Ever since Harriet can remember, her head has “always felt busy”. In school it would take her longer to complete tasks, which led to overthinking as she tried to keep up with her peers. At 15, she went to her GP, who told her that she was suffering with anxiety and prescribed her beta blockers. They helped slightly, but for the last seven years Harriet has simply accepted that she is a “perpetual worrier”.
Or so she thought. Earlier this year she saw a TikTok about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in women. “I was scrolling and saw someone talking about how women with anxious and depressive dispositions may actually have ADHD. At first I didn’t think much of it — I’d always associated ADHD with fidgety boys in school,” says Harriet. “But then the video explained how ADHD presents differently in women, and I had every symptom.”
