PHD Student Life | Getting my ADHD Diagnosis

Hi all! Welcome to my channel! My name is Ivonne and I'm a second-year Ph.D. student in Public Health and Health Policy in NYC!
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[@jcw349]

Sending you well wishes. I was diagnosed last year and it was like changing. Worked with my therapist and got right amount of medication and I was FINALLY able to read a full journal article at the age of 34 as an accomplished scientist. I was so amazed. A lot of people don't believe i have a disability, because I've accomplished a lot at work. But i lose things a lot and am a mess, can't clean even when i really want to. When i spoke with my family, they said they always knew i was different. I wish i knew, but also they didn't want disability to prevent my growth.

[@justcallmeivonne]

Thanks for watching and sharing your story with me. I’m not medicated (yet?) but have been working with my therapist to find tools that help me manage it along with all the symptoms that come from being an ADHDer. But i definitely understand people not believing you. I’ve been through that as well. And what’s funny is that my mom was just diagnosed with ADHD at 70 so i had her normalizing my behavior because she was the same. There’s a lot of NDs in my immediate family so i felt safe but definitely wished i had known when i was younger. I would have been saved a lot of heartbreak

[@KenyaMitchell]

Thank you for being so open about this. People need to know getting diagnosed is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of.

[@justcallmeivonne]

Thank you for watching! ❤️

[@Luluinthesky377]

Thank you so much for posting this. I was diagnosed when I was 15 fortunately, but still struggled in school with subjects that didn't peak my interest. Also spent most my life saying I wasn't "cut out for science" despite having a dream of being a marine biologist. I am not applying for my PhD in marine bio at 27 and I am so happy whether or not I get in, because I am going for it. Anyway, this gave me more hope--I appreciate you posting this.

[@justcallmeivonne]

Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I’m so glad that you’ve decided to apply. My motto is that only 1 school has to say yes for you to get your PhD. And also there is no time limit to learning so even if you don’t make it this round, there is always next year and the next until you get in! I’d love to hear how it goes, if you feel comfortable!

[@Luluinthesky377]

@@justcallmeivonne very true! Thanks for the kind reply too ☺️ wishing you nothing but the best in your program and I’m so happy you finally got that diagnosis-no matter how delayed it might feel. Better late than never!!

[@angelinebrown1432]

I totally agree with what your saying about being diagnosed younger. I have the exact same feelings and I'm turning 50 (eek!!!) tomorrow and only just got diagnosed last year. I ended up reaching out for help because of how difficult I was finding my phd and it was completely baffling to me because my undergrad was a breeze. Honours a little harder and then the PhD just made me feel completely mad because I just couldn't get it together and I did not know why!!. Covid and supervision problems were also not helpful but being so old you just think, this is how I am so being diagnosed was great but came with its own challenges. Oh and also trying to deal with the whole, I'm struggling/failing because I am just a dumbarse...Realising that I can't be left for weeks at a time, that I need closer supervision to help me stay on track. If I was only to be able to understand this whole thing a bit earlier than I would've been in a way better position. Figuring out the practical and organisational side was awful, and now I'm getting on top of that, I could be experiencing greater success rather than being on review and having to play catch up all the time!! I identify with a lot of what you've said, re messy, disorganised, thinking outta the box, your supers say do this, you think I have 15 ways of doing this...which one? Getting sucked into a vortex of literature, which applies to your project, but isn't what you need to do to meet deadlines etc. Anyway, good luck, thanks for your story. Angie

[@justcallmeivonne]

Thanks for sharing you experiences Angie. And I’m glad my story resonated. Makes me feel less alone since getting a PhD can feel so isolating and then add being an ADHDer on top of that… ugh! It’s tough. But I’m glad that you were able to recognize that you needed help and you got it! It’s definitely tough but it helps knowing that it’s not some personality failure and it’s just that our brains work different and so holding ourselves to a neurotypical standard just isn’t fair or useful. I hope to post more about my ADHD this coming academic year since I’ve learned a lot about myself since posting this video. Best of luck to you as well! ❤️

[@eyam04]

I am 27 and recently got diagnosed with ADHD and I resonate with every thing you said😅. I am doing my masters and thinking of doing a PhD... But I'm so scared🙈 I don't know if I'll be able to do this 4-5 yr long thing without losing track 😞

[@justcallmeivonne]

Thank you for sharing your experience! And i definitely understand. It’s taken me a while to pick a dissertation topic because I’m so worried that I’ll get bored/ distracted with my topic and just never finish. I’m definitely going to be sharing more of my experiences around having ADHD and doing a doctorate. I’m still learning about myself so i haven’t shared too much. But hopefully it’ll help you see if it’s something you think you’d want to do. ❤️

[@angelinebrown1432]

You should definitely give a PhD a go, if you've figured out how your work and can explain to your supervisor's how it is you need to be supervised, I am sure you can do it. It is a struggle maintaining focus or not getting distracted but the world will benefit from research created by people who think a little differently than normal academics. I mean academics are a species all of their own. Anyway, you can get help to maintain the focus and it is really a good way to study, despite all the challenges of neural diversity. My experience has not been the typical, I think, and even though it has felt like a nightmare for most of the past 18 months, I am still doing it because it is so worthwhile

[@umbra9029]

I have 31 and I'm now just finishing my undergraduate. I have gived up on studying because it was impossible for me without meds. Curiously your studying the phd of my dreams, but I'm very unsure of going up and doing masters and probably phd and beyond because I do love studying. But... It's not easy. There's not much help here on Europe even on University. I have status as a special needs student but it seriously means nothing. 0 help.

[@justcallmeivonne]

I’m so sorry to hear that you’re not getting the support you need. I know it can be so difficult. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar with European processes regarding accommodations but i wonder if you have an office of accessibility/ disabilities at your university. That’s how i first got support and continue to get support with my studies. Also, the US has the ADA which is a federal law that supports disabled people. I wonder if the country that you live in has something similar that can help you figure out what your rights are. I’m sorry i couldn’t give you more concrete help but please reach back out with an update, if you can!