Right. We're moving on with the conference. Absolutely, well, very, very excited with what we've got coming up next. And we've got Same ADHD, Different Worlds, How Culture Shapes ADHD in Women, which I'm genuinely very, very excited about. You know, we've all got ADHD. We're all unique individuals but ADHD, which Michelle talked to earlier. Have difference. But then the impact of culture and the impact of expectations and particularly on women and how that means that the expression and challenges of ADHD differ for are. And Lauren, who is a trustee of ADHD UK, our lead ambassador, who's absolutely phenomenal and one of those people who you meet. And.

Every time you interact and do stuff with them, you are more amazed by them. And so let me, without further ado, introduce Lauren.

Thank you so much, Henry. Hello.

Well, welcome. Thank you. So Lauren is comparing this this segment for ADHD UK. I'm gonna hand over to you to do the introduction.

Great. Thank you very much. So hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Global ADHD Conference. If you've just watched doctor Michelle Hill, you'd have heard about how ADHD in women hides in plain sight. And for the next hour, we're asking a bigger question. Does it hide in the same way everywhere? ADHD is the same condition wherever you live. When researchers pull studies from around the world, the differences in how common it is come from how the studies were done, not from where. So being a woman is not the same wherever you live. The words used about a girl before anyone thinks of ADHD, who gets blamed when a child struggles, what happens when you ask for help. All of that changes when you cross border.

So here in England, something is shifting between April and June this year. Forty six percent of patients prescribed ADHD medication were women, up from forty one percent a year earlier. Many of those women were missed as girls. So what is happening for women in the rest of the world? To find out, I'm joined by five women from four countries on three continents. Here's how it works. I'll ask everyone the same question, and we'll travel around the world with each answer. The United States, South Africa, Singapore, and Japan, about a minute each. So I just wanted to let you know as well. Jeremy recorded her answers ahead of today in Kansas City. Akiko will answer in Japanese. You'll see her words in English on the right of your screen.

And she's written ours in Japanese on her phone. It's actually eleven at night in Singapore and midnight in Japan. So Clara and Akiko, thank you very much, and let's meet everyone. Hello. Hello. It's great to see you all. Thank you so much for coming to the Global ADHD Conference today. So I'll get started by asking the first question. This is to Jeremy who's prerecorded. So please introduce yourself, your name, where you're joining from, and your connection to ADHD.

Hey, everybody. I am Jeremy Didier. I'm joining from Kansas City, which is smack dab in the middle of The US. Also home of the Kansas City Chiefs, if you follow US football. I'm a clinical social worker and an addiction counselor. I am the immediate past president of CHADD, Children and Adults with ADHD, and I am also the co coordinator of our advocacy and public policy committee. I'm an adult with ADHD. I have five kids. Four of them have ADHD. So I have many, many connections to ADHD as a clinician, as a parent, as an individual with lived experience. And often all of that stuff happens at the same time.

Fantastic. Thank you. And the same question for Rachel. Please, could you introduce yourself, your name, where you're joining from, and your connection to ADHD?

Hello. My name is Rachel Feldman. I'm a licensed clinical social worker from Jersey City, New Jersey. I have a neuro affirming practice where I work with ADHD, autistic, and ADHD kids, teens, adults, and parents. I also serve with Jeremy on CHADD's National Board of Directors. And I'm the co chair of the CHADD Development Committee as well. My connection to ADHD is personal as well as professional. I'm autistic with ADHD, and we call that ADHD these days. That combination shapes how I experience and interact with the world, from how I focus and organize my day to how I process the environment around me. It's a big part of why I care so much conversation, especially with women.

Fantastic. Thank you ever so much for introducing yourself. And next we have Joanna. Would you please introduce yourself, your name, where you're joining from and your connection to ADHD?

So I'm Jeanne du Randt. I'm joining from South Africa. I'm a registered counselor and the operations manager at the Goldilocks and The Bear Foundation, where we work primarily with children in under resourced communities to identify ADHD and other barriers to learning and connecting families to appropriate care. Now my personal connection to ADHD, I myself got a late diagnosis of ADHD only in my twenties. So, specifically, the barriers to getting that that diagnosis as a woman is very personal to me.

Thank you so so much. And next, we have Clara. If you could please introduce yourself, your name, where you're joining from, and your connection to ADHD.

Hi, everyone. I'm Clara from Singapore. So as Lauren mentioned just now, it's 11PM here. So I apologize in advance if I'm not the most energized. I'm not feeling very hyperactive now, to be honest. So I'm a senior program executive and an associate counselor at Unlocking ADHD. We are a registered charity here in Singapore. We have a mission to empower individuals with ADHD and their families to live life with the fullest. So what I do here is build community for people with ADHD because we all know how hard it is to experience a sense of belonging and to be around people who truly understand us. I also work with them directly in the capacity as a counselor.

