For years, I thought I was just busy. Running a podcast, a charity, doing my doctorate, working full-time, raising a child - that's just life, right? But when I was diagnosed with combined ADHD (moderate to severe) in my 40s, everything finally made sense.

In this deeply personal episode, I'm stepping away from our usual dyslexia focus to share my own ADHD diagnosis journey - the signs I missed for decades, the internal chaos I thought was normal, and why getting help changed everything.

What I cover:

- Why I never thought I could have ADHD (despite working with it for years)

- The signs I dismissed: constant internal dialogue, unfinished tasks, extreme fatigue, childhood anxiety

- How medication helped me in ways I never expected

- Why the "everyone's a bit ADHD" narrative is harmful

- Addressing the over-diagnosis myth - and why women in their 40s+ are finally getting diagnosed

- Why men are likely underdiagnosed (and what we can do about it)

- The link between ADHD and dyslexia (they highly correlate)

Key takeaway: If these traits are impacting your quality of life consistently - not just occasionally - that's when it might be ADHD. Everyone forgets things sometimes, but if it's life-altering where you can't function, that's different.

Resources mentioned:

ADHD Australia: https://adhdaustralia.org.au/ (trusted partner with excellent resources and conference content)

Contact Rethink Dyslexia for support with ADHD diagnosis: rethinkdyslexia.com.au

Shae's book: Dyslexia: Insights into the hidden disability in and out of the workplace https://rethinkdyslexia.com.au/dyslexia-insights-into-the-hidden-disability-in-and-out-of-the-workplace/

About Dr. Shae:

Shae is a Doctor of Public Health, Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist, founder of Rethink Dyslexia, and host of the Dear Dyslexic Podcast. She was diagnosed with combined ADHD (inattentive and hyperactive, moderate to severe) in her 40s.

Timestamps:

00:00 "I never thought I could have ADHD"

01:09 Why I'm sharing this now

03:25 When the narrative around ADHD became harmful

04:12 My journey: from focus on dyslexia to recognizing ADHD

06:00 The signs I dismissed for years

08:00 The "unfinished tasks" pattern

10:00 Childhood anxiety and sleep struggles

11:00 Getting assessed: the diagnosis process

11:10 How medication changed everything

13:00 "Everyone's a bit ADHD" - why this narrative is wrong

14:00 What medication actually did for me

17:17 The over-diagnosis myth (and the UK data)

19:00 Why women seek help more than men

21:03 Encouraging everyone to seek support

23:04 What diagnosis gave me: understanding, language, calm

If you're struggling with constant mental fatigue, internal chaos, or feeling like life is harder for you than everyone else - you're not alone. Reach out. Get assessed. There is support.