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Telegraph
27-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
I took an ADHD test at 47. Here's what I found out
The day begins in the usual fashion. As I frantically search the house for my car keys, I find them hiding under my handbag. On my drive to meet my friend I get distracted by the radio and overshoot the turn, arriving flustered, late – and without her birthday present. Last month my car insurance payments doubled since going (just) over the speed limit. It might not sound like much, but I make these sorts of mistakes on a regular basis, and they have become alarmingly common in the last few years. After having two out of three of my children diagnosed as neurodivergent, one with autism in 2019 and one with ADHD in 2023, I began to wonder, might I also be neurodivergent? Or is it just the inevitable forgetfulness that comes with middle age? I was also, however, aware, since starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in 2022, that I was in the grip of the perimenopause, so I put most of my symptoms – poor concentration and memory, insomnia and anxiety (to give the edited highlights) – down to that. It seems that I am not alone, and that at this stage of life (I'm 47) many women struggle to carry on 'masking' their ADHD and this is when the wheels start to come off. Dr James Kustow, a psychiatrist and adult ADHD specialist at The Grove, a private psychotherapy practice in Harley St, says that the menopause can often be a time when ADHD hits its peak. 'We know that when oestrogen levels come down, dopamine levels also drop and that this can exacerbate and, in some cases, 'unmask' ADHD symptoms,' he notes. Dr Kustow thinks, however, that it's about much more than just brain fog. 'We need to widen the lens further and start to see ADHD as a whole-body problem, and not just our brain and behaviour,' he says. 'ADHD impacts everything from the functioning of the body's main stress system, to our internal body-clock and ability to sleep.' Could that, I wonder, explain why my insomnia has ramped up considerably? All of this has led me to finally seek some clarity on my situation, so I take the plunge and decide to seek a proper diagnosis. I book in to see Dr Michaela Thomas, a clinical psychologist who specialises in working with women with ADHD. This is what happened next. What to expect when going for an ADHD diagnosis The process, Dr Thomas tells me, will involve completing pre-assessment forms and questionnaires, including one which looks at my medical history and another which looks at how often I feel anxious; a three-hour structured interview, and a call with my family to help provide a more detailed diagnostic overview. Afterwards, Thomas tells me, I will receive a detailed report explaining her findings and including some recommendations and a personalised support plan, which may include therapy or medication referrals. NHS waiting times for ADHD assessments can vary and may take over a year. Dr Thomas offers private assessments from £2,000. What happens in my assessment We start with a 'clarity call' where Dr Thomas and I chat through my current concerns and what has led me to get in touch with her. I tell her that, like many women, I've found trying to juggle the demands of three children, my job, ageing parents and general day-to-day life, increasingly difficult in the last few years. Dr Thomas says she sees many women like me who have kept it all together for a time but started to crumble when perimenopause kicks in. 'This is when the perfectionism, or rather the self-criticism, starts to come in, and then the burnout,' Dr Thomas explains. She tells me perfectionism can manifest itself in many different ways, especially for women in their 40s who have been raised as people pleasers at a time when ADHD wasn't really recognised in girls. 'The pressures put on neurodivergent girls are often intensified because the expectations placed on us to fit in are heightened,' she explains. 'This can make us less forgiving later on when we make mistakes, because there is more onus on the mother to be the default parent and remember everything.' I talk through my symptoms with Dr Thomas – forgetfulness, poor concentration, disorganisation, struggling with basic tasks and impulsivity – and my family history (my late mother was quite chaotic and my late brother had schizophrenia, which used to be known as childhood autism). We decide there is enough to go on for an assessment. I am sent several forms including one which looks in detail at my childhood experiences and whether I've experienced any traumatic events, such as abuse (I haven't, thankfully) or a family bereavement, and a checklist which looks at day-to-day things, including how often I make careless mistakes (all the time). These questions cover everything from my relationship with my parents; whether I had any difficulties at school; my work history; relationships and alcohol use. It takes several hours to fill in. Dr Thomas then has a call with my father and sister to discuss my childhood and build a full picture of my life to date. The in-person screening I opt for the in-person retreat assessment at Dr Thomas's house where we have a structured interview documenting my life up until that point. The screening looks at everything, from how often I avoid or delay tasks which involve lots of mental effort to how often I feel overly active and compelled to do things, as if driven by a motor. We look in more detail at some things referenced in my pre-assessment questionnaires including how I was often described as a 'handful' as a child, with a need for constant stimulation and activity. My dad and sister described me as a 'fuzzy whirlwind' and Dr Thomas wants to know how that made me feel. I tell her it contributed to my sense of 'otherness' and sometimes made me feel ashamed as though there was something wrong with me. She also asks more about my current day to day life, including how I organise myself. I tell her about the piles of paperwork