Could it be ADHD? – Details, episodes & analysis

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! 

 

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

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

 

 

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!

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 

 

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.

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

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

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