Why So Many ADHD Women Have to Fight to Be Heard

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A diagnosis doesn't give you a new brain. But it does turn the lights on, offer validation, and create a gateway to support and that changes everything.

Welcome to this week's More Yourself Monday episode. This week I'm sharing a conversation I had as a guest on The Hairy Chin Podcast, hosted by Spencer Moore, a patient advocate with over 30 years of experience navigating complex healthcare systems in the US and Spain.

Spencer's podcast is all about practical self-advocacy skills for women, and I loved being interviewed by her because she asked me things I don't always get to explore when I'm in the host seat. We ended up having a really open conversation about what it actually takes to get heard as a woman seeking an ADHD diagnosis, what that diagnosis does and doesn't change, and why so many of us have been quietly shrinking our ambitions when what we actually needed was flexibility, understanding and someone in our corner.

In this episode, we cover:

How I came to my own ADHD diagnosis at 40 while advocating for my daughter during lockdown

Why so many women experience pushback, dismissal or misdiagnosis before reaching an ADHD assessment

Practical tools for chronicling your symptoms and preparing for a doctor's appointment when your working memory is under pressure

Why a diagnosis is a gateway, not just a label, and how it opens the door to support you didn't know you could ask for

What diagnosis changes and what it doesn't, and why awareness is the most powerful tool of all

Why so many ADHD women have quietly shrunk their careers and ambitions, and what needs to change in workplaces

The nervous system as the foundation of everything: burnout, sustainability and how to start noticing your own triggers