It seems a little surreal to be honest with you, she admits.
So to be recognized amongst that group feels weird.
It feels very flattering and great, but still, I’m trying to wrap my head around it.
Photo by Jenny Wheat
But her journey throughout schooling wasnt without its challenges.
I think I was diagnosed because Ipresented very similarly to a boy.
It was extremely disruptive, Hamdani recalls.
I’ve seen it when I had zero structure and off medications.
… Like, how does it affect my relationships?
How does it affect my emotional state?
How does it affect all those other things?
What Hamdani refers to just scratches the surface of a larger systemic problem within the healthcare system.
If you’re in crisis, you go to a hospital and generally, that gets the ball moving.
But there should be easier ways to get started in that," she explains.
People are calling back.
They don’t know how to navigate insurance.
Its just so chaotic.
There’s no good way of reaching out and getting appropriate access to care.
This can look like a self-assessment of questions including: Am I having difficulty focusing all the time?
Is it worse at certain times?
Is there something that precipitates this?
Is there something that makes it better?
Are there other things going on in terms of emotions?
Where is the dysfunction?
When did I first notice this was a problem?
How is this impacting other things?
Her second piece of advice is to be gentle on ourselves.
As for her ownADHD management and self-care?
For her, that includes retaining information throughhandwriting: For example.
I have to write it by hand.
There’s some sort of connection that comes with the written word.
The people that are around me on a daily basis are very aware of my ADHD, says Hamdani.
You were really reckless about this.
You didn’t text me back.
You didn’t call me back.
You’re ignoring me.'
We need to all work on this together.
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Health Literacy.Health Literacy: A Prescription to End Confusion.
(Nielsen-Bohlman L, Panzer AM, Kindig DA, eds.).
National Academies Press (US); 2004.
National Patient Safety Foundation.Health Literacy Statistics At-A-Glance.
