I’m not sure what I should reasonably expect to gain from a formal diagnosis. If nothing else, perhaps simple validation is worth the effort of sitting in phone queues for three hours at a time to book distant 15-minute GP appointments in the hope of eventually being referred to an appropriate specialist. Knowing what I now know about ADHD, I feel equally overwhelming relief and sadness that so many major aspects of my life have been torn to shreds by this thing without me knowing what it was.

One particular employer very heavily implied that they did not believe that I could work well in a team, which is an impression that both validates my aforementioned insecurities and frustrates me because I disagree with it very strongly indeed. I’ve always thrived when positioned as a member of a multifaceted group of diverse personalities and skillsets, in a multitude of contexts, professional and otherwise. It seems that something about my communication style does not give that impression.