ADHD doesn’t have to be a barrier
For World Mental Health Day (Thursday 10 October) Nicki Twigg, Senior Mental Health Practitioner at Forward Thinking Birmingham (North), sat down with us to talk about neurodiversity and the importance of being open about it.
It’s a topic that has had more of a spotlight shone on it recently. Fans of The Great British Bake Off will have watched contestant, Lizzie Acker, who is neurodiverse and stated it “has its advantages”.
Nicki said: “ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is categorised by a lack of focus, poor concentration, difficulty getting started and lots of other factors that people present with that's part of the diagnosis”
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse.
It’s something that Nicki, who has ADHD along with her son, is tremendously passionate about and she would love to see more openness about the condition, whilst understanding this can be difficult.
She said: “Here at Forward Thinking Birmingham most of our patients have comorbidities in terms of mental health, but a lot of them are also neurodiverse so things like ADHD are often part of their presentation. I myself am neurodiverse with ADHD.
“There are positives about having ADHD - the hyperfocus being one of them. I think that seeing somebody like Lizzie Acker who has a passion, who's able to kind of follow the process through Who's open about their diagnosis as well is a really positive thing.
“I think any conversation about neuro diversity or mental health in any remit is a really helpful thing to have just because it helps people understand the condition more widely and move away from stereotypes”
Nicki spoke about the different myths those with ADHD or who are neuro diverse have to face. She explained: “ A lot of people have ideas that ADHD tends to be boys. In terms of the stats, there will be more boys diagnosed with ADHD. However, it's understanding how it can present differently, particularly in women.
“Previously, when I worked in Early Years, It was sometimes thought that those with ADHD were naughty. Just kind of playing around, the class clown, those kinds of things.
“I really think that when we're having more open conversations and people are discussing ADHD and their own diagnosis, it does help to tackle the stigma.”
“It's not necessarily the young child in the classroom. It can be somebody of any age with more low key hyperactive behaviours.
“It can be the lack of concentration and focus can be more internalised. So, I think it's helpful to tackle stigma and show different perspectives.
“More young people are aware of it now, which is good. Schools are more aware of it and having those open conversations can help young people and adults with ADHD, but also professionals who are working with them.”
Hyperfocus is when someone with ADHD may become too fixated on a task and can't shift their attention. They can become completely absorbed; their mind sparking in different directions. A different way of thinking about things than someone who is potentially neurotypical.
Nicki said: “The absorption in an activity can be postive. It can also be negative because it can mean the person can struggle to get started on a task if they are not interested. The ADHD almost allows the person them remain focused when they're interested in that thing.
Nicki had some top tips for those struggling to stay on top of their condition and cope with neurodivergence. She said: “Speaking to your school and thinking about planning for activities that are regularly undertaken to help stay on task with time management can be really difficult.
“Fidget toys, movement, routine, having lists of things that you do regularly can be really helpful.”
Everyone with ADHD is different. So, something that might be really helpful for one person, might actually make things feel more difficult for another.
Nicki said: “We all bring out kind of our own skill set. It’s important to not see neurodiversity as a hindrance.
“We're a population of people who might think or do things differently or have a different route to get to an end goal, but we all bring our own skillset to it."
Find out more about ADHD, including answers to frequently asked questions.