By Caitlin Hutchison

With a word like ‘diagnosis’, it’s not often that you associate it with something positive.

But for one woman who had been dealing with symptoms she didn’t fully understand her whole life, discovering she had ADHD was a revelation.

Amanda Currie, from Inverclyde, was 29 when she was diagnosed with ADHD in September this year.

As a disorder that causes problems with attention span, impulsivity and overactivity, it was no wonder Ms Currie had spent a lifetime struggling to complete the simplest of tasks, maintain friendships and hold down certain jobs - without really knowing why.

Now, only one month on from her diagnosis, she feels a weight has been lifted.

“Finding out that I have ADHD was a revelation – it was like 100 pennies all dropped at once about so many different aspects of my life and personality,” she explained. “Life is much more manageable now that I’ve had my diagnosis. I’ve always felt different from other people and now that I know why, it’s easier for me to accept myself for who I am and embrace my differences.”

And it turns out Ms Currie, a primary school music practitioner, had been developing coping strategies for years without realising.

“I could turn my house into a stationary shop with the amount of post-it notes I possess” she joked, “but there were many different aspects of day-to-day life that I had felt ashamed about pre-diagnosis, like keeping on top of housework and paying bills on time, which I will now happily ask for help with.

“Knowing that others understand what I’m going through on a daily basis makes it easier to talk about.”

For Ms Currie, the most challenging obstacle to overcome has always been keeping her emotions in check.

“Lots of people with ADHD suffer from Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), which is a strong and sometimes painful emotional reaction to triggers such as real or perceived rejection, teasing and criticism - no matter how constructive.

“As my emotions go up, my cognitive ability goes down so it is often difficult to diffuse difficult situations, and unfortunately, a lot of other ADHD traits such as poor working memory and not being able to follow through on tasks can easily lead to situations where RSD will occur.”

The Herald:

October marks ADHD awareness month, and Ms Currie has been inspired to share her experiences in an effort to raise awareness and set the record straight when it comes to the most common misconceptions about ADHD.

“I didn’t know anything about the condition except that I assumed that it only affected children and it meant that they couldn’t sit still and were very disruptive,” she said. “Now I know that it can affect anyone of any age.”

“It isn’t a mental health condition or down to brain damage – it is a physical development of the brain. It affects executive function, which is the ability to start/finish tasks, working memory, paying attention, emotional regulation, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

Strong evidence now makes clear that ADHD-related symptoms can and do persist into adulthood, but despite this, levels of adult ADHD diagnosis and treatment are critically low in Scotland, falling well below the expected prevalence rates.

Symptoms in adults may not always be as clear as they are when spotted in children, but when left unchecked, ADHD can lead to higher rates of suicide, depression and impact physical health.

According to Dr Marie Boilson from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, the physical hyperactivity typically seen in children can reduce and become replaced by feelings of unending restlessness for adults with ADHD, whilst other symptoms may develop such as problems with mood instability.

She believes historical under detection in children, as well as a lack of support frameworks and access to services may be contributing factors to the current and dangerous levels of under diagnosis in adults.

“ADHD is a condition which is still under diagnosed, but the symptoms can persist into adulthood”, explained Dr Boilson. “However, the right treatment and resources can have a powerful and positive impact on a patient’s life improving quality and resulting in less burden on the health service, over a person’s lifespan.

“We’ve been successful in working with health boards across Scotland on developing evidence-based guidance for adults with ADHD, with the aim of promoting safe, person-centred and effective care.”

Ms Currie also believes public services need to do better to ensure more people get the correct diagnosis

“I think more awareness and improved services could help those who are undiagnosed get help sooner” she said. “The current system is not ADHD-friendly, as multiple appointments and referrals or dealing with being put down or denied an assessment can be extremely challenging.

“If I had known more about ADHD sooner, I may have gotten an earlier diagnosis and saved myself many job changes, lost friendships and difficulties during my time at university.”

“I’m still learning, but what I definitely do know is that it’s not a negative thing – ADHD makes people creative, great problem solvers and out-of-the-box thinkers. The ADHD brain is a fascinating place!”