I was diagnosed with ADHD in my twenties, also late diagnosed. So this work is really close to my heart. I draw a lot on my personal experience to connect with and support others who are also navigating life with ADHD.

Amazing. Thank you so much and thank you for joining us so late at night as well. Next, we have Akiko. Please, could you introduce yourself, your name, where you're joining from, and your connection to ADHD?

Hello everyone. Today I'll be speaking in Japanese, if I may. My name is Akiko Hashiguchi and I live in Japan. I'd like to begin by expressing my deep gratitude for this opportunity to participate in such a valuable event. Thank you very much indeed. I work in Japan as a universal design consultant, using neurodevelopmental differences as a starting point. In fact, I'm currently spending a hundred days in London to discover universal design in everyday life. My connection with ADHD began twenty-five years ago when my son was diagnosed with ADHD. He's now thirty-two years old. Thank you for having me today.

Wow. Thank you so much. This is so incredible to be who you are. I can't wait to hear from you. So I will ask a question, which is in your country before anyone thinks of ADHD, what words are used to describe a girl who has it? So this question will first of all go to Jeremy.

In The US, a girl with ADHD gets called a lot of things before she finds out she has ADHD. Things like messy, chatty, spacey, flaky, dramatic, overly sensitive, bossy, overly social. You know, on her report card, you might see something like the classic, very smart but needs to apply herself or doesn't work up to her potential. And so by the time that girl turns into an adult woman, she's heard a lot of negative things about herself before she finally finds out that she actually has ADHD. And that's a a big part of what I do is helping girls and women who get their diagnosis a little bit later in life work through all of that mess.

Thank you. Thank you so much. And I will ask the same question to Rachel. In your country, before anyone thinks of ADHD, what words are used to describe a girl who has it?

So same as Jeremy mentioned, forgetful, spacey, chatty, dramatic, overly sensitive, so smart if she would just apply herself. But for ADHD girls, you might add shy, quirky, rigid, bossy, manipulative, or too much. And many of those girls hold it together all day at school and then fall apart at home where it's safe. People are going to label her all kinds of things. They might as well label her with the correct thing, which is ADHD. And when she gets that label or that context rather, she understands my brain works differently instead of something is wrong with me. So it's so harmful for these character labels to come before a real explanatory label. It's not that she's dramatic or she's a bad person.

She has a brain that works differently and the diagnosis gives context and context is always a better description than a comment on who she is as a person.

Absolutely, completely, completely agree. Thank you so much for for sharing this. The next... The same question will go to Giovanni. Please, can you tell us in your country for anyone thinks of ADHD? What words are used to describe a girl who has it?

Very similar. We hear words like lazy, dramatic, too sensitive, disorganized, chatty, not reaching her potential. So it sounds like across the board, the label thing. But I must say because girls often don't fit the stereotype of the disruptive hyperactive boy, their struggles can be internalized and overlooked, and that's something we definitely see in South Africa. So a girl who's daydreaming or overwhelmed or quietly falling behind. It's much easier to miss than the child disrupting the classroom. So often, we don't even ask, especially in the classrooms or as parents, what is what is the child struggling with? We ask why isn't she trying hard enough? And that is very damaging.

Thank you so much for sharing that. Absolutely complete... Completely honest. Thank you. The next one will go to Clara. Same question to you as well. When you're country before anyone thinks of ADHD, what words are used to describe a girl who has it?

Okay. I'll be slightly vulnerable and share a little bit more of my personal experience. For context, I spent ten years in a girl's school. So I felt like I had to behave a certain way, you know. We were told to sit properly. We even attended etiquette classes. And I remember during assembly one day, I loudly announced I need to pee. And then my friend told me off for being unladylike. And because I also tend to be more straightforward and sometimes I think... Sorry, I don't think before I speak. So my classmates thought I was being mean or insensitive even though that wasn't my intention. And of of course, I was being criticized for being messy as well. In hindsight, I feel like people would have been more forgiving if I were a boy.

But because I didn't fit this nice girl image like someone who is polite, who is neat, gentle, prim and proper. I grew up thinking that there was something wrong with me and I just thought that I was bad at being the kind of girl that people expected me to. So it really went down to who I was as a person, who I am as a girl. And all these environment and... Other environment and all these gender norms resulted in me masking a lot to fit in and also feeling really bad about myself.

Thank you so much for sharing this and for for being vulnerable for us as well. Thank you for for sharing. I will ask the same question to Akiko as well. In your country, before anyone thinks of ADHD, what words are used to describe a girl who has it?

