Could it be ADHD? (Sam Milburn)

It was such a privilege to have Michaela Thomas on the podcast this week. A respected Senior Clinical Psychologist Michaela runs her own practice and was diagnosed with ADHD just over a year ago.

Talking to Micheala was so refreshing as she is utterly authentic and openly shares about her experience with ADHD and throughout the podcast we kept coming back to the word compassion. How to have compassion for yourself. ADHD doesn’t define us – but we’ll never be rid of it completely so how do we learn to live with it?

Be sure to listen out for the bit about ‘twice exceptional’ – something I’ve never heard of but found fascinating and may make a lot of sense to some of you out there.

We covered:

• How Michaela’s ADHD diagnosis came about
• Switching from a private diagnosis to an NHS diagnosis
• The feelings that come up post diagnosis that Michaela describes as ‘Relief and Grief’
• Why Michaela started to attract ADHD women into her practice
• The meaning of ‘twice exceptional’ and how this affects high-achieving women
• The complexities of ADHD and sometimes difficulties in seeing it in yourself
• The importance of having an understanding and compassionate team of people around you
• Mindfulness the ADHD way
• Michaela's advice for anyone exploring an ADHD diagnosis

Thank you so much for listening. If you’d like to support this podcast then please consider buying me a cup of coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/coulditbeadhd

You can find me over on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

And my Free Facebook Community for newly diagnosed ADHDers or those on the pathway for ADHD to come and talk in a safe space:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/471027132415779

If you’d like to follow Michaela or find out more about any of her programs or membership then check out the links below:

Michaela’s website: https://thethomasconnection.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_thomas_connection/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaela.johansson.946

 

 

In this episode I talk about my ADHD assessment and all the feels that came with it. I talk about why I get the inattentive diagnosis and I also share a bit about how amazing my husband has been all these years at supporting me without me even realising it!

After the assessment I was shocked at how I felt. It was tough to accept the diagnosis at first, even though I’d been waiting for it for nearly a year and experienced a heck of a lot of distress just getting here.  To the point that I had a panic attack the next day and wrote an impulsive letter to my clinician to DOUBLE CHECK her notes. Was she SURE she got it right?

So join me as I share my honest thoughts and feelings just a few days post diagnosis.

Thank you for listening. Please do follow the podcast and come and say hi over on Instagram : www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

Paula Hirst helps neurodivergent women overcome their business roadblocks (aka Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria!) and as a late diagnosed ADHDer herself it was a pleasure to have her on to share her story.

If you have neurodivergent children then this might sound unsurprisingly similar to your own story! I had a lovely chat with Paula including:

 

• How her ADHD realisations came about
• Why it took a year to go for an ADHD diagnosis
• Paula’s experiences with ADHD medication
• How Paula discovered her strengths
• What inattentive type ADHD was like as a child
• Letting go of the ADHD mask
• Paula’s business journey and changes since her ADHD realisations
• The difficulties Paula had finding a black ADHD business coach
• The power of rejection sensitivity as a business owner
• How the subconscious sabotages our success
• Some of Paula's strategies for life and work with ADHD (including a really clever washing hack!)
• What Paula loves about her ADHD
• What Paula would say to anyone that thinks they might have ADHD and how to be prepared for some potentially unexpected feelings (that both Paula and myself experienced)

If you liked this episode then please do follow as I’ve got more incredible guests lined up every week. You can also find me over here:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@coulditbeadhd

Website: www.coulditbeadhd.co.uk

If you want to find out more about Paula then you can find her details here https://linktr.ee/adhdandalchemy  and download her brand new free resource here

In this no frills mini episode I talk about how I get almost as much joy (if not more!) when researching and planning for a new hobby, than the actual hobby itself. And the one thing I do that helps me to make sure it’s a hobby I’ll have more motivation for and am more likely to follow through on.  It’s never straight forward though and I think sometimes, an impulse buy is okay as it’s what makes us more likely to explore and try new things.  

As always please do follow or subscribe - all new subscribers help with reach. And leave a review. 

