I’ve had so many questions lately on social media about how I ended up in this place and how I found my diagnosis — that I thought it was worth a blog post. So, here we are.

When I was in middle school, I sat next to a boy with ADHD named William. He was fidgety and sorta loud and obnoxious and wiggled the desk a lot. He was smart, though, and he aced all of his tests somehow and I was the one failing. It used to annoy me so much that he could literally not pay attention to a thing, but still pass the class with flying colors. Meanwhile, I was DESPERATELY trying to focus in class. I would repeat things over and over and over again in my head - trying to remember them long enough to write them down… and I just couldn’t. It became a game to me. Could the memory make it longer than 10 seconds? What about 20 seconds? After about 5 minutes of this “game” I would look up and class was over and I’d missed the entire lecture. This happened class after class - year after year - and to be completely honest, it happens more now than ever before. (My memory is one of my major issues with Adhd - among many, many others)

William was what I thought ADHD was. I thought it was a problem that little boys had and nothing that I could relate to. I thought this for 35 years.

I thought this until a combination of things happened in my life all at the same time. I’ve known something was “off” with me for pretty much the entirety of my 36 years of life. I wasn’t like other Women. I always felt like I was piecing things together with paper clips and chewing gum and that I was on the very edge of losing everything ALL OF THE TIME. My job history has been a nightmare. My love life - the same. My relationships with friends was (and still is) turbulent.. and mostly because I just can’t seem to call people back or show up to things when I’m supposed to — even though I deeply love the people in my life. I am extremely empathetic; crying during commercials or when funeral processions drive by, or even when I see someone pick up a piece of trash on the side of the road. I feel things deeper than most - like there’s a thin veil of skin between my heart and the outside world.. like a walking wound. I have perpetually beat myself up for my “short-comings” and this started to cause a reaction in my body — panic attacks. After a few major panic attacks while driving, I ended up scheduling an appointment with a therapist.

Right around the same time, I began seeing incredibly healing Reels on Instagram — where other Women were ME and I was other Women for the very first time in my life. I had ADHD. I just knew that I had Adhd.

Luckily, my Therapist also has Adhd. The Universe knew that my Therapist needed to have ADHD. She spotted the signs in me immediately and referred me to a Psychiatrist — at age 35 years old. Immediately after diagnosis, I started an Instagram page to continue the work of other Women who had inspired me, who had healed me. I began posting reels about my struggles with ADHD and FLOODS of Women began reaching out to me with questions about ADHD and, to be honest, it has been even MORE healing and empowering to meet other ADHDers and connect with Women who understand what I’ve been through. These Women help me much more than I’m helping them.

Much more.

I am here to help the other Trina’s out there that think they’re screwing life up. I don’t want someone to have to wait 35 years.. this is why I’m here and this is my diagnosis story.

xoxo,

Trina

My Lady ADHD