Kate Moryoussef was always familiar with the term ADHD. The condition runs in her family, and both her brothers were diagnosed when they were young boys.
Growing up, she sometimes wondered if some of her own traits could be explained by the condition, but at that time she was only aware of the signs in males.
She passed through adulthood battling anxiety, difficulty focusing and intense overthinking – believing it was just down to the stresses of being a busy working mum.
It was only when she started noticing similarities in her own daughter during lockdown, that she realised that there might be a more obvious reason for her behaviour.
In 2020, the mum-of-four from Altrincham, booked her daughter in for an ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) assessment. For Kate, it was a no-brainer that she would do the same.
Within a week of each other, Kate, now 43, and her then nine-year-old daughter were both diagnosed with the personality disorder, which presents itself differently in men and women.
Kate, who was already running a successful wellbeing focus, shifted her focus to helping other women like her, and launched a podcast dedicated to coping with ADHD.
The show has been a huge success, with nearly 750,000 downloads to date, and has also been nominated for wellbeing podcast of the year, along with the likes of Fearne Cotton’s ‘Happy Place.’
Speaking to the M.E.N, she said: “I had always really struggled with overthinking and anxiety and I always had lots of ideas but found focusing really difficult.
“ADHD has always been in my family and my two brothers were diagnosed as young boys. I only knew what it was like in boys and didn’t know it manifested differently in girls.
“I was already working as a wellbeing coach and I was always very conscious about the way I worked and behaved but I felt I didn’t have the answers in front of me.”
Then, in the first few months of 2020, when the country was locked down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kate began to notice some differences in her daughter’s behaviour.
“We’d had her assessed for dyslexia and dyspraxia but the results weren’t really conclusive,” Kate said. “She had support at school but when I was doing the work with her at home I could see she couldn’t concentrate or retain information.
“I knew something wasn’t right so I started googling. At school she would be as good as gold but would be staring into space and not putting her hand up, which is different to how boys with ADHD behave. With girls it’s more internalised.
“We were really fortunate that we got her a private assessment and we were both diagnosed within three to four weeks. It was a no brainer for me that I’d do it too.”
Since they were both diagnosed, Kate says it’s given her daughter more access to support at school, and for her, it’s finally allowed her to understand the way she behaves.
“It’s also allowed me to create a really successful business that’s helping so many women,” she added. “I am now reaching people all over the world with my podcast.
“I’ve had people messaging me saying I’ve saved their marriage, or helped them be a better parent, or quit a job that wasn’t right. A lot of women say it’s helped them feel more empowered.
“What I do differently to other podcasts, I think, is to focus on the wellbeing side. I have nearly 70 episodes that cover a different area and I bring on guests from all over the world.
“I believe there is an uncovered generation of women who have not had the realisation that what they have suffered with their whole life has been neurological – and that they are not ‘stupid’ or ‘disorganised.’
“Some of the women I help are some of the most successful people I’ve ever met but they have to work twice as hard to get there.”
You can find out more and listen to The ADHD Women’s Wellbeing Podcast here.
You can also find out more information about symptoms and treatment options for ADHD here.
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