dotted around my house and how I often struggle to think ahead to organise meal plans for the week. She is alarmingly perceptive and picks up on me going off on tangents, constant fidgeting and intermittent daydreaming. It's quite emotional to feel so 'seen' and in such a non-judgemental way. Dr Thomas has ADHD herself and clearly recognises the same sort of traits in me. We go through the diagnostic forms which look at my formative years at school and how I operate now, including avoiding queues, losing things and struggling to organise myself. This takes several more hours. As the six-hour day comes to an end, Dr Thomas tells me that a detailed report will follow, but that I fit the profile of someone with combined hyperactivity and inattentive ADHD (a type of ADHD characterised primarily by difficulties with focus, attention, and organisation, rather than hyperactivity or impulsivity). What the report tells me A detailed report follows which documents my education (how I was bright but disorganised and frequently 'told off' at school); work (which is ruled by deadlines); and my ability to maintain long-term friendships. It includes a better understanding of the ADHD condition and how it impacts me. The key findings in terms of a diagnosis show that I fall under the 'inattentive domain', which references an endless list which includes my difficulty sustaining attention, avoiding tasks that require sustained mental effort and how often I lose things. Combined ADHD is the most common and accounts for between 50 to 75 per cent of all cases, according to the ADHD Foundation. Using the DSM-5 criterion, an assessment tool which uses diagnostic criteria to assess mental health conditions, individuals over the age of 16 must have five or more symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity for a diagnosis of ADHD. I have an average of nine which puts me in the moderate category. I also fall under the hyperactivity/impulsivity domain in terms of restlessness both internally and externally, always being on the go and blurting out answers without thinking. The report then looks at the impact these ADHD traits have had across my life 'domains' including my erratic work schedule and pattern of over committing then becoming overwhelmed to struggling with simple life admin such as paying bills on time and replying to emails. My initial thought is one of relief that there is an explanation. I also feel, having thought back to the times in my childhood when I was punished for forgetting things or not listening, quite emotional. Dr Thomas tells me that a diagnosis is just the first step of the process. 'I always say to clients that they need to think about their next steps and the following six to 12 months and that there will probably be an element of grief too, for the child who wasn't given the right support.' What the report advises The report goes on to recommend a number of different support measures including access to visual learning resources (for example: mind maps, colour-coded notes and video-based content) to support my information retention. I sign up to one called Mindgenius which pledges to 'visually organise my thought process' and help clarify my thoughts with images, colour-codes and shapes. As people with ADHD typically rely more on visual learning to help process and understand information, I try to use it to help brainstorm some feature ideas on Monday morning. I start by writing a pitch idea but I get distracted by the mewing cat and then a work call. It also recommends using time management and organisation tools and ADHD-friendly task management apps, such as Todoist, Notion or Structured to assist with planning and reminders. In true ADHD fashion, I make a note of which ones to use and then procrastinate and, without the dopamine hit of instant gratification, delay. I finally download the Todoist app which promises to help organise my life in 30 seconds. It gives me a number of helpful categories, work, personal and so on. I write a list of work deadlines and shopping (to save me writing one from scratch each week). It gives me the option to build my routine, from setting reminders to going for a walk every day and texting a friend. I can see how it could be useful, but I doubt it's something I'm going to use every day. What are the next steps after diagnosis? Dr Thomas recommends having regular follow-ups (such as coaching or check-ins) to track progress, adjust strategies and reinforce consistency. She suggests finding a community and some peer support and connecting with neuro-divergent spaces, such as Spark – The ADHD Club for late-diagnosed ADHD women or local support groups to reduce isolation and access shared experiences. Dr Thomas also recommends resources including podcasts, books, and websites. These include the ADHD Foundation, a UK-based charity providing training, research, and resources for individuals with ADHD, families, and professionals. So how do I feel at the end of it all? In the weeks after the diagnosis, I have mixed emotions. On the one hand, it's a relief to finally understand why my inner and outer worlds don't always align. For me, people always seem to be 'together' and organised, whereas under the surface I am constantly worried I'm going to drop the ball and make people angry by making mistakes. It also explains why I find simple things, keeping on top of my invoices for example, so difficult whereas other people seem to glide through such things with ease. It helps explain that sense of 'otherness' I had at school and all the negative messages I received about being inconsistent, either too much or too little. I don't feel the need to make it part of my identity, and even feel quite reluctant to share it with friends in case they think I'm just jumping on the ADHD bandwagon. Ultimately, though, it has given me a greater sense of self-compassion and understanding. It's helped me overcome some of the shame about the parts of me most people don't see. And you can't put a price on knowing who you are, can you?
