discover I was faking it.
The Corporate Ladder and the Unraveling
My career path was just as confusing. After several attempts in different industries, I landed a job in a call center, and to my surprise, I loved it. The work was immediate, satisfying, and clear-cut. I thrived. Now, I understand it was the kind of environment that works for an ADHD brain.
But success led to promotions. I started managing people, moving further away from the hands-on work I enjoyed. My world became complex. Suddenly, I had to juggle ambiguous expectations, multiple projects, shifting priorities, and delicate workplace relationships. The more complexity was added, the harder it became. I told myself the promotions and money were worth it, that everyone struggled like this.
Fast forward 10 years, and I was even higher on the corporate ladder, working in a high-stress event planning role. I was managing a whole portfolio of products, and the wheels were starting to come off the wagon. I'd wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding. I was always in my head—overthinking, over-analyzing, mentally fatigued from solving problems that didn't even exist yet. The smallest tasks felt impossible.
The Winding Path to an Answer
That's when I finally sought help. I was living in Dubai at the time and found a psychiatrist. Sadly, she came from an old school of thought and dismissed the idea of adult ADHD, refusing to diagnose me. Instead, she diagnosed me with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and PTSD.
In hindsight, I'm grateful for this step. It led me to a wonderful therapist who helped me work through so much. But even with years of therapy, that core feeling of being overwhelmed, disconnected, and unable to focus never went away.
My journey continued when I moved to Canada. I was determined to get an official diagnosis. But as anyone in Canada might know, navigating the public health system can be a challenge. My referral got lost in an administrative vortex, promising a delay of at least a year. It wasn't until I found a service called Frida that I was able to finally get a proper assessment.
The Diagnosis That Changed Everything
After my official diagnosis, I picked up Dr. Gabor Maté’s book, Scattered Minds. I read the first chapter in maybe 30 minutes, closed the book, and cried for an hour. It felt like Dr. Maté had time-traveled to my childhood and written a book about me.
That was the moment. The feeling of validation was overwhelming. Finally, something made sense. It wasn't all in my head. I wasn't lazy. I wasn't making it up. My brain is simply different, and that's okay. Knowing I wasn't alone and wasn't broken provided a sense of clarity and optimism I hadn't felt in years. As we with ADHD know, we love a problem to solve. My diagnosis wasn't a label; it was a starting point.
If You Resonate With Any of This: Here’s Some Advice
This journey eventually led me to become an ADHD coach. If my story resonates with you and you think you might have ADHD, here is what I’ve learned:
Trust Yourself. First and foremost, take a minute. If you deeply believe you have ADHD, you probably do. That intuition is powerful.
Do Your Research Cautiously. There are many self-assessments online, but be mindful of the source. An official diagnosis is often based on self-reported history and observations from others. Before taking an assessment, find a quiet moment for clear-headed self-reflection.
Gather Your History. Our memories can be tricky. If you can, talk to people who knew you when you were growing up: parents, relatives, or even old classmates. Ask them about your behavior in school, your ability to pay attention, or if you were fidgety. Their observations can be invaluable.
Seek a Professional (If You Can). Depending on where you live, a diagnosis can come from a psychiatrist, psychologist, family doctor, or a specially trained nurse practitioner. Getting an official diagnosis can be a crucial step toward getting the right support.
Go At Your Own Pace. There is no right or wrong way to go about this. Some people research for months before seeing a specialist; others go right away. Do what feels right for you, in your own time.
A diagnosis isn't an end; it's a beginning. It’s the moment you stop fighting against an invisible current and finally learn how to swim with it.
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