There are very few times where wishing someone a happy diagnosis is appropriate, for the most part it’s dreadful. You never quite know what to say.
The same is true when you start telling people that you have ADHD. People will say ‘are you ok?’ ‘how do you feel?’ ‘oh I’m so sorry’ etc and of course it’s subjective as to how you feel with the new diagnosis.
A new ADHD diagnosis can be a life-changing moment and for many of us we go straight to impulsively researching ADHD and learning more, we have been given something of a gift.
The gift of looking at your life with a new understanding can lead to self acceptance, compassion for self, compassion and love for the younger you, the confused kid who found what seemed simple for others hard. The kid bullied or told that they were ‘too sensitive’ or ‘intense’.
Whatever age you get a diagnosis is the time to start your second life. The life where you can explain what you find hard and why, and also the day you learn to embrace your strengths which are often common among others with ADHD like creativity, picking up on feelings, cues etc, energy and determination to achieve etc.
This isn’t intended to make light of diagnosis as for many it makes them angry, regretful that they weren’t diagnosed earlier and sad that this is never going away how ever hard they try. ADHD can be bloody hard but it is part of us and is part of making us who we are. We are not alone and we know that we need to try different ways to make life easier for ourselves.
Please do see the chance of ‘Life Part 2’ and take all the support going. Think how you would treat a friend in this situation and stop being hard on yourself.
It’s not your fault, you deserve love and care, you are wired differently but you are now in a group of millions around the world whether they have consciously joined the club or are yet to find out that they meet the criteria.
My diagnosis day was 18 November, told verbally at the end of the assessment then followed up in writing. I’ve just put it in my diary for 2027 as Happy Diagnosis Day and I will reflect on what has changed in the previous year.
If you join the community as a subscriber we can send you reminders of your diagnosis anniversary and help you to reflect on the past 12 months with insights and learning, showing you how far you’ve come.
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