By Staff Writer: Kelsie Glenn
Finding out you have ADHD after 30 can be both a revelation and a reckoning. Suddenly, things that felt like personal failings, scattered thoughts, impulsive decisions, and chronic disorganization started to make sense. You realize you’re not lazy or broken, just wired differently. ADHD impacts the brain’s executive function, which is the ability to plan, prioritize, and emotionally regulate. It explains why I could feel totally paralyzed by simple tasks or obsess over something for hours, even when I wanted to let it go. I’ve learned to work with my brain instead of against it. For example, I now read on a Kindle instead of on blue-lit screens. Otherwise, my brain won’t shut off, and I’ll stay up all night, thinking in loops. I’ve always functioned on minimal sleep, and before, I was the queen of masking, performing well under pressure and thriving in chaos while quietly burning out. I thought that was just me. Now, I know overstimulation has a cost. Sometimes, I shut down entirely and need quiet, space, and rest. There’s relief in the diagnosis, but also grief; for the years, I didn’t understand myself. Still, life feels more peaceful now. I no longer feel like I don’t fit. I know that my brain works differently, and that difference comes with both challenges and strengths. I’m not trying to “fix” myself anymore. I’m learning to listen, adapt, and treat myself with compassion. And honestly? That feels like a kind of freedom I didn’t know was possible.