Neurodiversity & Mental Wellbeing - Personal Stories

Exploring the link between neurodiversity and mental wellbeing,
According to data obtained by add.org  ADHD is more common in elite athletes, those adults with ADHD are nearly 3x as likely to experience depression compared to those without.  In this blog post we will have some personal accounts from athletes in a multitude of sports and their lived experience.

This post is a series of posts which we will feature on our Instagram and also our blog to help raise awareness and open the forum for questions, answers and general comments.

My personal experience (Lucy co-founder)

My name is Lucy, I alongside my wife Lydia created this brand, and this is my first time openly sharing my story in the hope that it helps others, be kind, be thoughtful and more importantly be there for one another.
For years I was told I was just emotionally unstable, or that I couldn’t handle certain situations, that certain out bursts weren't normal. I was 30 and feeling like anytime I lost control there was something wrong with me, I'd replay events and conversations over and over again.

It wasn’t until a doctor actually assessed the situation and spoke with me that she suspected ADHD and depression linked to this. Impulse control became a real issue with very low moods, lacking the emotional regulation at times whenever my nervous system was overloaded. Things would tend to spiral very quickly and without explanation.

I have always felt like I had a strong sense of injustice and a complete lack of filter, or as people would say ‘short fuse’, I could never explain how I felt and struggled to process emotions. Sport was always a way of me regulating myself, until it wasn't. The complete breakdown of my Army boxing career became a low point, I struggled with acceptance, self worth and also a complete loss of identity ( but this is for another topic) . My rowing team became my safety away from home, it gave me a purpose to keep showing up, the repetition and the calmness of the water was an escape.
We still have to overcome hurdles but through reading, podcasts and talking to others I have found a community and people going through very similar things and therefore found coping strategies and have become more self aware in how my body manages stress or certain situations.

Throughout this blog I will be sharing stories, thoughts and interviewing people to try break the stigma and start opening the doors to people struggling.