Getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult is a strange experience. There's relief — finally, an explanation. There's grief — for all the years spent struggling without knowing why. And there's often a kind of vertigo as you look back at your entire life through a completely new lens.
I was diagnosed at 42. Before that, I'd spent decades wondering what was wrong with me. The NHS waitlist felt endless. When the assessment finally came, I got a label and medication — but no roadmap. No one said, "Here's how to actually live with this." I had to figure it all out on my own.
If you're thinking about getting assessed, here's what to expect: the process typically involves questionnaires, a clinical interview, and often input from someone who knew you as a child. It can feel vulnerable. It can feel validating. Sometimes both at once.
What most people don't tell you is that diagnosis is just the beginning. The real work — understanding your brain, building systems that fit, letting go of decades of self-blame — that comes after. And that's exactly where coaching comes in.
It's never too late to understand yourself better. You deserve that.
If this resonated with you…
This is the work I do in 1:1 coaching — moving you from self-blame to self-understanding, and from treading water to finally living YourADHD.Life.
The Your SHINE Journey programme is 6 months of deep, personalised coaching for late-diagnosed women who are ready to stop managing and start living. No scripts, no one-size-fits-all. Just real work, built around your brain.
Nishia Wadhwani
ADHD Coach
ADHD Coach and founder of YourADHD.Life. Late-diagnosed herself, she works with women navigating the reality of ADHD in midlife — the career, the relationships, the identity shifts, and the "what now" that nobody prepared them for.
Learn more about me →
