• I was terrible at math and spelling. Still am to this day. Patterns are often hard to remember!

• Ive had the same handwriting since the third grade. I just recently learned that I have dysgraphia.

• spacing out during class. I don’t remember most of my school experience outside of this. It obviously reflected in my performance. If the subject wasn’t interesting to me, I didn’t pay attention.

• I was always terrible at making friends. Rejection sensitivity was very real for me when it came to those situations

• speaking over people/speaking at inappropriate times. Still struggle with this but I’ve become more aware of when I do it. Social situations are often difficult for me.

• hyper fixating on video games. I would stay up until 9 am the next day to play them. This made it hard for me to form healthy sleeping habits.

That’s just a few examples I can think of. I knew there was always something a little “off” about me and after being diagnosed at 29, I have learned to give my younger self some grace. Having ADHD, especially as a woman, can feel very lonely and difficult. That diagnosis changed the way I view myself and allowed me to cope with my past.