You can also find me on instagram www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

Skin picking is often seen as a shameful, ugly and almost dirty thing to do. I know because I suffer from it myself. As someone with ADHD I think it comes down to some OCD type behaviours that I seem to have 'managed' to some extent. Of course you don't need to be neurodivergent to suffer with skin picking (also known as Dermatillomania). It can happen to anyone.   With skin picking, at various times of my life, it's caused problems. Including very recently. In this episode I share:   •My skin picking issues •What the NHS says about skin picking and strategies to avoid it •What to do if you feel that your skin picking is out of control and cause you distress I'm on the lookout for a skin picking expert to come and chat more about this subject as since I've started talking about it, my DMs are opening up with messages from people and I feel that it can be a very secretive condition that we need to create more awareness around.   As always you can find me over on Instagram, www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast   Here’s the NHS link: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/skin-picking-disorder/ Please do follow and review the podcast and feel free to come and say hey on Instagram!

The lovely Em from Auntie Em’s Kitchen came on the podcast to talk about her late diagnosis journey.

Growing up as the only neurotypical child of 5 it probably should have been no surprise to Em that she was actually ADHD, but it was the diagnosis of Dyslexia that took her by surprise.

Em is doing some amazing things including running her charity Aunties Cookery Academy who are planning to give children leaving the care system an education in cooking together with the skills they need to go out into the world to work.

It’s no wonder we spent an hour talking as we had a lot to chat about! Including diving into our weird and wonderful traits.

In this episode we talk about:

• How although Em was diagnosed with Dyslexia at age 7 she hadn’t really paid too much attention to it until she went for a later diagnosis where she was also given an ADHD diagnosis
• Dyslexia traits and how they affect memory
• An in-depth chat about our very similar neurodivergent traits
• Why Em’s team work so well and are the reason why her catering business is now thriving
• The jump from over a decade in media to running her own catering business
• How Em has used her greatest ADHD skill, problem solving, to find successful niches
• How Em’s idea of running a charity cooking school for disadvantaged children is now a reality and how very close they are to reaching their fundraising goals so they can start their very first cohort!
• How access to work has quite literally been a gamechanger

 

If you want to find out where Auntie Em’s kitchen is popping up next head to Em’s website here https://sites.google.com/auntieemskitchen.uk/auntie-ems-kitchen/  or Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/AuntieEmsK/

Here is a link to the charity Aunties Cookery Academy https://auntiescookeryacademy.co.uk/

 

As always please do follow the Could it be ADHD podcast, leave a review, and head over to see me on Instagram www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

Andrew Robinson is an ADHD therapist located in Missouri and very kindly agreed to come on the podcast to share his vast knowledge and personal experiences as an ADHDer. Although he wasn’t late diagnosed, early diagnosis of ADHD at age 6 still brought about its own challenges as you’ll find out in this episode.

We talk about:

• How Andrew displayed the ‘classic’ symptoms of ADHD as a young child and got his diagnosis at age 6
• His early memories of medication and the support he received in his 504 plan (a plan in the US used in both school and work to support those with ADHD)
• The stereotyping and stigma of having ADHD in the 90s and how this affected his mental health with a strong sense of ‘being different’
• How depression and anxiety can be symptoms of unmanaged ADHD
• Oppositional demand avoidance and how it relates to ADHD and why the term might be unhelpful
• Antidepressants as a tool for managing emotional dysregulation in ADHD
• How the DSM isn’t living up to the modern lived experiences of people today
• Misinformation about ADHD online
• How important accommodations are for ADHD and why we should at least try them
• Dealing with rejection sensitivity as an online ADHD creator
• Andrew’s journey into psychology after falling in love with it after years of going through therapy
• Comparisons of CPTSD and ADHD
• What Andrew loves about his ADHD

This was such an interesting and enlightening chat – please do go and follow Andrew online to experience his bitesize educational snippets or explore how you could work with Andrew. https://www.instagram.com/neurospicycounseling/

As always your follows and reviews mean the world to me in getting this podcast out to a wider audience so please do click follow and leave a review if you can!