In Japan, as everyone has been saying, prejudice and discrimination against girls is quite pronounced. In Japan there's this prefix that gets attached constantly: 'for a woman' or 'for a girl'. So it's 'slovenly for a woman', 'unladylike for a woman', 'disgraceful for a woman', 'cheeky for a woman' – this phrase 'for a woman' gets attached like a prefix to all sorts of expressions. On the other hand, these sorts of phrases aren't really used for boys. So I think girls with ADHD find it very difficult to live in Japan.

Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing this as well. Thank you all so much. You know? I actually had some words written down which were quite similar to what everyone has said on the call. So I have seen flaky. I'm pretty sure flaky was said as well. And there's things I've heard throughout my life, and I know other women have as well. So thank you so much for opening up the conversation around this and around labels as well. So round three, my next question will again go to Jeremy, first of all, and that's every culture has an idea of what a good woman should be. What is that idea where you live, and where does ADHD collide with it?

So in The US, the good woman is the woman who does it all. She's got a beautiful home. It's spotlessly clean. She works full time. She's probably, you know, in the upper echelons of her business. She's got a successful career. She, like, makes organic food for her kids for lunch. She manages everything effortlessly, lessly and she does it all while looking great and still sexy for her partner at the end of the day. Of course, that's impossible. Right? And, you know, for the woman with ADHD, I mean, even doing a fraction of that and balancing the the executive function of a family schedule or work schedules is practically impossible. And so, you know, the woman with ADHD still tries to do all those things.

But is likely staying up until 03:00 in the morning, hiding how much she's working to to keep up with this ideal.

Absolutely. And I feel like a lot of us can can relate with what was said that there's some for me. The next next one is Rachel. So again, every culture has an idea of what good women should be, what is that idea, where you live, and where does ADHD cope with it.

I'll echo what Jeremy said again since I I think I'll be doing a lot of that today since we're from the same country. The good woman has it all together. She looks effortless all the time. She's cooking. She's cleaning. She's managing schedules. She's remembering things. She's always prepared for whatever comes next. And all of that planning and remembering takes an enormous amount of cognitive effort. And so for those of us with ADHD, the collision is even sharper. Autism brings the need for predictability, sensory limits, and a directness that doesn't always fit the expectation that women are accommodating or socially smooth. So, at the same time, ADHD brings the forgetfulness and chaos of disorganization. We end up masking.

On two fronts at the same time. We try to look organized and socially easy, while also managing our internal restlessness or anxiety around the things that we have no control over. Masking may hide this effort from other people, but it doesn't make the effort disappear. It usually shows up later as exhaustion, anxiety, or burnout.

Thank you. Thank you so much for sharing this. I think we're going to go to Germany to say the same question. Every culture has an idea of what good woman should be. What is that idea where you live, and where does ADHD collide with it?

Subly, culturally diverse. We have so many different cultures. We're nation for a reason. So there's not one definition of a good woman. However, across many of the communities and cultures, women are still expected to be the mother, to be the nurturer, to be emotionally available, the housekeeper, the soft person, but also to be organized. Because in the day and age and and and fund it... Fund finances and all, we can't just be the mother. We also need to slightly be the provider as well. So now it's managing children, managing the home, the appointments, the family, and often the career as well. Now ADHD directly collides with this and the expectation because executive functioning, time management, working memory, emotional regulations.

Are exactly the skills that are needed to keep this good woman look together and that is a very big demand for women with ADHD. So regularly what we see, the woman don't end up going, my brain works differently. She goes, why can every other woman do this and manage this, but I can't? So then again, internalizing something that should actually just have been better explained to her.

Thank you. Thank you so much. And I think it's really interesting what you said as well as what wrote a sec because it's almost like masking in in in both ways, isn't it? Thank you so much for for sharing this. And next, I'll ask Clara the same question. So every coach has an idea of what good women should be. What is that idea where you live and where does ADHD collab with it?

I think it's quite similar in Singapore too. So in Singapore, a lot of women juggle work and running the household. So you are expected to achieve a lot at work while being a super mom at home. So in my work at unlocking ADHD, I do work with moms and I can see that it's truly a double whammy because you need to manage yourself and you manage everyone else. This also affects the marriage. So we do marital counseling and we see the impacts of ADHD on their relationship because there's resentment, there's frustration, when they struggle to cope with the household chores and responsibilities. And I just wanna say thankfully, I'm not a mom yet because I feel like I can't even take care of myself. I'm still a work in progress.

But yeah. And on on the side of appearance, I personally don't wear makeup and it's a choice that I've made because I feel like the extra steps feel like too much. On most days, I'm really struggling to get out of the house on time. I can't imagine having to spend the extra time on makeup. But I've gotten multiple comments about this. So like one Lunar New Year, my aunt actually once told me I was very brave for going without makeup. Someone also once said, look like I don't take care of myself. I look tired and things like that. But makeup poses a huge executive functioning demand for me personally. And these comments hit especially hard because they bring back years of feeling different and out of of place.

