Jane Stilwell

For most of her life, Jane wondered what was wrong with her. She felt everything deeply. She could be too loud, too emotional, too impulsive, too distracted—too much. She often felt like she didn’t quite fit anywhere, carrying years of guilt, shame, embarrassment, and confusion as she tried to understand why things that seemed easy for everyone else could feel so hard for her. At 33, while searching for answers and support for her young daughter, something unexpected happened. She began answering the questions for herself. The struggles she had spent years blaming herself for suddenly began to make sense. She sought her own diagnosis and was finally diagnosed with ADHD. Being believed changed everything. Being treated changed everything. And understanding her brain began a whole new kind of healing. She began gently untangling who she was from the struggles created by undiagnosed ADHD. She began releasing the guilt over things she couldn’t control, the shame of feeling different, and the belief that she simply needed to “try harder.” Most importantly, she learned to understand herself with compassion instead of criticism. Now, Jane creates a safe, understanding space for late-diagnosed women with ADHD who may still be asking: *Why am I like this? Why is everything overwhelming? Why can’t I get it together? Why have I always felt like I’m too much?* Sometimes, we don’t need to become someone different. Sometimes, we just need to finally understand who we’ve been all along.

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