In keeping with October’s theme of ADHD Awareness Month, we decided to interview our very own Executive Director of LCL, Anna Levine.

LCL: When did you know you had ADHD?

Anna Levine, Esq.: I’m not sure.  I always knew it was difficult for me to sit still or to listen without interrupting, but I did not know necessarily there was a name for it.  I just thought I was weird, and maybe also that I was inferior to my peers.  Because my ADHD expresses itself in impulsive behaviors like excessive talking, I felt like I was weak, like somehow the reason I could not be quieter was because I somehow had less discipline or will power than my quieter classmates or colleagues.  It was not until my late thirties or early forties (after I felt that my ADHD was impacting my work performance and after dealing with a child who has ADHD) that I decided to seek out a diagnosis.  By the time I had made that decision, I had already done a fair amount of research on ADHD and had taken multiple self-assessments, I was certain that I had ADHD.  Getting the diagnosis was just a formality, a confirmation of a conclusion I had already reached myself.   Continue reading »