So yeah, in Singapore, I would say a good woman is someone who's expected to keep everything together and look put together at the same time and that's really hard for someone with ADHD.

Absolutely. It's so much pressure, isn't it? It's it's so it's so much pressure. You for sharing that as well. I know that so many people will be resonating more with what everyone said today. And I'm also gonna ask Akiko the same question. Every culture has an idea of what a good woman should be. What is that idea where you live and where does ADHD collide with it?

In Japan, women are expected to be gentle and modest, but also – and this is important – to be attentive, considerate and caring, and to act on those qualities. And what's more, though times have changed somewhat, there's something deeply rooted in Japanese culture: the expectation that women should defer to men. It's decidedly not 'ladies first' – you might call it 'gentlemen first'. That sort of thing is expected. And Japanese people view expressing anger as something negative, so particularly for women, not showing anger – always smiling – is considered the ideal woman.

So in that context, if you have strong hyperactive-impulsive traits, as I mentioned earlier, you're told 'restless for a woman' or 'inconsiderate for a woman', or criticised for blurting out answers. On the other hand, if you have strong inattentive traits, you're called 'slovenly for a woman', and these clash with those expectations.

Thank you so so much for for sharing this. And I think it's very interesting how maybe from different content that have a a shared understanding, you know, as as women and have similar experiences. So thank you. Thank you so much for sharing this. The next question will be around four. So a woman in your country thinks she might have ADHD.

What happens next? Jeremy will be answering this question. In The US, when a woman thinks that she might have ADHD, what happens next often depends on what kind of insurance she has, where she lives, and how well her executive function is working that day. I mean, it's it's so ironic because the ADHD diagnostic process is not very ADHD friendly. And I I I just laugh because we're, you know, we're asking people to jump through these executive function hoops, when they're challenged with executive function. And so, you know, unless someone is helping a woman guide that process or, you know, she gets lucky and her primary care provider, you know, just happens to be someone who's informed about ADHD.

Women can wait months or years to get an ADHD diagnosis.

Absolutely. You... Useful way. Thank you so much for sharing that, Jeremy, as well. So, Rachel, next is your question. So the same one. A woman in your country thinks she might have ADHD. What happens next? Don't think I can hear you, Rachel. Don't know whether it's mine.

Sorry. I'll start again. Thank you for that. So like Jeremy said, it depends on the day and what her resources are. I suggest starting with CHADD. If a woman is in The United States, that's chadd.org. We have fact sheets, guides, and a directory of providers. If a woman is meeting with a provider, I suggest going prepared with specific examples about how ADHD impacts her life. And also I suggest knowing the red flags in providers. Providers that say, you're a successful professional, you don't have ADHD. I would run quickly away from them. ADHD traits in women often don't get noticed until they're so loud when the responsibilities of the woman's life pile up or the systems that she has in place fail.

Think about what supports you in your success, reminders, a teacher, a partner who helps with executive functioning. Because just as much as you want to be able to explain why you can't do something or why something is challenging for you, it's equally important to explain why you're able to do something. The reason that I am on this call is because I had a bunch of reminders starting from yesterday. So I got on very close to the start time, but on time. I'd also add if you're a person who notices autistic traits in yourself, screeners like the CATQ and the RADSR are helpful starting points, although they are not diagnostic and they were really made for little white boys. So take that with a grain of salt. But.

Be sure to be seeking out a provider who is neuro affirming and specializes in evaluating both autism and ADHD because they're so co occurring that one is easy to miss if you don't have expertise.

Thank you so much for sharing this, and it's absolutely so true. And I think if anyone from The UK especially as well, you know, relaying that that message is is really important. So thank you so much for for sharing this, Rachel. Next, I'll ask Joanne the same question. So a woman in your country thinks she might have ADHD. What happens next?

Well, for us, it would depend on what resources she has. So whether she's actually got medical aid or she's using the public system. So if you can afford private health care, she may need to approach a psychiatrist or psychologist or any other appropriate qualified health care professional for assessment. So your your GP will be able to assist with a referral if they can do it themselves, for example. But cost and access remain a significant barrier because sometimes even if you do have the the the medical aid, not all of them actually cover this. However, if you do make use of public systems, specialist mental health resources are extremely limited, and ADHD in adults.

May not be identified early or in general if making use of the public system. So there again, I would suggest going to your local clinic, asking your GP, explaining exactly what you are struggling with. Don't try to sugarcoat it. Be as honest as possible and see if they can then make a referral for district psychiatrist to then get you that diagnosis. So, unfortunately, in South Africa, the problem isn't simply whether we know how to diagnose ADHD. It's a way that someone can actually reach a professional who understands ADHD, specifically adult ADHD, and then afford ongoing care.

