An interesting piece by Matthew Parris in yesterday’s The Times caught my eye.

Some areas I agree with, others I have a different view.

Neurodivergence is not a mental ill health issue – it’s a neuro developmental condition the impact of which, on some, may lead to the development of anxiety, depression or worse. Consider ADHD – Executive Functioning is delayed by 30% coupled with an interest based nervous system, people at school, college, University and in the workplace may struggle with everyday things like memory, self-awareness, motivation, emotional regulation, impulsivity and problem solving which their neurotypical peers don’t. Most schools, colleges, universities and workplaces are built for neurotypical brains -amplifying the impact.

I recently trained as an ADHD 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵. Our remit is to work with people to identify how their ADHD impacts them and explore different tools that can help them tame this impact. It’s a short-term journey of between 1 to 3 months. I would never try to step into 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗽𝘆 nor 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. These are three very different and specific areas.

What I’ve noticed from client feedback, is the simple tools have made such a difference which in turn has lessened the pressure they felt.

This prompted me to devise a Workplace Awareness session for Managers and one for ‘how to be an Ally to a colleague’. The feedback from these have been just as illuminating. Within days of attending, some managers implemented some of the content we covered. Others had a lightbulb moment on what they personally were experiencing both in and out of work.

The second part of Matthew’s piece that struck me was the medical intervention. Several therapists saw the same patient and gave completely different diagnosis. This can be dangerous when medication is issued. I’m reminded of Caragh McMurty’s journey – https://lnkd.in/esRMQgSm

I am thankful there is a growing awareness of neurodivergence. Stigma falls when this happens and people get help sooner.

For me, mental health is something many can do for themselves with the right tools and guidance. This is separate to mental illness which requires specific care.