📢 This month in ADHD news - December

A news anchor at a desk reporting ‘ADHD News’. The news bar reads, ‘this month in ADHD news’, the latest ADHD related topics across social platforms in December 2020’. The news bar also lists the following online platforms, Magazines, Twitter, Reddit, Tik Tok, Newspapers and YouTube

Bringing you the latest ADHD related topics across social platforms for the month of December!

1. Refinery29: ‘How My ADHD Diagnosis Changed The Way I Live My Life As A Black Woman’ by Chanté Joseph

Chanté Joseph wrote about being diagnosed with ADHD this year and the difficulties Black women face in getting the necessary support from healthcare services. The article also includes thoughts from a few Black women with ADHD.

Here’s an extract from the article:

“Official figures in 2014 showed that Black women made up the highest percentage of people aged over 16 to screen positive for ADHD” - Chanté Joseph

Read the full article here: https://www.refinery29.com/en-gb/black-women-adhd-diagnosis-uk

2. Blog: On ADHD self-diagnosis, and a nagging question’ by NDPoet

Forget whatever you’ve heard or whatever you think. I’m here to set the record straight that ADHD self-diagnosis is valid.

I read this well-written blog post by NDPoet on their experience of finding their way to self-diagnosis. They write about difficulties in getting a formal ADHD diagnosis and having the courage to use the term, ‘self-dx’.

You can read their post here:

https://neurodivergentpoet.wordpress.com/2020/12/20/on-adhd-self-diagnosis-and-a-nagging-question/

3. Reddit: ‘Realizing How Cruel My Parents Jokes Were’

I came across this post/thread on Reddit on individuals expressing that their parents were dismissive/unsupportive of their ADHD diagnosis. Although I have not experienced this, reading the comments opened my eyes to challenges that other ADHDers face.

I felt compelled to share this thread as I know that many of you might relate. Also, you might find some solace in reading some of the comments:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/kl5oy4/realizing_how_cruel_my_parents_jokes_were/

4. Tik Tok

I’ve recently come across my new favourite ADHD related Tik Tok channel, @Delightfullydifferent. Daisy posts light-hearted and relatable Tik Tok videos on ADHD.

Here is a ‘this or that’ ADHD edition Tik Tok:

https://www.tiktok.com/@delightfullydifferent/video/6900646554386828545

🚨 2020 Highlights 🚨

2020 has truly been a rollercoaster of a year. But, we made it. Let’s celebrate that!

Here are a few of my 2020 highlights:

🧠 I was diagnosed with ADHD Combined Type and started meds.

👩🏾‍💻 I started this newsletter on adulting with ADHD and have connected with so many of you.

📕 I learned about these ADHD related terms/traits: Time Blindness, Rumination, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, Catastrophizing, Sensory overload, Emotional dysregulation, and many more.

📰 I have come across many articles featuring adults with ADHD. I’m glad that we’re being seen and our stories are being shared by major publications. I’ve come across articles in Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Mashable, The Guardian, Insider and BBC News, to name a few.

I’ve learned so much about myself since my ADHD diagnosis. I’ve spent all of these years masking my ADHD. I can now fully embrace my ADHD and learn about different coping strategies that could work for me.

What has 2020 taught you?

I asked this question on Twitter and received over 300 responses from the Neurodiverse community, here.

See you all in 2021!

Rach, with ADHD.