Thank you so much. Thank you. It's brilliant. Thank you. Next, I'll ask Clara the same question. A woman in your country might have ADHD. What happens next?

So in Singapore, we have both the public and private route. But if they go by the public route, it's cheaper. But obviously, the waiting time can be quite long. Shorten the wait, they can try to approach a private psychiatrist or psychologist but usually the fees will be really high. So again, it boils down to access. At unlocking ADHD, we actually have a partnership with a psychiatrist who can do ADHD assessments at a subsidized rate. So clients can get a diagnosis at a private clinic before working with the counselors on our team. We realized that a lot of people always reach out to us ask us about how to get a diagnosis. It's a very confusing process.

And I think Jeremy mentioned just now the irony is that the people who are seeking out an ADHD diagnosis usually struggle the most with executive functioning, yet the process is so long drawn out. There's so much paperwork to be done. So we wanted to really streamline the process and really reduce the barriers to access. Yeah.

That's amazing. Thank you so much. It's very true. There's many many forms. Yeah. That's that's absolutely amazing. Thank you so much. Akiko, the same question to you. A woman in your country thinks she might have ADHD.

What happens next in Japan can be broadly divided into two paths. One is seeking help – or rather, seeking the truth about oneself – and attempting to access medical services. The other is that even if you're fairly certain, you feel embarrassed, worried about what people will think, don't want anyone to know, or even refuse to acknowledge it, and so you end up unable to do anything or you hide it. As for who to consult, in Japan there are actually many cases where people don't want even their families to know. So there are many people who can't seek advice. And even if you want to see a medical professional, specialists have waiting times of six months at the earliest.

Waiting a year or more is common, so the fact that even when you seek help you can't access it immediately has become a social issue. As for costs, Japan has a health insurance system, so with insurance the consultation fee is around three thousand yen, but if tests aren't covered and you have to pay out of pocket, it can cost between ten thousand and thirty thousand yen.

Thank you so much for sharing this and and for making us all aware of this as well. Feel like I'll definitely learned this. So thank you so so much. And the next question I have is actually round five. So I'm gonna come back to you again, Akiko, because we're gonna go the other way around for this question. So Akiko, when a child with ADHD struggles in your country, who gets the blame?

In Japan it's the mother. The mother is held responsible, the blame is transferred to her. In Japan, people will say the mother's discipline is lacking, but they never say the father's discipline is lacking. And no matter how cooperative the partner or father might be, when it comes to facing the outside world, society, it's always the mother who's put on the stand. This is true of child-rearing regardless of whether ADHD is involved or not. And this is an aspect of Japanese culture that hasn't changed since my son was diagnosed twenty-five years ago.

I'm from Shizuoka Prefecture, famous for matcha green tea, and when I was running a parent group in Shizuoka, one of the mothers who attended told me her mother-in-law had said to her, 'This child was born this way because of the dirty blood from the bride's side.' It's very sad, but in regional areas, particularly in places with strong rural attitudes, such prejudice and discrimination still exist, and regional disparities are indeed one of Japan's challenges.

Thank you so much for sharing this, Akiko. Thank you. I'll ask the same question to Clara. When a child with ADHD struggles in your country, who gets the blame?

I think in the past, the child had taken much of the blame in Singapore, like being labeled lazy, unmotivated, or not hardworking enough. So these are the comments that usually show up in the report card. But interest... In locking ADHD, I've seen encouraging signs of change. But I'll just give a disclaimer and see see that this could also just be confirmation bias. I've seen a lot of parents and teachers attend our talks and webinars because they really want to understand how to support these children. In our counseling work, we also come across parents who are open to reflecting on their parenting styles and to try different approaches. I'm guessing that increased awareness of ADHD has contributed to this shift.

But what gives me hope is seeing adults being more curious about a child's behavior. Asking what is this child struggling with and how can I help? I can really see that they're trying to understand instead of immediately criticizing them. And to me, the goal is to move away from pointing fingers at someone or finding blame but moving towards shared responsibility.

Thank you. Thank you for sharing this. I would also say a question to Johnny. When a child with ADHD struggles in your country, who gets the blame?

Well, often everybody gets the blame before the ADHD actually does. So the child gets labeled naughty or lazy or undisciplined. The teacher may be blamed for not managing the child properly in the class. But very often, the mother carries the enormous amount of the blame. So why can't you control your child? There must be no discipline at home. These are the type of things that we hear from other family members. And then, specifically, I can imagine it's it's very difficult in a lot of the communities that we we serve in because there's still a very limited understanding of ADHD as a neurodevelopmental condition. So I have to agree with what Clara said. There's... I can definitely see a a change, at least in the parents.

