[cherylfan]

I just found out at the age of 34 that i very likely have adhd and have been refered to an adult adhd specialist, for which i am currently on a long waiting list. now when i look back i can see evidence of it from a young age, but when i was at school it was never recognised. i performed badly in school because of this , mainly in the inability to concentrate . throughout my school yrs i did very poorly at school work due to lack of concentration etc. i was also severly bullied for many years which didnt help me , as made me miss school. i had to leave one school due to bullying to go to another only for the same thing to happen again. in was never disruptive in class, just used look out window and fidget etc. i achieved very little academically until i went to college to study psychology and sociology where i achieved all A and B grades a even actually came top in psychology class for every assignment (getting all a s with stars/ distinction . i feel that this is because i had finally found something that i was interested in and blossomed. i later went on to university where i graduated with a 2.1 (uk) degree several years ago now. now i learn that i have most likely got this and have been refered to an adult adhd specialist and have been on the waiting list for almost 6 months now. i too feel that at 34 and too old to be told this and wish that when i was at school teachers would have picked up on it. was always assumed to not be very academic but wasnt actually the case. after graduating from university i went on to be accepted for my masters in social work to become a socil worker, but had to leave the course because my mum had been diagnosed with cancer. soon after this i experienced a breakdown for which i was hospitalised and put on medication such as carbamazepine. i was on this for a while nd then taken off it and put back on just prozac. i took a reaction to this and ended up having a relapse, but wasnt hospitalised or anything that time as wasnt deemed necessary. i was once again put on carbamazpine and my mood stabilised. i have been off all meds for almostb 5 yrs now, not even on anti depressants or anti anxiety drugs ( both of which i ave also been diagnosed with at the anxiety at a moderate level and milder form of depression . i have been offered counselling several times and have in the past had some , including in depth extensive child sexual abuse counselling . due to my own breakdown and problems and also my mums illnesses for which i was responsible for caring for her for several yrs until her sudden death to cancer last yr(just 3 weeks after diagnosis), i have not ever worked in a formal capacity. i am desperate to get out to work and pursue a social work related career , but am worried that my past problems will go against me. my consultant assures me this is not the case and that i dont have significant enough problems to ruin my chances , but now that i am awaiting the adhd referal i feel that the whole issue with my past is going to come up and go against me. i want to go out and get on with my life and pursue this career. i have made an appointment for later this month to get careers advice and have informed them of my background and concerns but am worried that my past problems aswell as my now suspected adhd will go against me . i was also diagnosed with anxiety 15 yrs ago and have had it ever since. I cant help worrying about the future and questioning whether i stand any chance of making it .

[BatsAndButterflies]

Having ADHD will not destroy your life unless you let it. You may have to come up with creative ways to cope with certain things, but being able to think differently can work to your advantage. In a helping field, like social work, it is important to be intuitive of the feelings of others. Individuals with ADHD are often sensitive to small things about a person that clue us in to their mood. Also with this, you will have a view with those who you are working with that others in your field couldn't understand.

I understand your worries. I had the same worried when I was diagnosed, because I'm pursuing a career as a music therapist. You just have to learn coping strategies and find ways to use it to your advantage!