In celebration of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we spoke with Anna Richardson, Creative Lead at THG Studios, as she shares her story on her journey to being diagnosed with ADHD and the importance of embracing neurodiversity in the workplace. 

What does neurodiversity celebration week mean to you and why is it important to celebrate?

Neurodiversity Celebration Week allows neurodivergent people to share their stories when they maybe wouldn't feel comfortable doing so out of context and it enables others to learn about their colleagues, friends and even family members who may be struggling in a way they didn't understand. We still have a long way to go in terms of acceptance for neurodiversity, but weeks like this create these opportunities for growth.  

How did you experience the diagnosis journey?  

I was diagnosed as an adult, which I first became consciously aware of my symptoms in university. I was supporting myself for the first time and couldn't understand why I was struggling more than others. I put it down to needing to try harder, so I did; I got a job and I managed to scrape through university with low attendance but passable grades. Even though I was giving 110% of my energy to being a 'good adult' I was still feeling like a failure. I developed extreme anxiety in high school, but it got increasingly worse the more social situations I encountered.  

We hear a lot about people with ADHD feeling 'too much' and although this is true, those of us who have learnt to mask, mask so far and then start to feel like we lose our personalities. We make ourselves less as this seems to be more palatable for those around us.  As I moved into full time employment, I felt I had to present this curated, professional version of myself even more to fit in, which lead to a burnout (I just didn't know that at the time).   

I got sent to CBT therapy for generalised anxiety disorder, but I wasn't sure anxiety was the root cause as it always felt more like a symptom. I was so lucky to have an amazing therapist who saw me and my struggles for what they actually were. She had previously worked in the autism field, and so recognised many of the traits I was showing, and we redirected my sessions to accommodate this. On the back of this, she encouraged me to go for my assessments for ADHD and Autism. 

From those initial CBT sessions to my meeting with a trained psychologist telling me 'Yes, you have ADHD' took 2 years. Hearing words that you’ve thought for years from a trained professional is such a validating experience. 

The best way I can describe it is that I see my brain as a super busy office, there's calls going mad, paper everywhere, a computer yelling alerts at me constantly etc. But the medication is like having a receptionist start work for the day, come in, tidy up the mess, help me organise my day and if more info comes through, they can keep it on track, store it for when I have time.   

There are obviously days that aren't so good but one year later with a few tweaks to medication and a great ADHD coach, I'm feeling more like myself.  All of which I wouldn't have had access to without getting my diagnosis.

To learn more about Neurodiversity Celebration Week, visit https://www.neurodiversityweek.com/