“I never thought my perfectly behaved A-plus daughter could ever have ADHD. For me, it was a behavioral disorder,” Perrott recalls. “I was surprised to learn that she had it, and even more so that I discovered that I was the one who gave it to her.” According to the Center for ADHD Awareness Canada, the disorder affects anywhere from five to nine percent of children and 3 to 5 percent of adults and is considered highly inherited. Now Perrott, who works with ADHD Edmonton, a nonprofit that provides resources and support to a growing Alberta community with the disorder, wants to help others.
A change in thinking
ADHD Edmonton started in 2009 after founder Rachel Rogers was diagnosed in her 50s and could not find a local community support network.
“I worked as a teacher, school counselor for many years,” Rogers said. “I thought I knew enough. After the diagnosis I realized that I knew very little.”
The local organization offers support teams, professional consultants and resources.
“There is an incredible need,” says Rogers.
Radio Active6: 45ADHD spends time on social media
What we need to know and how we should talk about ADHD. 6:45
Justin Lessard, a consultant specializing in ADHD and co-founder of 9 Circle Therapy in Edmonton, told CBC’s Radio Active that discussions about the disorder are changing.
“It’s a pretty complicated disorder and it comes to light more with people on TikTok and Instagram sharing their experience. There’s a bit of an adult resurgence with ADHD and a lot more. [people] having ADHD than we initially suspected “.
“We are not a monolith”
“There is a narrative in our western culture about what ADHD is and what it looks like,” Lessard said. The usual image is often of a young boy with excessive energy that he cannot concentrate. But for young girls, ADHD can mean zoning, which is more difficult to grasp in the classroom. This is an answer to why women are often diagnosed later in life. “We present ourselves differently. We internalize more. We have more depression, more anxiety,” Perrott said. “We are not a monolith.” There are three types of ADHD: careless / disruptive, impulsive / hyperactive and a combination of both. Lessard began his own research into the disorder during his graduate studies when his wife’s ADHD was first recognized. “We both learned about her diagnosis together, and then clinically it seemed to me that this is much bigger and more common than many people do,” he said. Lessard believes that some people may be treated for other mental health challenges, while the root cause is neurodegeneration. “People are like well, it’s just stress. It’s a depressive disorder,” he said. Sometimes “anxiety and depression are the smoke and ADHD is the fire”.
Creating a community for change
To get her diagnosis, Perrott paid about $ 3,000 for a test. She spends about $ 150 every month on medication, in addition to what her insurance covers. “I firmly believe that we should not pay for the diagnosis ourselves,” he said. “We have a neurological disorder that needs treatment and we need better access to it.” ADHD Edmonton recently added an adult women support group to its list. In its first two meetings, it was the meeting with the most participations of the organization. Perrott, who was in charge of the group, said it was a great moment for many in attendance. “You spend your life trying to pretend you are normal. “And suddenly you are in a room with 20 other people who are just like you, weird in the same way you are weird, struggling with things you’re struggling with,” he said. “You feel like you belong and it’s so relief.”
