At 52, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and it changed my life.
For decades, I masked my struggles—feeling flawed, clumsy, and out of sync with the world. But receiving the diagnosis was both a relief and a reckoning. Suddenly, I had an explanation for my lifelong challenges, but I also had to grieve the little girl inside me who was never truly seen.
Through the lens of ADHD, I slowly and gently reframed my life, realising my neurodivergence wasn’t a barrier to overcome but something to embrace. It was an unlearning, an unshaming, an invitation to return to my real self. I now refer to it as ‘A Different Helen Daily,’ a loving reminder that I’m not broken on days when I can barely function—I’m just differently wired.
Unmasking has deepened my relationships and helped me build bridges of understanding where once there were ravines. ADHD is part of my story, not my limitation. It has helped me live more authentically, with greater self-compassion. And finally, become who I was born to be.
Helen Grace MacGregor