I’m Dorothea, a mixed heritage woman from London, diagnosed with ADHD in my early fifties, something I never expected.
I’ve always been full of energy, ideas and passion. Looking back, I can see I spent years masking, overcompensating and wondering why certain things felt harder for me than they seemed to for others. Around the time of my diagnosis, I was also experiencing perimenopause, which only intensified the burnout and emotional overwhelm. It was a perfect storm, and suddenly the challenges I’d faced throughout my life started to make sense.
I’ve always worked in spaces rooted in inclusion and justice. I’ve spent decades speaking out, challenging inequality and pushing for change. But even with all that knowledge, I didn’t see myself clearly. Like so many women, especially Black, Brown and mixed heritage women, I slipped under the radar. Part of that is because I didn’t struggle in school. I did well academically, was the first in my family to go to university, and have since earned two degrees. On the surface, I was fine, and that may be exactly why I was missed.
It was my youngest son who helped me see the signs. After a teacher suggested he might have ADHD, I started researching and saw myself in everything I read. I went through the NHS Right to Choose pathway and received a formal diagnosis within months. The process was both freeing and emotional. I finally had language for things I’d battled internally for decades. It felt like clarity and grief all at once.
To this day, I’ve only met one Black woman my age with a diagnosis. That says a lot. Our stories are still missing from the narrative, which is why I share mine now. No one should feel alone in this.
That’s also why I became an ADHD UK Ambassador. I want to be visible for the women who feel invisible, especially those who’ve spent years blaming themselves for not fitting into boxes they were never designed for. If my voice can help one person feel seen, heard, or understood, it’s worth raising.
I believe in ADHD UK and everything the organisation represents, from improving access to diagnosis and support, to challenging stigma and building community. I’m proud to be part of that mission, and to stand alongside others creating a future where all neurodivergent people can truly thrive.
Since my diagnosis at 50+, I’ve been a participant in “We’re just not even on the map”: Black women’s experiences of adult ADHD diagnosis and care in the United Kingdom (Gibbs et al., Advances in Mental Health, 2026), the first study to examine Black women’s experiences of adult ADHD diagnosis and care in the UK, and won the Startup School for Seniors Entrepreneur award at the Advantages of Age Awards 2025.
@dorotheaj
@dorothea-jonesma