You can also follow me www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

 

 

After my ADHD diagnosis I had a panic attack and wrote a long email to my clinician asking her to double check her notes and it was ‘okay if she’d got it wrong’ I have never ever felt as strange and out of sorts as I did that day. That ‘Imposter Syndrome’ as I’m calling it about my diagnosis is still there and it does tend to rear it’s head now and again. In this episode I explain why I think this is happening. And what I’m trying to do about it so that I don’t spend too much time dwelling on it. If you’re recently diagnosed and going through something similar always remember. You chose when, how and to whom you share your diagnosis. Take plenty of time to process it. Follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast If you like this episode I’d love for you to give me a little follow and leave a review - it all helps to be seen in the charts by more people.

What do you do when you’re on the pathway to a diagnosis and you've already been told you have Bipolar?

Join me as I chat to Rowan Williams from Pooch and Pineapple about her journey with ADHD.

In this podcast we talk about:

• How social media has played a part in our lives in recognising ADHD
• How hormones feel like they’re playing a part in the late diagnosis journey of women as we enter peri menopause
• Rowan’s Bipolar Disorder Diagnosis and how it never quite sat right with her
• The familiar story of GP’s being dismissive when Rowan raised the possibility of ADHD
• How Rowan has been on the NHS waiting list for two and half years and was told there was a 7 year wait!
• Her discovery of the right to choose pathway
• How we need all the information before making a decision
• How Rowan feels about her business and how ADHD has affected that over the years.
• Loving our ADHD hyperfocus!
• Finding your ADH tribe

 

You can find Rowan online at www.poochandpineapple.com and on Instagram www.instagram.com/poochpineapple

As always your follows and reviews count!

Find me over on Instagram www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_podcast

 

 

It was so much fun talking to Heather about her late diagnosis of Autism and ADHD. She rightly pointed out that we still don't talk about Autism enough online. With the rise of ADHD content creators, it's really important we keep shining a light on what Autism actually is to avoid the stigmas the people still have around it. 

We also talk about

How Heather’s realisation of Autism & ADHD came about after her child’s diagnosis – which is a very common story!

The overlap of traits between ADHD and Autism - can you tell which is which?

How ‘being driven by a motor’ is an outdated way to talk about ADHD

Holidaying as an ADHDer

How Heather went from a hoarder which was negatively effecting her life, to now running a business to help other people declutter and live more fulfilled lives

Why having a big blitz in your home is not an effective way to declutter

Some strategies that ADHDers can use to give themselves a deadline to get things done

Changing views of Autism today

How accommodations for adults and children is beneficial for everyone

What Heather would say to anyone who was just coming to a realisation that they might be ADHD or Autistic

Find Heather’s podcast here: https://www.untangledbytingle.com/podcast

Find Heather on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/heather.tingle.7

Or Join Heather’s Free Facebook Group for Decluttering here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/untangledbytingle

As always your listens are hugely appreciated! Please take a moment today to leave a star rating and a little review and press that little follow button to help this podcast to stay in the mental health charts.

Find me on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

Sign up on my website for podcast alerts: www.coulditbeadhd.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

So it's been a few weeks now since the diagnosis and we're back up to date to the moment with the podcast. This week is the week that all episodes up to now will drop!

I'm feeling better about my diagnosis and I did get a reply from my clinician so take a listen to check that out.

Hope you're enjoying these - please follow as I'll have some more episodes dropping regularly with other late diagnosed (or self diagnosed) people sharing their story and how it's shaped their lives going forward.

Follow me on Instagram and Threads www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

 

Today I'm sharing my journey as I prepare for my ADHD assessment this week. Despite attempting to go through the NHS the setbacks and delays have just been too much for me so I decided to pursue a private assessment.

I talk about my decision to go privately with ADHD 360, the same centre that my right to chose paperwork is with (well, should have been) what that process looks like and how I’m feeling about it all.

Thank you for listening, and I’ll be back once I’ve had my assessment!

Please do follow the podcast and come and say hi over on Instagram : www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

When Michelle spoke to a medical professional at age 27 to talk about suspected dyspraxia, she was told she couldn’t possibly have it as she had a masters in coaching psychology!

Michelle has since been diagnosed with dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD, and as a psychologist runs her own business ‘Find your Spark’ to raise awareness around ADHD through running sessions for the public and other organisations, as well as offering coaching for both adults and young people.

