Resources to support you after diagnosis and beyond
I just want to preface this article by clarifying that diagnosis means any form of diagnosis, whether that's a formal clinical diagnosis or whether you are self diagnosed, it's all valid.
I felt a lot of emotions when I was first diagnosed with ADHD.
Relief.
Grief.
Confusion.
Overwhelm.
There's such a lot to process and understand and knowing where to start is often the biggest hurdle.
So, I thought it might be helpful to put together some resources that might help if you're at the start of your discovery, or if you're just looking for some more information.
Things to think about if you're at the start of your journey
Be kind to yourself
I'm putting this first because I think it's the most important. ADHD means that you can't always control how your brain wants to work, which can be really frustrating. Showing yourself compassion when things are challenging can go a long way to supporting yourself in the best way.
When you realise that it's been ADHD at play all along, it can be really common to then find that your ADHD traits become even more noticeable. This might be because you are more tuned into them or because you are learning to un-mask things that you may have tried to manage in different ways, and noticing these things can also be hard. Give yourself as much love as you can, you're learning how to be you again.
Learn about your brain
I felt so confused after I'd been diagnosed, I had an answer but still so many questions! Learning about the impact that ADHD can have on our executive functions (things like how we plan and organise tasks, how we manage our attention, how we regulate our emotions, our working memory and the way that we monitor all those things) and what's actually happening in our brains was really helpful. This means going beyond just describing our traits and starting to understand the why as well as the what.
When we understand our ADHD lens, we can then start to notice how certain things show up for us specifically. We're all really different and what makes sense to one person might not resonate at all for someone else. Learning about you might look like being aware of your energy levels, (you might find this post helpful), things that can help to keep you motivated, accommodations that might help, what self care looks like for you - essentially all the things that help you to be your best you.
Take your time, and remember that it will take time to build up this kind of user manual of you, so remember to be kind to yourself along the way!
Find community
I've always found it difficult to make friends, and before I started talking about my diagnosis, I didn't have any other ADHD or autistic friends. I thought I was this absolute mess that couldn't cope with life, that everyone else just seemed to know what to do and there must be something so wrong with me.
After my diagnosis, I knew I needed support and so I had 1:1 therapy and also group ADHD coaching. The therapy helped me to work through things from my past but the group coaching was where I finally felt really, properly seen. I found myself in a space with other people who had experiences similar to mine, where I could share without feeling like I was about to say something weird.
This continued when I retrained as a coach myself and I genuinely feel emotional when I think about the fact that I now have friends who 'get me'. Living with undiagnosed ADHD can be really lonely and having other people to share with REALLY helps.
So, find your people, whether it's an online community, a workplace support group, ADHD-friendly co-working spaces, university groups, interest-based groups for hobbies, they're out there waiting for you.
Share your needs
As you start to understand more about how your ADHD impacts you and what you need, if you feel comfortable, ask for what you need. Is it a quiet space to work from? A change in working hours? Understanding from a partner?
Remember that ADHD isn't linear. What we need today might be completely different to what we need tomorrow so your needs will likely change and it's okay to ask for different things at different times.
We might not always get what we need and that can feel hard too. We can't control how other people respond to us, we can only try to advocate for ourselves in the best way we can. If things feel hard, that's when we can try and be kind to ourselves again.
Get support where you need it
That might be from your GP, your psychiatrist, a therapist or coach, your workplace, from friends and family and more. You deserve to be supported if there are areas of your life where you need some help.
Some resources that might help
Books
ADHD Explained by Dr. Edward Hallowell
This book helped me to understand so much about how my brain worked and to start thinking about strategies that could help me. It's written in bite size chapters with lots of visual information so is really ADHD friendly.
A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD by Sari Solden and Michelle Frank
I love this book. It's part workbook, part ADHD guide and helps you to start thinking in a more compassionate and accepting way about yourself. Genuinely, one of my favourites.
We're All Neurodiverse by Sonny Jane Wise
A brilliant book written from lived experience that talks about the language of neurodiversity along with the importance of difference over deficit. It's extremely neuro-affirming and covers a lot of information in an easy to digest format.
Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg
Another great read that considers the differences in gender bias in different neurotypes and the ways that society needs to shift the way that it thinks about neurodiversity.
The Mindfulness Prescription for Adult ADHD by Dr. Lidia Zylowska
This book was recommended by my psychiatrist to help with anxiety. It looks at strategies to support wellbeing and become more connected with yourself through an ADHD lens.
Affiliate links via Bookshop.org
Podcasts
The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast hosted by Kate Moryoussef This is tailored specifically for women and considers the role of hormones, perimenopause, menopause etc. and the impact that this can have on ADHD. Kate also has guests who talk about a range of other co-existing conditions so it's fairly broad in terms of neurodiversity.
The ADHD Adults Podcast hosted by James Brown, Alex Connor and Sam Brown
This podcast considers a lot of the science around ADHD but is also very funny, hosted by two friends and one of their wives, who all have ADHD.
The Neurodiversity Podcast hosted by Emily Kircher-Morris
A podcast reframing the medical model of neurodivergence as a disability to highlight the strengths that neurodiversity can bring with guests from educational and psychology backgrounds.
The Neurodivergent Woman Podcast hosted by Monique Mitchelson and Dr. Michelle Livock
A podcast hosted by a psychologist and a neuropsychologist to celebrate neurodivergent women and the strengths that their different minds can bring to the world
Neurodiversity with Theo Smith hosted by Theo Smith
A podcast to accompany Theo's book (Neurodiversity at Work) where he talks to a wide range of people and focuses particularly on talent and inclusion in the workplace.
The Hidden 20% Podcast hosted by Ben Branson
Created by the founder of Seedlip who chats to a range of people to celebrate the amazing ways that neurodivergence helps us to be creative.
Websites
This is a great online magazine that has so many articles and resources to read around and they're very good at highlighting the differences that women may experience in terms of ADHD/neurodivergence.
A charity with a wealth of resources from how to navigate diagnosis to finding an ADHD coach to exploring strategies to support your ADHD.
Access to Work
This is a government initiative to help those who are disabled or have a health condition to access work. It provides funding up to £69,000 per year for things like coaching, therapy, software, travel and more. You don't need a formal diagnosis and anyone can apply whether employed or self-employed.
I'm really happy to chat through the Access to Work process with you if you need support, just email me at allie@alliewarren.co.uk.
Coaching
I've had some amazing coaching in the last few years and loved the process so much, I completed ICF accredited training so that I could add coaching to my consultancy.
Even after I had been diagnosed, I still had no idea what that really meant, how to work with my brain, how to understand my needs and how to communicate my boundaries. Coaching helped me to reframe lots of the stories I had told myself throughout my life, understand how my ADHD impacted me and gave me the strategies and tools I needed to feel like me again.
You can find out more about ADHD coaching, what we could work on together and the impact that it could have for you on my ADHD coaching page here.