Susan
Content Warning: These stories are about violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and may include references to suicide or self-harming behaviours. They may contain graphic descriptions and strong language and may be distressing. Some narratives may be about First Nations people who have passed away. If you need support, please see Contact & support.
‘I had been told I was lazy for my entire life. Finally I had a reason why, and it seems I was no longer that lazy.’
Susan is in her early 20s and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
‘Getting diagnosed with ADHD was extremely hard as an adult female,’ Susan told the Royal Commission. ‘In hindsight, I presented such obvious symptoms and no-one picked up on it.’
Susan said she had an eating disorder and self-harming tendencies at high school, but ‘no-one noticed’.
‘I always handed things in late, never studied, couldn’t write long chunks of text, never read a single assigned reading, had dramatically fluctuating grades, and no-one said a thing. I was also rather loud, hyperactive, interrupted a lot, but not a single teacher made a note of it.’
Susan said she paid ‘upwards of $3000’ for the diagnosis.
‘The wait lists are huge, sometimes I have to find a new psych, waiting for referrals and appointments, and starting from scratch is just so exhausting and so hard.’
When she did get her diagnosis she said people ‘didn’t think [she] had it, that [she] was exaggerating or feeding a victim complex’.
‘I don’t want to be a victim. I just want answers as to why I feel the way I do.’
Disclaimer: This is the story of a person who shared their personal experience with the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability through a submission or private session. The names in this story are pseudonyms. The person who shared this experience was not a witness and their account is not evidence. They did not take an oath or affirmation before providing the story. Nothing in this story constitutes a finding of the Royal Commission. Any views expressed are those of the person who shared their experience, not of the Royal Commission.