This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mikhila.substack.com

In 2024, at the age of 38, I was diagnosed with ADHD. I had been wrestling with the idea of private assessments for a long time. I had some amount of guilt based in my privilege at having access to that service where others do not, I also felt like a private diagnosis would be less valid. The real issue there was, valid to who? I had already discussed the idea with my GP who agreed they would accept it, as and when the time came, so who did I need to believe me? I hate to tell you this but I think you know - strangers on the internet.

Whenever I mentioned my (as yet undiagnosed ADHD) I was met with criticism for claiming a condition and therefor minimising the experience of others. I once jokingly referred to it as ‘peer reviewed’ in a post and one person took that very badly indeed!