Michelle found that signposting to services was lacking and has discovered her life purpose through her coaching practice.

In this episode we dive into:

• How dyspraxia and dyscalculia have shown up for Michelle
• Working with our neurodivergences
• How the lack of awareness around ADHD in schools still needs improvements
• How there is still a huge gap between what we we’re told ADHD is versus what ADHD actually is
• Why we shouldn’t be ashamed of our ADHD or neurodivergences
• Why there is a high proportion of people in prison with undiagnosed ADHD
• How amazing ADHD is!

 

If you’re in the Colchester area Michelle is running an ADHD awareness course on 24th June or check the website to see when the next groups are running: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adhd-awareness-group-tickets-916105445047

Here is Michelle’s website: https://findyourspark.co.uk/

As always, I really appreciate you taking the time to listen to the podcast! Please do leave a review and click follow as it all helps to spread awareness - the bigger we get the bigger guests I’ll be able to invite on!

You can also find me over on Instagram - come and say hey! www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

 

Maddy is an inspiration to the Neurodivergent community. Having tried and tested a few business ideas (haven’t we all!) Maddy has now found her love and passion that works alongside and with her ADHD. Maddy shares her (twice!) diagnosed ADHD story about how she came to be in 40K worth of debt, running from the bailiffs, and shares some of her saddest and happiest times.

Maddy now runs a community of over 200 people in her Invisible to Influential membership supporting neurodivergent and invisible illness business owners to increase their reach online and nail their business strategy in a way that works with their unique brain.

 

We talk about:

• Maddy’s love for building and nurturing communities
• Why Maddy got 2 ADHD diagnoses, one privately and one through the NHS
• How Maddy’s ADHD medication works for her
• How Maddy came to understand and embrace who she is deep down
• Why she realised that running her business like a neurotypical wasn’t working for her and what she needed to do differently
• How alcohol was a big part of her life in her 20s and why she doesn’t drink anymore
• Maddy’s coaching journey
• How redundancy pushed her into running her own business
• Maddy’s money story in her 20’s – 40K in debt, running from bailiffs and risking bankruptcy
• How her mental health declined after the birth of her first child and what helped her to turn it around
• Exciting details about Maddy’s upcoming book! ADHD, Money and Me
• How Maddy works with her neurodivergent strengths and embraces all parts of her including the quirks!
• Maddy’s advice to anyone who suspects they may be ADHD

 

If anything in the podcast today has raised issues that you want to explore then please check out these resources:

Mind – the Mental Health Charity https://www.mind.org.uk

Help for Post Natal Depression: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/postnatal-depression-and-perinatal-mental-health/

 

You can join Maddy’s free community here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/253887535783664

Maddy’s membership (that I’m an affiliate of and part of) here: https://maddyalexandergrout.com/iti?am_id=samantha484

Check out her Money Saving app here: https://madaboutmoneyofficial.co.uk

Find Maddy on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@madaboutmoneyofficial

And on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddytalksmoney/

And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.comrie

 

As always thank you for listening, I appreciate all of your support in listening to and following this podcast. We’re reaching more people and changing lives so stay tuned!

 

Head to the website and join the mailing list here: www.coulditbeadhd.co.uk

Head to my Instagram and come and say hey! www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

 

 

 

 

 

This is a mini episode that was inspired by talks that happened yesterday about accepting the feelings that come up when you realise you have ADHD, or when you get your diagnosis. It’s a funny old thing. And something I wish I’d had more support over. So I hope this little shot of support helps anyone that needs it today.

In this weeks no frills snippet into my life and brain I delve into the horrible thoughts I’ve had this week that plan to stop me in my tracks and how I try to challenge them. It’s not easy with an ADHD brain to ignore the shouting so I share my quick little tip on how I attempt to move on.

I'm doing a lot of research lately on the ADHD brain and the things they've discovered from brain scans. This was one of the most fascinating things I've learned and I don't hear about it a lot so I wanted to share with you.