Trying to change the narrative, trying to to see it as a superpower. However, their family members or the... Their their colleagues, they still go, oh, you need to take off of work to look at your child. Why don't you just be a better parent? That type of situation. So often we see a clinical and psycho educational presentation be called a parenting problem.

Thank you for sharing this. And Rachel, the same question to you. When a child with ADHD struggles in your country, who gets the blame?

Too often the child is blamed first like the other ladies have mentioned. She's called lazy, defiant, careless, disruptive, she's not trying hard enough. Then the parents get blamed, often the mother, for being too permissive, too strict, too anxious, not providing enough structure. For ADHD kids, the blame gets even more tangled. A child who melts down after a loud unpredictable school day may be labeled as manipulative or have a behavior problem. When she is actually very overwhelmed and her nervous system has truly hit its limit. A girl who masks well at school may have her struggles dismissed completely because teachers never see what happens when she gets home. But in all of that blame, what really gets lost is not who is at fault.

But what does the child need and what in her environment isn't working for her brain. I'm hoping with what we're seeing recently that once we shift the blame to curiosity shift from blame to curiosity rather, children and families finally will get the support that they need.

Thank you. Thank you for sharing. And finally, we'll go to Jeremy.

In The US, when a child with ADHD struggles, the mom gets the blame. I feel like the moms get the blame far, far too often. You know, people will say that she's too strict or too soft or she gives her kid too much sugar or she's a bad parent. And then after that, the blame seems to fall on the child. You know, they call the kid, you know, lazy or defiant or oppositional. And, you know, it's not it's not fair and it's not even. And you know the part that blows my mind is that ADHD is genetic, right? So you know it came from somewhere. So if we're blaming the mom, we have to keep in mind that that woman is likely battling undiagnosed and untreated ADHD while trying to parent her kid who has undiagnosed and untreated ADHD.

That is very interesting and it's really interesting as well how everyone has had similar answers as well because either the child or the mother and, like, Jeremy just said as well, and it's been mentioned hereditary. So it's like, yeah, it's very good to go out and be having these conversations about this to make other people aware as well. So thank you. Thank you so much. Round six is my next question. We're gonna come back to Jeremy. What one change would you make the biggest difference women with ADHD in your country?

You know, in The US, one change that I would love to see for women with ADHD is for women to be screened in the places where we show up. You know? I mean, when we're in the OBGYN's office, you know, when we have kids, when we're going through menopause, I would love it if ADHD screening happened there or at the primary care office instead of only in a specialist's clinic. I would also love it if people would stop saying things like, there's no way you can have ADHD, you're too smart or too successful. So those two things I think would make a huge difference. Help women out earlier before all the negative things happen.

You know, we don't need to build new doors. We can we can start seeing people at the doors they already walked through in their lives. Pediatrician's office, the doctor's office, know. I just think that would be fantastic.

Absolutely. And Rachel, same same question to you. What one change would make the biggest difference for women with ADHD in your country?

Timely, affordable and culturally responsive assessments and support delivered by clinicians who really understand ADHD and autism and how those two show up in women and girls. Specifically how they can co occur at the same time and sometimes seem to cancel one another out. Right now, too many women are identified late, misdiagnosed with anxiety or depression or a mood disorder, and only given half of picture of what's happening with them. So they end up spending years in treatment that never quite fits and may pay thousands of dollars out of pocket just to be taken seriously. I can say speaking as an ADHD woman, understanding the full picture of my own brain changed.

Everything. It turned years of why can't I just?' or this isn't explained by ADHD' change into oh, I get it now. It's because of my autism.' And the shift from self blame to self understanding is so powerful. It opens the door to real support, and every woman deserves that kind of clarity. She shouldn't have to wait decades, burn out, or have the financial means to get it.

Absolutely. Thank you so much. Thank you. Joanne, same question to you as well. What one change would make the biggest difference for women with ADHD in your country?

I would very much agree with what Rachel said, but also I would move identification close to where the people are actually living. So we simply don't have enough specialist mental health resources to expect every woman or every child to find their own way into specialist care. The resources are out there, but it's it's so scattered and it's not in the resources that... Or not in the communities that need it the most. So we need better ADHD education as well as identification at primary care, universities, workplace level even with clear referral pathways when someone actually needs a further assessment. So the earlier we recognise the ADHD, the less time people spend being treated as though their difficulties are character flawed.

Thank you. Thank you so much. And same question as well to Clara. What one change will make the biggest difference for women with ADHD in your country?

