Childhood symptoms of internalised/female ADHD

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I'm beginning the long road to get a diagnosis but I understand they ask quite a lot about what you were like as a child. Anyone who has gone through the process - what is it that they would be 'looking for' in order to provide a diagnosis?

I've never been physically hyper but always remember overthinking - although I can't remember too much before I was about 11. My memory is awful.

I know I barely spoke to anyone, I was really shy. I did well at primary school and had a small circle of about 3 friends. Would that preclude me from a diagnosis as an adult?

To be honest, that sounds more like ASC than ADHD. Though there are correlations. Have you read much about the female presentation of ASD?

Researching how other people presented isn't productive at all. It may skew what you tell the psychiatrist.
They will know the questions to ask in your assessment. If you have any old school reports lurking they can help too.

I don’t think so. I went with DD to her assessment for ADHD (inattentive type) as an adult. I didn’t realise this, until she told me as an adult, but she had periods of selective mutism at school. She did have a circle of friends, but I noticed she couldn’t keep up with them in conversation. She had social anxiety, so an extreme form of shyness. She was never hyperactive, but was emotionally volatile.

They are looking for behaviours across two settings - so school and home. They asked me for my memories of what teachers said about her at parents evenings. In her case, what was really noticeable was the executive dysfunction, which I knew she had, but didn’t know why? I was more used to ADHD in boys. Have a look at the list of symptoms in girls and see how many you recognise in yourself.

DD did very well academically, because she worked 5 hours a night, fuelled by filter coffee.I didn’t know then, coffee as a stimulant works like the ADHD drugs.

I think the fact that you can’t remember much of your childhood before age 11 is in itself a symptom. Just be honest, they will know the questions to ask. None of what you’ve said precludes a diagnosis at all. Old school reports if they are lurking somewhere can be really useful for them. If you were described as chatty/talkative/bubbly OR a daydreamer for example (or both!) Or easily distracted etc.

Can I ask what your family life was like? Complex trauma apparently presents a lot like autism and adhd - take a look online for adverse childhood experiences.

Thanks, I guess I'm just hoping that being quiet rather than an excessive talker/physically hyper doesn't stop me getting a diagnosis. I doubt my parents would have kept school reports.

I have every symptom as an adult and definitely since I was 18 but i cant remember too much what i was like as a young child and because my parents maintained a strict routine with me - for example one of the things is i have real trouble as an adult with routines/remembering to take medication or about appointments/always being late but my parents enforced a strict routine of after school clubs that they would drive me to so there wasnt much chance for those things to present.

I started a stimming type tick when I was 11 that was anxiety based .

My mum doesn't believe adhd is any more than a label given to naughty boys which doesn't really help.

Sorry to piggyback on your thread OP but I had similar symptoms as a child. But my parents divorced when I was 4/5 and I got a stepdad who was very strict and sometimes violent. My DB from almost 4/5 years had chronic asthma (he almost died twice) and I had a lazy eye (squint) which required hospital treatment. My mother was focussed a lot on my DB, her work (she was moreorless a single parent) had little or no support from her parents and my exercises for my eye (cross stitch, puzzles). I’ve done tests for ADHD and ASD as an adult online and they say no.

I’m just wondering some or all of my adult behaviour is ASD/ADHDD but no severe if that’s a thing? I also had severe PMT as a teenager and adult and finally in menopause and on HRT I feel normal (no mood swings) for the first time since I was a child. Also have underactive thyroid which is quite heavily medicated and symptoms can mimic PMT but that was diagnosed in late 30s.

Re your mum’s thinking on ADHD. That’s not for her to label ADHD symptoms and how they present in people. But I can see why she might think that way.

For me, I was shy as a child and had 2 close friends at primary school but I was bullied/teased by other kids for wearing glasses though I was popular. I was fairly sociable though and chatty when I got the chance. Not overly so. Was overthinker and worrier from 11 which to me is puberty starting (had palpitations). I do think some of your conditioning as a child/young adult can contribute to your mental makeup.

Well, DH clearly has ADHD, and we think DGD also has ADHD. It runs in our family, as do autistic traits - looking at MIL, DH and DD!