My Journey to Understanding My Neurodiversity

My brain has always worked differently, but for the longest time, I thought I was just lazy, and depressed. Growing up as a neurodivergent Black girl in the UK, I felt invisible - constantly misunderstood, overlooked, and told I was "wrong" in ways I couldn't even name.

The signs were there from day one. In primary school, I was put in "special" classes but no one could tell me why. Teachers said I'd never make it to university. I was always "looking out the window," always "daydreaming," always "in another world" - but these weren't character flaws, they were symptoms.

At 16, an English teacher finally put two and two together and saw me. After I rewrote a coursework piece and she was amazed by the improvement, she asked: "Have you ever wondered if you have dyslexia?" That moment changed everything. It was the first time someone suggested there might be a reason for my struggles that wasn't just me being "lazy" or "not trying hard enough.

But the real revelation came in my late 20's when a friend said, "I think I have ADHD, and I think you might too." When I looked into it, everything clicked. All those years of feeling like I was failing at being a "normal" person suddenly made sense. My whole personality, my quirks, my struggles - it wasn't a personal failing, it was my neurodivergent brain trying to survive in a world not built for us.

The diagnosis journey was traumatic - paying £800 for a private assessment only to receive a report that called me a "white Caucasian female" (I'm very clearly not). It was another reminder of how invisible Black women are in healthcare, even when we're paying to be seen.

But here's what I learned: our struggles are real, our experiences are valid, and we deserve support, understanding, and community. That's why I created ADHD Baddies.

Watch My Full Story Here:

Our Growing Community

What The Baddie's Have Said: