When she graduated from university in 2014, Leanne Maskell, 30, ‘fell apart’. She went from the security of scoring top grades to not knowing what to do with her life.
She worked as a model – but found the lack of structure so daunting she’d deliberately come to work hungover in order to feel relaxed.
After a period of confusion and chaos, Leanne was diagnosed with neurobehavioral condition ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
Fast forward five years and qualified lawyer Leanne, who lives in London, is now an ADHD coach and the director of ADHD Works, an organisation she founded to support others.
She’s also written a book, ADHD: An A To Z, a definitive guide to navigating a complex, multilayered and often-misunderstood condition.
Was there a lightbulb moment when you knew you had ADHD?
‘As a child, I had perfect grades, I could pay attention and I wasn’t hyperactive. Later I knew something was wrong but I worried I’d be sectioned if I said anything.
‘I saw doctors – who said I was “fine” because I had a law degree – but I didn’t want to tell them that I spent all day trying to figure out the best way to kill myself.
‘I came up with a list of things that could be wrong with me – none of them were ADHD, but it was only when I heard about the emotional dysregulation that can accompany ADHD that I realised.’
What does your ADHD look like day-to-day?
‘I hop around the house, getting up, going upstairs and forgetting what I went there for… so I’ll open a book… and then I come downstairs realising two hours have gone and I’ve missed an appointment. Or I lock myself out of the house at 6am. But there’s also hyper-focus, shame and an inability to do admin. But it’s different for everyone.’
Do people with ADHD struggle with low self-esteem?
‘Shame is so common. The formal diagnosis of ADHD can give people a lot of validation and relief. But then what do you do next? This is why I wrote my book. ADHD diagnosis can explain things but it doesn’t always help you embrace it or understand that you don’t have to do things in the same way as other people.’
Barrier to help: NHS route is often too difficult
‘Every time I see a celebrity being diagnosed with ADHD, my heart sinks for the people out there that are being sold a fairy tale about easy diagnosis,’ says Leanne Maskell. ‘This is not the case for so many people as NHS assessments are so hard to access.
‘Awareness without action is not helpful – it leaves already-vulnerable people open to exploitation without protection. My NHS GP told me there was a seven-year waiting list for referral for ADHD assessment.
‘Paying privately to have this assessment, which is necessary for diagnosis, isn’t possible for so many people and, beyond that some of the medication can cost £300 a month – for ever.
What advice do you have for anyone newly diagnosed?
‘Understand your strengths and work with them. There are proven strengths that accompany ADHD – of integrity, honesty and authenticity. Find environments where you can thrive, where you are celebrated and no one is forcing you into being “normal”. Reach the point of self-acceptance, then harness the brilliant bits.’
Do you feel you have embraced your ADHD?
‘I have challenging times but nowI know that ADHD is not something to be solved, my life is amazing. People start by thinking it’s a life sentence but I hope I can assure them that it’s not.’
ADHD: An A-Z: Figuring It Out Step By Step by Leanne Maskell (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) is out now
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