This information was sourced from the book ADHD 2.0 written and researched by two Psychologists Edward Hallowell and John Ratey. When you know this - lots of things will make sense!

In this podcast I talk about my experiences from the start – what sparked my suspicion, the rollercoaster of feelings, the hurdles with the right to choose pathway, and the emotional ups and downs of it all. I also talk about my life – being a digital marketer, a mum, a pet lover, and someone who's been battling anxiety for years. Spoiler: everything got a bit worse as I kept adding more and more responsibility to my life over the years!

My goal in all of this? To make this process a little less scary for anyone who's considering or currently seeking a diagnosis.

 

Thank you for listening. Please do follow the podcast and come and say hi over on Instagram : www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

This week on Could it be ADHD? I spoke with the lovely Charlotte Mathers who shared her ADHD diagnosis journey. As a late-diagnosed ADHDer Charlotte came across ADHD when she discovered her son was ADHD – a very common occurrence! In fact the statistics online show a very high proportion of parents with ADHD are ADHD themselves leading to experts considering ADHD a genetic condition.

We also chat about:

• Why being late diagnosed can bring up a trauma reaction and how that shows up later on in life
• How accepting your ADHD brain’s way of working can actually be advantageous.
• Accepting going with the flow rather than fighting to fit into a neurotypical world
• Why Charlotte left a senior role in corporate to build her now hugely successful hypnotherapy practice and academy
• Why we refuse to do anything unless we know ‘what the point is!’
• Neuro Network, the networking community created by Charlotte and her daughter Erin to support other neurodivergent business owners
• Our thoughts for anyone who is at the start of their ADHD journey
• With a few laughs thrown in because we don’t take ourselves too seriously!

It’s always important to remember that our thoughts are our own. If you suspect you’re ADHD or you are struggling with your mental health then please do consult a professional. Formal diagnosis can only be carried out by an expert and some conditions can look like ADHD and may require different types of treatment.

 

You can find out more about Charlotte’s hypnotherapy practice here: https://www.axiomhypnotherapy.com/ 

 

Or for more information on the Neuro Network head here: https://neuro-network.co.uk/

 

Please do follow me on Instagram where I show up most days and come and say hey! https://www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast/

 

I would be so grateful if you could please rate and follow the podcast to help it get into other people’s feeds.

 

Sam

Lauren is ADHD and her children are ADHD. This blows my mind a little as I can only begin to imagine what it must be like to parent as an ADHDer in an ADHD household! But Lauren seems to have cracked it (not perfectly because you know – none of us are!) She uses a framework called Gentle Parenting and now runs a membership and coaching as support for other parents with neurodivergent children. What I love is that Lauren tailors this to each family and their own needs.

Lauren shares her late diagnosis experience in her early 20s (totally unaware she was ADHD) and a few incredible tips for gentle parenting with neurodivergent children.

In this episode we talk about:

• Lauren’s diagnosis at age 21
• How Lauren was told she ‘wasn’t trying hard enough’ at school (sound familiar?!)
• How having 3 jobs AND studying for a degree made her so unwell that she ended up at the doctors – totally unaware they were exploring ADHD as a cause
• Lauren’s personal experience with ADHD medication
• The complexities of getting a diagnosis and explaining that to family members
• When Lauren had her two children and how that impacted her ADHD
• Oestrogen and ADHD
• The unrealistic expectations we put on our young children
• Gentle Parenting children – especially ADHD children
• How Lauren uses a ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ approach
• Lauren’s LEADER framework for gentle parenting
• What mirror neurons are and how to use them to help your child to calm down
• How to deal with conflicting parenting styles
• Lauren’s advice for people at the start of their ADHD journey and a ‘wow’ moment tip for dealing with uncomfortable feelings

Follow Could it be ADHD? Over on Podcast: www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

Enjoyed this episode? You can support me by donating a coffee over here: www.buymeacoffee.com/coulditbeadhd

Lauren’s links:

Free Parenting with ADHD Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/myparentvillage

Lauren’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivelyparentingtogether/ 

Lauren’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurenParentCoach

 

 

 

 

 

Today in our ADHD journey episode we’re talking to Emma about her ADHD & Dyslexia journey and how that’s shaped her life and business.

