Talking About Your ADHD Without Apology

 


For many women with ADHD, talking about it feels risky. You might worry that people will see you as lazy, unreliable, or too emotional. You might have spent years hiding your struggles and working twice as hard so no one notices. By the time you get a diagnosis, the idea of saying the words out loud can feel frightening.

In The All-New Complete Evidence-Based Protocol for Women with ADHD, Dr. Katherine Tidman writes about the weight of stigma. She explains that many people still think ADHD is not real or that it is caused by bad habits and poor discipline. These beliefs are not only wrong. They also make it harder for women with ADHD to ask for the support they need. Stigma discourages open conversation and pushes people to stay silent at exactly the moment when help could make a real difference.

Dr. Tidman encourages a different approach. Instead of hiding, she invites readers to share their stories in ways that feel safe and manageable. You do not have to tell everyone everything all at once. You can start very small. The book suggests that when you are ready, talking about both the challenges and the strengths of ADHD can help people see it as a real, complex condition rather than a joke or a stereotype.

Sometimes the first step is not a face to face conversation. Dr. Tidman notes that online spaces can be helpful. Social media posts, short reflections, or even comments in supportive groups can be a way to practice saying “this is how ADHD shows up for me” without needing to manage someone’s immediate reaction in the room. These posts can also play a part in wider advocacy by replacing myths with information grounded in science and lived experience.

The book also spends time on what it means to speak up in more formal settings. Self-advocacy is described as a central skill for living with ADHD over time. Dr. Tidman writes that speaking up and asking for the support you need is one of the strongest tools you have. This might mean preparing for a medical appointment by writing down your main concerns in advance. It might mean listing the ways your symptoms affect work, study, or home life so that your doctor gets a clear picture instead of a rushed summary.

She suggests using the knowledge you gain from the book to have more structured conversations. When you can say “this is what my day looks like” and “these are the areas where I am struggling,” it becomes easier for healthcare professionals to discuss options with you. The goal is not to demand a specific treatment. The goal is to build a collaborative plan where your lived experience and their medical knowledge work together.

The same idea applies outside the clinic. At home or in relationships, asking for what you need can start with simple, concrete requests. The book describes how clear communication and regular check ins help families understand each other better. You might say “I find it hard to follow conversations when I am multitasking” or “I need reminders for appointments.” Naming these needs can replace cycles of frustration with shared problem solving.



Dr. Tidman also talks about community. She describes support networks, awareness events, and neurodiversity workshops as important spaces. In these circles, you can hear other people ask for what they need and see that your own requests are not unreasonable. Being part of a group that understands ADHD makes it easier to believe that your experiences are real and that your needs are valid.

Advocacy in this book is not about being loud all the time. It is about being honest and consistent. It is about saying “this is what helps me function” and “this is what harms me” in a calm, clear way. It is about recognizing that you deserve to participate in work, study, family, and community life with the right supports in place. Dr. Tidman frames this as a skill that grows with practice rather than something you either have or do not have.

Her own story sits behind this message. Dr. Katherine Tidman is a Johns Hopkins trained scientist with a PhD in biology, with a focus on cell signaling involved in differentiation during development. In her twenties she began to experience episodic relapse remit neurological symptoms and repeatedly sought medical help, but for more than fifteen years her condition was not correctly diagnosed. In her late thirties she developed a severe cramp in her left shoulder and suddenly could not move her left leg forward. That episode led her to the Johns Hopkins Neurology Department, where she was finally diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and told she was already in the secondary progressive stage of the disease. She is also a mother of two.

She founded a consulting business to provide newly diagnosed patients with cutting edge research so they can have informed discussions with their doctors about supplements and treatments. Through her website, Neuronova Network, and through this book, she gives women with ADHD tools to understand their own brains and to speak up in ways that are grounded and informed.

If you have spent years apologizing for your brain, the idea of talking openly about ADHD and asking for support may feel strange. The message in Dr. Tidman’s work is that you do not have to justify your existence. Your experiences are real. Your needs are real. Learning to name them clearly is not selfish. It is a form of care for yourself and for the people who want to understand you better.

You can find The All-New Complete Evidence-Based Protocolfor Women with ADHD by Dr. Katherine Tidman on Amazon.

https://www.youtube.com/@KatherineTidman-g6d

https://www.tiktok.com/@katherinetidman

https://x.com/Katherintidman

https://www.instagram.com/katherinetidmanoffi/

https://www.facebook.com/katherinetidmanoff

https://neuronovanetwork.com/

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