Why I Decided To Become An ADHD Coach

REPOST FROM MY PERSONAL BLOG 06/05/2025

Surprise, surprise, last year, at the age of 50, I was diagnosed with ADHD.

It took me a while to accept I was showing the symptoms because I simply didn't know what these symptoms could look like for women. Like a lot of people, I had that very narrow idea of ADHD, assuming it concerned mainly children and especially boys. I thought it showed as hyperactive, with the child being unable to stay in place or being interruptive in class, as well as being disorganized and impulsive. Although all these symptoms can exist, they are just a tiny portion of what ADHD is and couldn't be any further from the whole truth. 

My daughter, who had been more familiar than I, started to send me articles about ADHD in women for three years before I began to listen to her. I would read those articles and think, yeah, but don't we all feel this way? She kept telling me, "Mom, I think you have ADHD." So what made a difference? 

As I was at my worst, feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, unable to do anything, not even art, and making mistakes all the time, my daughter spent her summer vacation with me. For two months, she pointed out the symptoms, and it only rang a bell when she described the emotional impact it had on me. I remember her explaining what was happening in my head and thinking, "Wow, how can she understand the littlest details? Maybe she's right!" I began reading books and articles. I discovered a new world, a world where I was not alone. 

My first step was to get a clinical psychologist who would understand. I found a gem, and I'm still working with her. She saw my struggles, she understood me, and it felt so good. Then, I looked for a diagnosis because I wanted to know. Since my therapist wasn't doing assessments anymore, and I couldn't find anyone nearby who would see me, I went with one of these online services with a clinician. I did some tests and a consultation, and with no doubt, she diagnosed me with the inattentive type of ADHD. Everything started to make sense from my childhood to my young adult life to now: academic difficulties in high school, the various training I did and the ones I didn't complete, the multiple careers, the risk-taking, the breakups, the inconsistency, and the list goes on and on.

The thing is, because of my ADHD and the feeling of not doing enough or being enough, I doubted the validity of my diagnosis. What if I were a fraud? After all, I did the assessment online with a random clinician. It also didn't help that I saw a family doctor who dismissed me, telling me just to be more organized, but that's another story. So, a few months after my first diagnosis, I looked for a psychiatrist I could work with. I began researching the impossible on a small island. I wanted to find a provider I could trust, someone who was knowledgeable, who knew about ADHD and women, and someone who was still involved in the field. And after several weeks, calls, and deceptions, I found my psychiatrist. I had to pay out of pocket, but I was willing to spend the money on myself. I started to understand that I deserved it. Back with more tests, and after several appointments with her, she diagnosed me with, guess what? Inattentive ADHD.

I chose to be vulnerable and quite transparent with my personal story because it's not an easy process. It was hard for me to acknowledge the symptoms as I learned to see them as flaws throughout my life (I'm late, disorganized, impulsive, intense, unstable, all over the place, and so on). Now, they are just symptoms, and I can learn to manage them, but most of all, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME. Accepting a diagnosis takes time and work. It can be painful to revisit the past and see all the hurt, misunderstandings, masking, and beliefs that emanate from it. At the same time, it's very liberating. It's also not an easy process because of the stigma around it and mental health in general. It's not easy due to misinformation and misconceptions. It's not easy because there aren't many health professionals who are trained and educated in this area. It's challenging to find them, and negative experiences, like the one I had with a general doctor, can be very hurtful.

But why am I telling you all that?

Simply because I've decided to make it my mission to help individuals with ADHD, be an advocate for them, and educate the population on the subject; after all, caring for people has always been at the core of my work.

Studying with Luna ♡

I have already received a specialization in ADHD for mental health professionals. Additionally, I'm training with the internationally recognized school ADD Coach Academy (ADDCA) to become a Certified ADHD Coach. Because it's a complex disorder, it's essential to receive solid training, and only a handful of schools in the US offer this type of education. I will start seeing clients by the end of August, but in the meantime, I am available to answer questions and provide support in any way I can.

Christelle 🐝