Nurture Your Zest host, Ashleigh King has struggled with ADHD all her life, yet she didn’t know it until she was diagnosed at 32. It came as a huge shock to her, but suddenly her chaotic, yet creative lifestyle started to make sense. While some regard ADHD with alarm, Ashleigh feels it could be the very thing that has made her podcasts successful. She has been known as ‘a chatterbox’ since school days and though this may have stemmed from a lack of concentration, it has uniquely positioned her today to talk to people from all walks of life with a natural curiosity, creativity and empathy.
WHERE IS ADHD USUALLY DIAGNOSED?
Stereotypically ADHD is usually diagnosed in children, boys more especially and up until recently hasn’t been found to be that common in women. However Ashleigh now realises that many women who have ADHD go undiagnosed as was her experience. It was only after she started to struggle during her MBA that Ashleigh realised she needed help to overcome the depression, stress and anxiety she was feeling. By chance she watched a video by Laura Clery showing the results of a brainscan. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) was found to be the cause of Laura’s problems and Ashleigh realised she was experiencing many of the same symptoms.
This led Ashleigh to visit a clinic in London for a test. “The result was that I had ADHD and it was off the charts,” she bravely confides to listeners of Episode 16 #NurtureYourZest #100Conversations with Ashleigh King #TheChiefChatterbox. “I really needed help and what shocked me was that this was not only the root of my depression and anxiety but it had also affected me physically with headaches and a sore neck and shoulders.”
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE LIVESTREAMS?
You can watch the video of the livestream below where Ashleigh shares her story, relaying how ADHD affected her growing up and the kind of challenges that face people with ADHD today. She shares why her husband Paul, described her as ‘the Ashmanian devil’ at times, “coming into the house like a huge whirlwind and creating little piles of chaos.” But she also shares the healing process and the power of tearing off the mask she was hiding behind.
“The reason why I decided to do this special livestream and be so open and honest and raw and vulnerable is because this late diagnosis has been so life-changing not just for myself, but for everyone around me. So, if there’s one person who listens to my story and feels touched and it helps, then I have done my job. And that is my hope!”
Strangely enough Ashleigh’s business associate, Nicola Jayne-Little was also diagnosed with ADHD at around the same time, and they have developed a series of podcasts about ADHD entitled #ChaosCourageCreativity. Both are now “committed to raising awareness of this “incredible brain condition that yes can be challenging, but it’s also a super power and has beautiful outcomes too.”
Read full transcript of Episode 16 #NurtureYourZest #100Conversations with Ashleigh King #TheChiefChatterbox
