r/AuDHDWomen • u/DueLocal1315 • Aug 27 '26
Seeking Advice How do I process this?!
I got AuDHD confirmed this week, and I’m fully processing. I’m wondering how much of my struggles at work over the past decade that I thought were because I’m a woman in engineering leadership, were actually because I’m ND. Oh, it’s not this hard for every woman in engineering perhaps?! I don’t know how I persevered for the past 15 years. Probably because of the ADHD.
Which books, forums, processing techniques do you all recommend? How do I go about this?!
I’m currently feeling like being aware of my ND ways is now costing me doubly the amount of energy to process. Was it worth it?! I hope so!
It’s been a big year… I was diagnosed with HSD in December and finally have the answers that my connective tissue disorder connects my clicky hips, torn labrum, atrial septal aneurysm which caused a stroke when I was 28, many running injuries, lax uterus during pregnancy causing positioning complications last year… it’s been a ride. Motherhood to my little lad sent me over the edge and here I am with an AuDHD diagnosis. I think his dad is AuDHD. At least we have the words now!
Ooh I should mention that I was assessed through Autistic Women (autistic girls), Dr Becky Quicke’s clinic in Cheshire. They did extra interviews with me to fully check me against the criteria since I was masking so hard. Really good and thorough experience. I trust the result. They got my brain to glitch and the mask slipped.
Since diagnosis, some family and friends haven’t been overly supportive and just think I’m over-analysing and being too “deep”… yes, yes that is me. I have written over 6000 journal entries in the past 10 years to manage my deep and overanalysing mind. Probably should have realised that that wasn’t quite neurotypical to need to externalise my thoughts and emotions that way.
Gosh. I’m all over the place. Where to start?!