Being diagnosed with ADHD changed my life. I'm so grateful

The ADHD diagnosis changed my life. My whole life, I was portrayed as a dreamy, anxious, lazy, bossy girl with a peculiar logic. When I had my tics (biting my nails until they bled, constantly cracking my fingers), people told me to stop, as if I was doing it just to annoy them. I was called messy, dirty, lacking willpower. I was told I wasn’t making an effort, that I was too slow. I struggled with authority, rebelled against injustice, was told I was too honest and should be careful with what I say. My whole life, I knew something was wrong, but I could never figure out what.

I thought I might be borderline, autistic, depressed, gifted, highly sensitive—but none of it ever felt quite right. I had vaguely heard of ADHD, but since it’s often depicted as someone who can’t sit still, I never thought it could be me.

When my psychiatrist told me that nail-biting, constantly feeling restless in my mind, tics, addictions, dopamine-seeking, procrastination—all of that—was part of the diagnosis, I was shocked. The feeling that, at 24, I can finally start my life and, most importantly, understand myself is indescribable.

I might finally be able to start things, start having a healthy routine, and act on all the ideas I have. I might be able to work on my tasks instead of writting this post on the sub?

Tomorrow I start my meds and truly hope it will help me to manage myself.

I wasn’t too much, I wasn’t lazy, I wasn’t acting in bad faith—I was just struggling with a disorder. My psychiatrist saved my life.