I think it would be a deeper understanding of how ADHD shows up differently across genders. Let's say hyperactivity, for example. So we we always associate hyperactivity with a naughty boy bouncing off the walls of energy, talking nonstop. But my hyperactivity didn't manifest in the form of disruptive behaviors in the classroom. For me, it was the inner restlessness, the thoughts running through my mind, jumping from one thing to the other, constantly feeling anxious about the future or hopeless about the past. I was seen as someone who would do a lot of things like playing lots of sports in schools, walking tree jobs or getting my law degree.

So even something that sounds straightforward and simple to understand like hyperactivity hyperactivity can show up really different across the different genders and for everyone in general.

Thank you. Thanks so much. And then finally, same question to Akiko. What one change will make the biggest difference for women with ADHD in your country?

In Japan there are very strong expectations placed on women. So rather than the presence or absence of ADHD, what needs to change first is society's overall attitudes towards women's ways of living – education, work, marriage, child-rearing. In other words, the understanding that women's ways of living and happiness are diverse, and that they can choose freely – I believe that shift in consciousness would ultimately bring about the greatest change for women with ADHD. Also, there are many women with ADHD who are very active and doing remarkable work, so I think having more of these role models visible in society would give others courage and confidence.

Absolutely. It's turning that awareness into understanding it. Thank you. Thank you so much. I I completely agree with with you all for the same for the The UK. Having that understanding can help us feel less misunderstood and seen. I think being seen is in... Is one of the things that a lot of women with ADHD have felt like once you have the the diagnosis and the understanding of yourself, you're then able to express that more, but it's having that awareness in society. So thank you, thank you so much. I will ask our final question as well. So Jeremy will answer this first and the question is, in one sentence, what would you say to a woman in your country who thinks she might have ADHD?

So the woman in The US who thinks she might have ADHD, please hear me. You are not lazy. You are not too much. You are not overly sensitive. You are not too late. You are not dumb, you are not broken, you probably have ADHD and it is never too late to get diagnosed. So go find the answer because it can truly change your life.

Brilliant. Thank you. And Rachel, same question to you. In one sentence, what would you say to a woman in your country who thinks she might have ADHD?

You don't have to wait until you're burned out or everything falls apart to get answers because your struggles are real. Your brain is not broken, and you deserve to be understood.

Thank you so so much. And the same question to Jenny. One sentence. What would you say to a woman who thinks she might have ADHD?

So if you've spent your life wondering why things that seem easy for everyone else require so much effort from you, it's worth asking question. Understanding your brain can change the way that you understand your entire story.

Thank you so much. Brilliant. So Clara, same question to you. In one sentence, what would you say to a woman in your country who thinks she might have ADHD?

I would say your struggles are real even though you're... Thank you. So... Yeah. It took me eight years to have my ADHD picked up from the time I saw my first counselor. And I often wonder if my life would have turned out differently if I had gotten diagnosed earlier. So instead of waiting for the what ifs, it's never too late to get a diagnosis. Yeah. Never too early, sorry.

100. Thank you so much. And Akiko, same question to you. In one sentence, what would you say to a woman in your country who thinks she might have ADHD?

From here in London, I want to shout out loudly to Japan: to all the women who have survived this far in a Japanese society where it's so difficult for women to live – thank you for making it this far.

Absolutely. Thank you so much. Oh, wow. You're absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for coming onto the Global ADHD Conference and speaking about ADHD and women in your in your country. You know? It's so interesting to see how we're all from different parts of the world, but yet we connect and have very similar experiences. Sometimes, you know, they might be exactly the same, but it's that having that understanding of the... Of each other and, you know, masking was brought up a lot, and that's something that I I... And I know lots of other women in in myself that have ADHD and and also in The UK have have spoken about.

Openly just over the past sort of year or two. So still understanding as a society as well how masking and and how ADHD in women presents. Hopefully, the more conversations that we have, you know, the more awareness that we're making, the more understanding and and visibility being seen, more more women will will be able to have them fill. So a question from the q and a. Did any of you find something in your own culture that actually protects girls with ADHD? It can't all be negative. Okay. Who would like to answer this? Did anyone like to answer this? If not, that's okay. Don't worry. I will read it again. Did any of you find something in your own culture that actually protects girls with ADHD?

I think... I I can say something. I don't know if it's it's not protects, but stifles them. Keeps them down, says that, oh, you're too much to be a lawyer or you can't sit still, so you could never be a doctor. I don't think it's about negative and positive. I think it's about understanding and having access to support needs. I think my ADHD is great sometimes, and sometimes it sucks. But I don't like when it's painted as all or nothing, either a superpower or the worst thing about me. Yeah.

Absolutely. Absolutely agree. And you know what? I'd like to ask that question for The UK about protect... Protecting. So I'd like to say other women other women in The UK that have got ADHD that understand. They have been the people that we've been able to support, like, speak to each other and support each other. That that is when I when I think of the world protection, that's the first thing where my mind goes to. And, obviously, the more awareness we're we're sharing amongst women in society, the further it's it's going to. Thank you so much for answering that as well. Got Another one from the q and a here. For those who are unable to access formal diagnosis, is self identification valid within your local neurodivergent communities?