Emma is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Heart Healing Practitioner who is on the pathway to an ADHD diagnosis after her dyslexia diagnosis highlighted her ADHD traits.

In this podcast we talk a lot about coming to terms with our ADHD diagnosis including:

• How dyslexia can show up in adults
• How Emma came to terms with her diagnosis through acceptance and heart healing
• How labels don’t need to define us – we are still ultimately us!
• What heart therapy is and how it can help to heal and accept yourself and others
• How we both work with our ADHD instead of against it at home and work
• What Emma loves about her ADHD
• Why getting a diagnosis is a personal choice and should always be down to the individual

 

Thank you to Emma for sharing her journey and this fascinating conversation of acceptance and loving yourself for who you are!

 

If you’re looking to get a diagnosis under Right to Choose then it’s important to note that waiting times for Right to Choose providers varies greatly. Some you can see within a few months, others it’s years. Do your research of the Right to Choose providers and find one that’s going to best suit your needs.

 

Emma’s website is here https://learn.emmakirkham.co.uk/ and you can find Emma over on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/emmalmkirkham

 

As always it really helps if you can follow and rate this podcast so that we can reach as many people as possible! Follow me on Instagram here www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

It’s here. I’m happy it’s here. But equally terrified. What if they say no. What if they say yes! Find out more in today’s episode.

Thank you for listening. Please do follow the podcast and come and say hi over on Instagram : www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast 

There is nothing worse than someone telling me they never would have said I was ADHD. Because I know they have stereotypical views on ADHD. And now I have to 'justify' my diagnosis to them. And explain why I'm ADHD. And I'm pretty sure they switch off when I start monologuing about it. So they still don't understand and come to the conclusion that I'm a 'pick me' as my teenager would say. Like I'm making this up for attention.

 

I saw a reel that triggered me when someone in the audience at a comedy show shouted out that the comedian wasn't autistic. So bloody rude.

 

And it made me think about why Inattentive ADHD gets missed or is less known about.

 

In this episode, I also share some statistics on Inattentive ADHD and my thoughts on the hurt it causes when people mock or are not prepared to learn or understand about ADHD.

 

I take time out of my business to work on this podcast so if you fancy buying me a coffee anytime then you can head over here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/coulditbeadhd 

 

Find me on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast 

 

And please do follow this podcast and leave a review as it really does help with reach! 

 

In this episode of 'Could it be ADHD?' I dive into a few of the ways that ADHD shows up for me as an adult and the steps you can take to start your pathway to a diagnosis if you feel that's the right course for you.

 

ADHD shows up differently for everyone and I'm no expert which is why it's always best to start with a screening test with a professional and have a think about why and how it's effecting your life. There are many conditions out there with similar traits so it's always best to consult an expert. 

 

To access a free screening test from a reputable provider try ADHD 360 or one of the ADHD registered charities for more information.

 

You can follow me over on www.insagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

 

Please do follow and review this podcast to help me reach more people.

Peggy Cheyo joins me this week to talk about her late diagnosis journey which for many of us AFAB women really came to light after having children. I loved this conversation with Peggy as there were so many similarities with my own ADHD journey and it’s always re-assuring to know that we’re actually amazing parents, we just had additional complexities to deal with!

Peggy is now a neurodivergent coach having spent a lot of her life as a teacher and transitioning to coaching with most of her clients now from the neurodivergent community.

In this episode we cover:

• Undiagnosed ADHD as a new parent and the crossovers with Post Natal Depression
• How diagnoses of depression and then seeking hypnotherapy led to her ADHD revelations
• Peggy’s assessment experience
• The importance of community support (check out ADHD UK’s support groups below)
• How Autism and ADHD are misunderstood in children and how that can affect their education
• How Peggy decided to take a career change and go into coaching which led her to working with neurodivergent families
• The tools Peggy uses to calm her nervous system and stop the highs getting too high and the lows too low!
• What Peggy loves about her ADHD
• Great advice for people at the start of their ADHD journey

Resources Mentioned

Not fine in school https://www.facebook.com/groups/NFISFamilySupport

Heidi Mavir (Education Other than at School Expert) https://www.facebook.com/seNDSupport

ADHD UK https://adhduk.co.uk/

You can find Peggy on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/peggy.cheyo

Or LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-cheyo-940385188/

Please do follow this podcast and leave a review as it all helps with reach.

