'My whole life made sense': Dorchester woman on ADHD diagnosis

Elise Hentry-Arkell from Piddlehinton says getting diagnosed with ADHD was when her whole life started to make sense.

She describes herself as having quite severe ADHD, but says finding out was like a new lease of life:

"When I actually got a diagnosis, it made complete sense for me. It was like 'that's why, it's not just that I'm a bit odd. There is a reason for it'.

As of July 2019 there were over 125,000 adults diagnosed with the condition in the UK, but that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Statistics from the ADHD Foundation estimate there may actually be 1.5 million of us living with the condition without a diagnosis.

Elise said:

"I'm quite proud of it in many ways. I don't know how much of it is my personality and how much is my ADHD.

"A lot of people with ADHD say that, how much are they blurting or oversharing just who they are?

"It made me feel very good to have that diagnosis."

SIGNS OF ADHD

Symptoms include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, as well as:

• carelessness and lack of attention to detail

• continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones

• poor organisational skills

• inability to focus or prioritise

• continually losing or misplacing things

• forgetfulness

• restlessness and edginess

• difficulty keeping quiet, and speaking out of turn

• blurting out responses and often interrupting others

• mood swings, irritability and a quick temper

• inability to deal with stress

• extreme impatience

• taking risks in activities, often with little or no regard for personal safety or the safety of others – for example, driving dangerously

• adhd
• diagnosis
• elsie henry-arkell
• piddlehinton
• Dorset