If I may jump in for this question, because it's something I feel very strong about specifically with access being so limited within South Africa. Unfortunately, within the actual mental health communities, it's very much frowned upon. It is... They always say it's it's pop psychology if you take off of social media. However, for me, personally, what made me actually seek out the diagnosis was social media. And I do think there needs to be a distinguishment between a self diagnosis and then necessarily going this is fact versus potentially taking it as a guideline. Because if you look at, for example, the the coping mechanisms for ADHD, a neurotypical person can use it. It's not it's not a case of this is purely just for an ADHD person.

However, you do need answers if you do have the diagnosis, but you can't access. So it's such a difficult slope. Also, me actually being a registered counselor, so being in the actual mental health community, it's such a love hate relationship for me for where I am at within South Africa. But I do I do believe there is power in it, but it needs to to be verified if at all possible.

Absolutely. Thank thank you so much. And we've got another question just down here. What are the biggest myths or misconceptions within your country about women and ADHD? Anyone like to go? I can answer it. If not, that's... What are the biggest myths or misconceptions within your country about women with ADHD? I think this kind of relates a little bit to the question we had earlier around sort of misconceptions. So some of the misconceptions in in The UK is is around, I would say, being... The word lazy and flaky. Like, women with ADHD, we use our energy to go and do the things, you know, to actually go and do the things. And people don't always see the amount of energy it actually takes to do.

Things on a day to day basis in daily life. So that's where I think these misconceptions and these labels come from. It was mentioned earlier, wasn't it labels? That's actually something that I I would answer for that question. We've got another one here. Directly for Akiko, How is it different for mothers in Japan today compared with twenty five years ago?

Compared to twenty-five years ago, when my son was diagnosed twenty-five years ago, even doctors didn't know much – but now ADHD has become so well known that hardly a day goes by without hearing about it. In that respect, regarding the situation surrounding mothers in Japan, the major change is that mothers can now access knowledge much more easily. However, just because that knowledge is being provided and awareness is being raised doesn't mean it's being understood correctly. So just as twenty-five years ago, when a child has ADHD and there's some trouble or problematic behaviour, mothers are still blamed in the same way, told 'you need to do better as a mother' – that hasn't really changed. And particularly since today's theme is women.

When it comes to girls, there are many children who are having a very difficult time. So, for example, in Japan, where women are particularly expected to be attentive, considerate, and thoughtful – to read the air – girls are very conspicuous when they can't do that. That can become the target of discrimination, prejudice, and bullying, and sometimes there's even harsh treatment from teachers at school. There are many cases where mothers are deeply troubled alongside their daughters in such situations. So yes, there are of course things that have changed since twenty-five years ago.

Support organisations have increased considerably, so if you reach out for support, you can connect with it. But if you ask whether it's being understood correctly, I don't think that's the case – that's the reality in Japan at the moment.

Thank you so much. And that's exactly isn't it about being understood and and seen. And thank you so much for sharing this, Akiko. And I believe that is it for the q and a because we've not had any more come through unless we're about to get a surprise one come through me. Got it. Okay.

Thank you so much everyone for for joining today. It's been so great to hear from you all and about your experiences and about the experiences of women in your in your countries and continents as well because we all grow from different places around around the world. And like I said in the... You know, I think I've said it about three or four times now, but we are from different places, but we have a a shared experience of of what it's like to, you know, be women with ADHD even though we live in different parts of the world. Now life is completely different from each other. We have that shared connection and understanding. Thank you so much. It's been absolutely brilliant talking to you all today.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you. And.

Henry is around somewhere? I'm around. I'm to find you. I've I've lost myself. It's wonderful. That was absolutely extraordinary. Absolutely wonderful session. Thank you. I thought it was interesting and inspiring and and eye opening. It's... Yeah. It's wonderful to... And bringing such a group of people from across the world and the different perspectives was unique actually. I've never seen anything like it. Incredibly, thought it was absolutely wonderful. I thought that it helped really highlight the issues of commonality, the differences of the issues of culture and community and difference. Fantastic.

I have to say goodbye to everyone. So like, it's... We've got to move on. We've got Chris Benson waiting in the wings. We're doing a fantastic job of running to to to schedule. And I have to give you give you an applause. That's all I can do. And so thank you so so much. Thank you. So goodbye, Juan. Thank you so much. Akiko, thank you very much. We look forward to seeing you where we're doing a full hour on your full experience about next... Tomorrow. Bye, Rachel. Bye, Lauren. Thank you all so so much.