THREAD: now that #ADHD is trending... it reminded me that I've wanted to come forward about my story to bring awareness; I've been hesitant bc of the stigma against people with it.. many think ADHD isn't real and an excuse to be lazy, dumb, & annoying but....

“Wow, you can’t sit still” “Why are you soo slow?” These words echoed from my childhood and still to this day.. give me chills. When I was in hs & heard about ADHD, I had an inkling that I may have it, but I never got tested officially until 6/2019. I also didn’t fully understand

this disorder. When people think of ADHD, they often think of hyperactive little boys. Yet, girls exhibit symptoms much differently; theirs are usually more internalized. Girls often display the inattentive aspects of the disorder more and turn their pain & frustrations inward..

which is why girls are often underdiagnosed/diagnosed super late. Hence, I went 18 years undiagnosed, untreated, and in the dark about myself. What I do remember is stressing & crying sm in my jr yr of hs bc of AP Bio.. frustrated at the fact that I was working so hard.…trying

to read the txtbk & not absorbing info. Trying 10x harder than others who achieved better results.. but I kept failing & failing. I also had many issues growing up w/emotional dysregulation & still do at times. There’s much more, but these are just a few examples. w/o my friends

who shared their stories, I would've prob never gotten tested bc I kept telling myself "I don't need help, I'm fine.” This is EXACTLY why I started using my platforms; I want to help break the silence of ADHD stigma. After my diagnosis, I now have a way better understanding of my

self and why I am like this. I realized that I’m not dumb, slow, & lazy. My brain wiring is diff from others, so I don’t do things the same way, but there are also many positives abt ADHD: empathy, energy, humor, ETC. Did yk Emma Watson, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein have ADHD? :o

Although I don’t take meds for it anymore, there's still so much stigma surr medications, college students "self-diagnosing" instead of seeing a professional & little research on ADHD in women vs men. Even many therapists & doctors dk what it's rly like. I wish talking abt ADHD

was more normalized. My mom told me: “I don’t think u have it, you’ve been acing your college classes, you’re driven.” I mean tru, but I also worked 10x harder. Now, I won't sugarcoat anything. The journey to treatment is lengthy & includes many sleepless nights/frustration. I’m

so grateful for my friends for helping me thru those rough/confusing times. Regardless, the growth I’ve made in the process is so worth it. Despite my differences, I try my best to not let my disorder define me & stop me fr reaching my goals. Ik it's v confusing so pls reach out

w/any Qs you have! I also created a website https://hoangmia.wixsite.com/adhdbrains  to help others navigate resources for ADHD brains or for those curious about ADHD. I’ll be updating it with blog posts, videos, etc :) Ik this thread was LONG (lol we tend to talk alot) but TYSM for reading :)