And come and follow me over on Instagram where I post daily! www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast 

You can also catch me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/Samantha.J.Milburn 

 

Rejection sensitive dysphoria is not a diagnosable disorder yet it shows up in many ADHDers. It can actually be quite debilitating - something that has stopped me from functioning seemingly 'normally' in the past and continues to be something that I work on as part of my ADHD.

 

In this episode, I explain what rejection sensitive dysphoria is and how it shows up for me plus a few little tips that might help to make it easier for you if you suffer from it too.

 

I'm not a qualified professional - if you think you have rejection sensitive dysphoria or any type of anxiety then please do speak to your doctor so that you can come up with a treatment plan to help you. I suffered with anxiety for more years than I should have and I wish I had spoken to my doctor sooner.

 

Follow me day to day on Instagram www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast

 

Please follow and leave a review - it helps massively with reach!

Nicola has combined her personal fitness training experience with her counselling experience to mentor people as a mental fitness mentor. Nicola has BPD Borderline Personality Disorder (also known as EUPD Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) and I have ADHD. I know from conversations I’ve had with other guests that sometimes these two disorders can get confused with each other or misdiagnosed.

So we decided to have a chat about our experiences of both and where the overlaps are in our own lives.

The conclusion? Well you’ll have to listen to the episode as like most things there’s never really one answer!

In this episode we talk about

• Emotional Dysregulation and how it shows up for Nicola and me
• Dissociation and Trauma, what it is and the signs to look for
• How trauma is different for everyone
• How we feel clinicians need to be more clear on their questioning to find the right diagnosis
• Some trains of thought as to how and where BPD stems from
• The different types of neurodivergence (and how Nicola didn’t know she was Neurodivergent until recently!)
• The importance of trying different things to look after your mental fitness
• How being around the right types of people can be so empowering and things you can do before you head down the diagnosis route.

You can find Nicola here

Instagram: www.instagram.com/stronger_than_your_mind

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100080052753459

Nicola’s Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1078370892756460

As always thank you so much for listening to the podcast today. Please take a moment to follow, rate and review so I can reach more people who need to hear these messages.

There are currently 200,000 people in the UK on ADHD waiting lists. That’s 200K too many. Podcasts like this help people to feel less alone and to help understand themselves more through listening to other’s lived experiences. But we can reach them with your support by sharing and following this podcast so thank you!

You can message or follow me on Instagram here: www.instagram.com/coulditbeADHD_thepodcast

Inattentive ADHD can actually hurt!

Research shows that ADHDers struggle more with motor control and balance.

Pair that with distractability and accidents happen. Here’s my story of probably the most clumsy thing I’ve ever done which involved a hospital trip and my head being glued!

Enjoyed this mini-episode? Amazing! Please go and follow the podcast wherever you get yours and leave a review. Share this episode. All the things that will help this podcast to grow.

 

You can head to my website and sign up for podcast alerts here www.coulditbeadhd.co.uk

You can find me on Instagram here www.instagram.com/coulditbeadhd_thepodcast 

The journey from realising you have ADHD to getting a diagnosis can be quite frankly, brutal. It was for me. Hey I'm Sam, and I got my ADHD diagnosis in April 2024. The feelings and emotions were tough to deal with. In fact, I sent a long email to my clinician asking her to triple-check her notes - that there must have been a misunderstanding. This was after nearly a whole year of being convinced I had ADHD. What was that all about? I wanted to read the experiences of others going through the process but couldn't find much online so thought why not create my own podcast? Not only has it helped me work things out, but I hope it gives some answers to questions I REALLY wish I'd been aware of before and after my assessment.

I'd love to get this out to the world and reach as many ADHD people as possible so please do follow and leave a review so you can catch up with all episodes.

 

If you'd like to join me in sharing your story to inspire and help others on their journey then please email me hello@sammilburndigitalmarketing.com.