If you considered and then discounted ADHD because you're academically or professionally successful, but your personal life is an absolute mess, it might be worth reevaluating. Same goes for doing fine until a big life transition.

Me during my Masters: On three major scholarships, acing my writing, volunteering for academic collectives, present in the community.

Also me during my Masters: ten mugs hidden in my draws, wearing unwashed clothing, not messaging friends back for months, dropping all hobbies.

And then after FINISHING my masters (when I told myself everything would be better): listless, daydreamy, losing things constantly, struggling to get started and always feeling three steps behind everyone around me.

It's a coping mechanism fam! We tell ourselves "well, I'm only like this because I'm so focused on school/work and then I'll be better" but be honest with yourself re the reality of this. How long have you been telling yourself this? Have you ever not been "like this"?

I used to think it was normal to brute force my way through uni terms and pick up all the pieces of life at the end. But that feeling of teetering on burnout didn't stop once I finished uni, bc turns out I struggle with that stuff all the time, not because I'm too "busy".

Many people with undiagnosed ADHD aren't floundering in all aspects of life. Many are doing very well in one aspect, which prevents people (including ourselves) from thinking anything is wrong. Then something happens, a shift in environment or a personal event, and our

coping mechanisms start failing bc they weren't designed to deal with the new context. When I'm in an environment that suits me (generally high thinking responsibilities and low process responsibilities) my negative ADHD traits are way less noticable.

So it's actually very common for us to be lopsided in our skillsets and then leave a context we're used to (like school, or moving out of home) and have everything collapse- esp when we leave a space where the routine is decided for us and we have to plan our own tasks/days.

Anyway, just remember that if you feel like something isn't right, that somehow everyone else around you is handling everything with ease when you're not, you're allowed to look into that feeling. You're not being dramatic. You're allowed to want more for yourself.