Maisie
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 began medication and immediately learned what I had missed out on my entire life … the cost, the shame and the impact on my body; all relieved by a tablet.’
Maisie is in her early 30s and struggled since childhood with ‘impulsiveness, inability to focus or retain information, forgetfulness, time blindness, irritability, uncontrollable talking, clumsiness, and more.’
Last year, a psychiatrist diagnosed Maisie with severe attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
‘All my life I just put each behaviour down as just another negative about myself that I was just too annoying, stupid, or lazy to overcome,’ Maisie told the Royal Commission. ‘It's hard to think about what could have been had my neuro-divergency been treated when I first showed signs. A life of difficulty, mental torment, and a mistreated body could have been avoided.’
Maisie said the symptoms of ADHD appeared at school, but ‘not one teacher, doctor, or adult in my life thought of it as a possibility’.
She said school reports were filled with comments such as ‘bubbly, but regularly distracts others with excessive talking’ and ‘needs to apply herself and focus in class’.
‘I have no doubt ADHD would have been suggested at some point if I were a boy.’
Her symptoms became worse when she left school.
‘I developed severe anxiety, depression, binge eating disorder (leading to morbid obesity), reckless spending, self-esteem issues, and even suicidal ideation due to feelings of hopelessness, exhaustion, inadequacy, and rejection.’
Maisie said her psychologist at the time ‘didn’t connect the dots’.
Recently, ‘by absolute fluke’, she read about adult ADHD.
‘Everything I heard described me perfectly.’
Maisie talked to her doctor, who ignored her ADHD suspicions and instead referred her to a psychologist for her eating disorder.
It took persistence over seven months and several hundred dollars to see a psychiatrist, who diagnosed ‘severe combined‐type ADHD, which had been present since childhood’. Her psychiatrist prescribed medication.
‘My medication has not only helped me function, it has also put an almost immediate halt to my eating disorder … I'm incredibly grateful to have my diagnosis, but I can't help but be furious at how difficult it was to reach that conclusion.’
Maisie said she believes ADHD has been undiagnosed for generations within her family.
‘I watched my 91-year-old grandma connect the dots and realise it’s likely what she suffered with her whole life, thinking she, my uncle, and my mum just had the “family nerves”.’
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.