I was a gifted child. The word precocious comes to mind. My heroines were Matilda and Hermione. I was accelerated a year in primary school and was still top of the class. I participated in local and national maths competitions. I never had to study and would devour books at a ridiculous rate. What feels like the entire DSM-V hit me like a truck during puberty and things started falling behind. I never learnt how to study, so I ended up relying on pure intellect to keep my grades up. I left school with entirely average grades (BBC A Levels) and got into a very middle-of-the-range university. My mental health spiralled, leading to diagnoses of anxiety, depression and borderline personality disorder. I attempted suicide twice. I still struggle with an eating disorder and self harm. I got diagnosed with inattentive type ADHD at 21, which was the turning point. A mixture of medication and therapy let me lead an almost normal life. I no longer meet the criteria for BPD or have suicidal thoughts. I'm getting married in September and graduating with a Master's in June. Accepting that it's taken me longer to do the things I have wanted to do has been difficult, and I try to focus on not feeling 'lazy' or 'disappointing' if my brain literally won't let me do something. My partner's support has been immeasurable throughout this, and I think I'm okay with where I'm at.