Name: Laura Thompson
Role: Lecturer @ Leeds Arts University
Neurodivergent Hero: Chris Packham
Following on from Neurodiversity Celebration Week, local Artist and University Lecturer Laura Thompson chatted to Hannah Railton (GIPSIL Counselling Manager and Trainer) on the impact of her late diagnosis and the importance of early intervention.
How old were you when you received your diagnosis of ADHD?
I was 37, so 2 and a half years ago. I’d started to investigate the possibility of ADHD about a year before that. The NHS waiting list was really long, 3 -5 years, so I decided to go down the Right To Choose route and I was diagnosed within 6 months.
Had you ever considered ADHD earlier on?
Previously I was misdiagnosed with various mental health issues. Throughout my life I’ve struggled on and off with stress, depression and anxiety. I think all of that was most likely the result of not knowing I was ADHD. At one point I even investigated Borderline Personality Disorder, but the symptoms didn’t all quite fit, although there are some overlaps in symptoms. I saw a friend post on social media about having been diagnosed with ADHD. She listed all the traits she had and I thought God, that’s exactly like me! That ticks every box. I researched it and just realised that all of it clicked into place and finally made sense.
How did you feel when you got the diagnosis?
It was positive for me. I finally found something that explains why I am the way I am. Throughout my life I always felt different to everyone else and realised early on that people don’t think the same way as I do. I felt frustrated at being misunderstood, even by the people close to me at times, even if they tried. I found it hard to articulate what I was experiencing and feeling. I could behave in a way that was seen as being difficult, like getting really upset and having a ‘meltdown’. Afterwards, I often felt embarrassed and ashamed about the way I had reacted to things, especially when I couldn’t explain it. So getting the diagnosis gave me relief as I understood I wasn’t incompetent in some way, I just have a different threshold for stress and that’s ok. I just need more support with things. Now I understand myself I can know my triggers and I don’t experience these kind of meltdowns as often.
What advice would you give to other women/girls who think they’ve been misdiagnosed?
If you think you have ADHD, it’s good to speak to other people who have ADHD and do some research. It’s important to look at reliable sources, like ADHD UK and Mind, and not just social media. Social media can be positive in raising awareness, but it’s important that’s not your only source of information.
Its good to really pay attention to what you’re feeling too. A lot of the time I get an adrenaline rush that makes me feel on edge and jittery because I need to move. I used to think that was anxiety, but it was actually my hyperactivity, which could turn into anxiety if I don’t get an outlet for all that energy.
Do you think more training is needed for professionals around how ADHD presents in women and girls?
Yeah definitely. I had therapy sessions with a lovely Counsellor, but unfortunately that Counsellor didn’t have a lot of knowledge around neurodiversity so my ADHD was missed. I think both GPs and therapists could benefit from more training as my GP was also very supportive when I was struggling, but seemed to lack knowledge around ADHD traits in women specifically.
Looking back, why do you think your ADHD was missed as a young person?
When I was at school in the 90s, I was just seen as an oversensitive child who was often quite tearful. I was really painfully shy and struggled to make friends. I was highly empathic and really impacted by other people’s feelings. But I was also a really high achiever and did well academically, so the teachers didn’t see me having a problem that needed solving. I guess the way I was didn’t fit the usual presentation of ADHD that was known at that time.
What do you wish that had been different in school?
If they had just written instructions down that would have been hugely helpful. At primary school at that time, they would just tell you verbally what to do and not write it on the board. I had really high levels of anxiety because I instantly forgot what they had said and then had to copy what others were doing or just figure the task out on my own. I absolutely hated school until I was about 14/15 when I finally had a good friendship group (who were probably neurodivergent too!). I was bullied quite badly before that. I wish someone had picked up that I was struggling.
Has your journey informed how you teach now?
I’m an art teacher so most things are visual. We have a really high number of neurodivergent students on my course (almost half) so I embed a more individualized approach into the way I teach and make sure I have a lot of visual cues. Creativity is so important. I try to incorporate breaks into my lessons. They need to have a ‘brain break’, and so do I!
What strategies have you come up with to help yourself?
I find it hard to focus on what doesn’t interest me, so I have to work towards a little reward after I’ve done it, like walking or drawing. Sometimes it helps to ask someone to sit with me and talk me through something if I’m really struggling to focus.
Even the things I like doing can feel insurmountable if someone is putting a demand on me and telling me I have to do it. I have to break down the task into really small steps; I find that really helpful. I will start by just asking myself to get my laptop out and then I’ll make a cup of coffee. The next step might be to just open up a file. The next step might be to just write one paragraph. Each time I just give myself little targets so that I don’t get overwhelmed.
Often once I get over my initial difficulty with starting a task, I can hyperfocus and be really productive. I’ll churn something out pretty quickly. This is the beauty and contradiction of ADHD! (laughs)
What is something about ADHD that we should talk about more?
Shame is a big part of ADHD, I still do feel that quite a lot. But I’m learning new strategies all the time. If I do have the occasional day now where everything feels totally overwhelming and I’m paralysed by it, I’ve learnt to just put it to one side and tackle it another day. I’ve recognised when I need to ask help from someone else or just to walk away from things and try again another time. In the past I wouldn’t have been able to do that. I would have tried to push through and not given myself a break.
What is one thing that stands out as being really helpful?
One of the best things I had was additional support from the IT team at work. They showed me lots of different things I could use to help me with my organisation. So extra functionality things of existing software that I wasn’t aware of before. One of the best things was a diary function on Microsoft, that I could type notes in and label and colour code. I rely heavily on phone apps, diaries and calendars. I even set reminders for me to remember to text people back!
What are your favourite things about being ADHD?
Now that I’ve figured out a lot of things about myself, there’s lots of things I enjoy about being ADHD. I’m really creative, really good at problem solving and I feel like I’m able to be a good friend because I’m so hyper-empathic. Turns out being oversensitive made me into a really caring person! I love having lots of hobbies and I make time for lots of fun things.
There’s light and dark with ADHD and I get a high from things other people might not. I get exhilarated just from how beautiful nature is sometimes, or how amazing a song is, on a level other neurotypical people might not. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.
What would you say to your 10 year old self ?
I would say it’s going to be ok: you’re a lovely, caring human and it’s ok to cry sometimes. Be yourself and don’t feel ashamed of who you are. You’re good enough.
To see Laura’s journey as an artist check out: www.laura-alice.com or follow her on Instagram @laura_alice_print.
To find out more about the Neurodiversity Training that GIPSIL offers to Counsellors/Therapists and other front line workers please see www.gipsil.org.uk/training or contact training@gipsil.org.uk for more information.
