Sorry - more on Adult ADHD

[WatchoRulo]

This came up for me today as part of a wider debate.
I have a diagnosis of ADHD which I obtained 2 years ago at the age of 58.
No-one who has expressed an opinion in my circle of family and friends accepts that either ADHD exists or that I have it - so my AIBU is to ask if others who are diagnosed have a similar experience or does anyone take it seriously?
I have avoided sharing my diagnosis at work since there seems to be such a widespread disbelief in it.

I was diagnosed in my 40s. My parents were skeptical
Im now at the point where I don’t care what they think: it’s not easy to be diagnosed. Medication isn’t handed out like sweeties.
I know I have it, that’s enough

Sorry you've had to go through that with your family op, I know it's hard to just ignore the comments when they're about you and your life

My SIL mentioned to my mum a few years ago that she was in the process of being diagnosed. My mum was absolutely horrible about it, making awful comments to me about how she thought she was faking it and how she was just making it up for attention. I haven't even bothered telling her that I've been diagnosed with it as her comments and thoughts on it were so disgusting that I don't want to hear them again

My mum and DH are onboard. My DS has ADHD too as does his partner and we have LOADS of ADHD/ASC in the family so it's not something they were unfamiliar with.

I was very nervous about telling others as I didn't know how they'd react. I expected possible disbelief, or invalidating responses such as "but I do xyz all the time" and "don't we all do that" etc etc. but actually where I have told people they've either not been surprised or having been accepting. Which has been really surprising! The only person who said "but I do that too all the time" is ND, has a DD with ADHD and I suspect has ADHD themselves!

I haven't told work as I am concerned about being stigmatised, and any fuck ups/lateness/poor organisation being blamed on ADHD when at the moment I am considered very organised (oh the irony!!!) and so if I do mess up I can cover for it and it's accepted. I will probably come clean if/when I can be medicated or if my strategies and cover ups stop working! Or I just can't cope with the stress of that any more!

I have told very few people. Dh, my parents, my brother and a friend. Except for dh no one believes it and my family don't even believe it exists.

How did you work take it? My symptoms affect my work more than anything so It's not something I'd ever share with them though my psychiatrist always strongly tries to.encourage me to.

My mum struggled with it. In part because she subscribed to the “naughty boys” view of it, but in part I think she felt guilty that she hadn’t realised there might’ve been an underlying reason for the intense struggles I had as a child.

I am lucky to have a really good manager so I told her and she’s supportive. Unless I really trusted my work, I’d not share it though. I cope, just about. I’ve had years of masking, but it’s exhausting.

Yes exhausting and really stressful :-(