When Jeremy Didier was in her 30s, she noticed she was having trouble taking care of her husband, her kids, herself.
"When I stopped working full time to stay home, things started falling apart," said Didier. "When I was responsible for putting things together like schedules, and feeding those kids every day, and picking the house up and doing laundry. That's when I realized something was really, really wrong."
She got on medicine for depression and anxiety, but soon learned that those were only symptoms of a larger condition.
After a series of tests, her psychiatrist diagnosed her with adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.
"A major misconception about adults with ADHD is that it is shameful or that it can be or should be hidden," said Didier. "In reality, the best thing you can do is get the diagnosis, talk about it and no matter how old you are there are still things you can do to lead a relatively normal life."
That's why some doctors now check for ADHD in their patients who complain of difficulty concentrating, feeling like they're in a fog, or underperforming at work.
"You're not succeeding at work, you're not succeeding at school, you are having difficulties paying attention, your relationships can suffer," said Dr. Sudeep Ross, the chief medical officer at Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center. He did not diagnose and does not treat Didier. "Treating the ADD can change all those things - it can be life changing."
Get help: ADHD KC helps kids and adults living with ADHD.
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Terra Hall can be reached at terra.hall@kshb.com.
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