Nadia Sawalha broke down during a Loose Women segment today as she shared a look inside her assessment to discover whether she has Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The ITV panel show returned today after being off due to the World Cup and anchor Kaye Adams told viewers that Nadia had some life-changing news to share.
The 58-year-old suspected she had ADHD and made a film for the programme which saw her speaking to two other women diagnosed later in life as well as giving a glimpse inside the assessment with a professional called Rebecca, writes The Manchester Evening News.
Also during the pre-recorded segment, Nadia was seen with her husband Mark Adderley, who has ADHD. Nadia said that she was 'nervous' for the assessment while Mark argued that they didn't need to even go through with it as they were adamant she had the condition that includes symptoms such as being restless and having trouble concentrating.
Nadia also shared how there were 'so many things throughout my life that I want to forgive myself for' ahead of the assessment. But she admitted that she was "frightened" of discovering she didn’t have the condition because "if it’s not ADHD then what are my past behaviours about?"
Speaking about some of her symptoms, Nadia told Rebecca: "I couldn't sit quietly without noise, I have to have something on to relax. If you scratch the surface there is total low self-esteem but I do an amazing job of holding myself up."
She also added as she began to speak through tears: "Years ago I gave myself a lifetime ban on driving and the reason I give is, I lose consciousness, and everyone gets annoyed about this, saying I should pull myself together. But actually, the thought that I could..."
At the end of the assessment, the specialist said: "The symptoms you exhibit are consistent with ADHD" to which Nadia got emotional as she said: "I don't know why that makes me cry, sorry!" They then returned to the Loose Women studio where Nadia was applauded and the panel - including Kaye, Denise Welch, and Jane Moore - chatted about the diagnosis.
Nadia wanted to explain that she had cried because she was struggling to "accept" that there was a "reason for the chaos in my life." She also said: "The point is you are very high risk of addictive behaviour. It's not just silly people running around doing silly things."
Wrapping up the segment, Nadia said: "If any of this resonates with you, just investigate it a bit further because I am now finding out so much stuff. I have now started medication and things are really changing for me."
And Loose Women fans took to social media to praise her for speaking out.
One said: "Nadia covering her #ADHD diagnosis. Great coverage on adhd women being seen!" Another wrote: "Watching Nadia’s #adhd journey in tears. My daughter is really struggling and it is so great to see someone who has adhd and is so successful. Thank you for shining a light on this." While another added: "Everything Nadia is saying regarding ADHD! It’s me…I stress about being late and I always drag myself down! Thank you for highlighting this."
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