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
This £30 dermatologist-created gel is being called 'magic' for spots - users say it clears blemishes overnight: 'Literally stops the spot from forming'
A £30 spot treatment designed by a Harley Street dermatologist is being credited with reducing spot size and stubborn post-spot marks in as little as 24 hours. Dr Sam's Flawless Neutralising Gel has quickly become one of the most recommended products for when a spot arises, reducing the size of the spot and the redness. And better still? It also works at fading hyperpigmentation from old blemishes, too. Dr Sam's Flawless Neutralising Gel, 30ml Designed for blemish-prone skin, this spot gel has been formulated with skin-loving ingredients such as salicylic acid, azelaic acid and bakuchiol. Designed to be used on bare skin or underneath makeup, the gel formula targets blemishes in a matter of hours, reducing redness, dead skin cells, and boosting hydration. £30 Shop Created by Harley Street dermatologist, Dr Sam Bunting, the Flawless Neutralising Gel was designed to soothe nasty breakouts, calming redness and tackling pigmentation. And it's racking up the five-star reviews. A brand bestseller, the azelaic acid and salicylic acid formulated gel has been recommended over and over in the comments, with users swearing how it 'literally stops the spot from forming'. 'I get occasional hormonal acne and this gel has nipped spots in the bud overnight', raved one - and at £30, it's kind to your wallet too. The £30 Flawless Neutralising Gel is comprised of 5 per cent azelaic acid, a key ingredient that visibly tackles pigmentation and redness as well as clearing clogged pores. The skin-friendly acid has been widely researched, touted for helping target visible skin imperfections like post-blemish marks and dull skin tone. And for a user-friendly form, the Flawless Neutralising Gel is a great way to harness the benefits. Better still, it also includes two per cent Salicylic Acid that gently exfoliates and unclogs pores to prevent breakouts and 0.5 per cent Bakuchiol, a retinol alternative that supports cell turnover without irritation. Dr Sam Bunting has also expressed that while it can be used as a spot treatment on an angry blemish, it can also be used as an all-over serum to help prevent them. Additionally, it can be applied to areas prone to breakouts, such as the chin or cheeks, helping keep spots at bay. ' Dr. Sam's Neutralizing Gel is pure magic!' wrote one impressed user. 'It clears my pimples in just a day even those deep, under-the-skin ones that usually take forever to surface. This stuff stops them before they even get the chance.' Blemish-prone shoppers and those who are prone to breakouts before their period or at times of stress, have found the Flawless Neutralising Gel on your break-out zones helpful. Dr Sam Bunting Skincare tips The Flawless Neutralising Gel works for both occasional breakouts and hormonal acne. It also helps with post-blemish marks. Ingredients like azelaic acid and bakuchiol work to fade pigmentation, even out skin tone, and calm redness, making it effective for treating spots as well as the marks they leave behind. It's important to apply a broad-spectrum SPF after using the Neutralising Gel during the day Avoid picking or squeezing blemishes to prevent scarring and inflammation. Dr Sam Bunting told MailOnline: 'The Flawless Neutralising Gel works for both occasional breakouts and hormonal acne. For hormonal acne, it's most effective when used consistently on problem areas like the chin or jawline to reduce inflammation and prevent future breakouts.' 'This neutraliser is heaven sent,' penned one shopper. 'It is by far the best thing I have ever used to keep my problematic skin at bay. Definitely will always be in my bathroom.' Another agreed adding: 'Just WOW! Magic .. completely got rid of every red blemish or spot.. 58 years old.. menopausal type rosacea or red pimples on my nose and cheeks.. ALL GONE after 2 to 3 uses.'
Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
Left turn could bear fruit for Greens' next leader
Sometimes in this gig a devotion to truth means you have to write something that makes you feel a bit dirty. Which is why, much as I may wish otherwise, I feel it is my solemn duty to start this column by pointing out that Zack Polanski, a likeable chap who wants to be the next leader of the Green Party, was formerly a Harley Street hypnotherapist who specialised in telling women they could increase the size of their breasts just by thinking about it. We don't really know how well this worked. The only case study I can find is when The Sun sent Kasie (32B) to have a go, apparently quite productively. 'Panic sets in,' she wrote, six days later. 'What if my
Daily Mail
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Yazmin Oukhellou flashes her cleavage in a blue minidress as she joins TOWIE co-star Dan Edgar and Mia Sulley at the opening of new hair clinic
The stars of British reality TV and celebs attended the opening of a new London hair transplant clinic on Sunday. The Only Way Is Essex star Yazmin Oukhellou, 31, stunned in a blue minidress that she paired with thigh high boots and a denim jacket and bag. She was joined by co-star Dan Edgar, 35, who wore an all-white outfit consisting of a white jacket, shirt, and trousers that showed off his glowing tan. Make-up artist Mia Sulley, 27, also opted for a white outfit that showed off her enviable assets and legs, bringing together the look with tan heels and a bag. Meanwhile, actor Tamer Hassan, 57, showed off his impressive hairline in a dark blue jumper and trousers that he paired with a clutch bag. They looked delighted as they posed outside the new City Clinics Group Limited establishment on Harley Street - decorated with gold and white balloons for its grand opening. Tamer Hassan, 57, showed off his impressive hairline in a dark blue jumper and trousers that he paired with a clutch bag While it is not known whether Dan himself will be enjoying any of the treatments offered by the clinic, Tamer has already been undergoing a process known as enhanced PRP to stimulate the growth of his own hair. The unique approach to tackling hair loss involves extracting plasma from a person's blood and injecting into their scalp to accelerate healing and growth. The new Harley Street branch of City Clinics Group Limited advertises itself as offering similarly undetectable treatments for those experiencing hair loss. It stresses that its solutions are tailormade to the individual and aim to treat the root cause of the problem, regardless of sex. City Clinics Group Limited already claims to have a roster of celebrity clients, although their names are not readily available. Dan's appearance at the event comes amid a difficult time in his personal life following his recent split from Ella Rae Wise before she entered the Celebrity Big Brother House. The TOWIE star is reported to have ben left shocked by comments from his ex-partner about their sex life. Ella said of the split: 'We can't just be together because we have a great sex life, it's got to be deeper than that.' This prompted Dan to hit back at Ella's comments as she appeared to flirt with her fellow Big Brother star and Love Island alumni Chris Hughes. The couple were together for 18 months before their relationship came to an end in April. Dan told The Sun: 'The past week has seen a strange turn of events and things have been said that I didn't really want to comment on. 'But, to put it straight, Ella and I agreed to go our separate ways amicably last week, and were speaking right up until she left to go into the house. 'I think we both have our reasons for why it wasn't working out, but there are certain things in life I would rather keep private.'
The Guardian
23-02-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
I am a tweakment holdout. When will wrinkles, bad teeth and big pores be back in fashion?
Totally neutral question, no right or wrong answer: how do you feel about salmon sperm? It's not a Nordic culinary microtrend or a sex thing, but a beauty treatment, in which 'Polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRN) derived from purified fragments of DNA extracted from yes, 'salmon sperm'' are injected into your face. It does seem to work: proper research has found PDRN has wound-repairing properties in hard-to-treat contexts such as diabetic ulcers and deep burns. Good news (unless you're a male salmon). But what is it doing in healthy faces? I learned about salmon sperm in a Sunday Times article on the 'skincare secrets' of '26 tastemakers', which I read, increasingly aghast. It was a litany of lasers, microneedling, injectables and proprietary treatments with silly names that left me shouting crossly at my laptop: 'But what does it do?' The only treatment I related to at all was Marina Abramović recounting how a friend of her mother's put hot mashed potato on her face to temporarily erase wrinkles; Abramović herself uses 'thermage radiofrequency'. No wonder a salmon sperm practitioner says it's 'an exciting time in the aesthetic industry.' Some contributors were celebs, regularly running the unforgiving gauntlet of high-definition television, and the rest were at least very interested, if not professionally involved, in beauty, so they probably aren't typical. And there's a certain honesty to it, at least. No one is making out their dewy glow is 'just good genes' and 'loads of water'. But I also think this newfound willingness to talk about 'tweakments' (a jaunty portmanteau that makes me queasy) is a product of them being absolutely everywhere. Because they are everywhere, for everyone. According to researchers at University College London, the UK injectables market will be worth £11.7bn by next year, with Botox and fillers available anywhere from Harley Street to high-street hairdressers. Writing in Grazia last week, the Guardian beauty columnist Sali Hughes described how 'women in teaching, policing and the civil service' ask her advice on where to get 'good injections'. In the US, Botox use by 20- to 29-year-olds has increased 28% since 2010, with gen Z buying into 'prejuvenation' (another awful portmanteau), fuelled by the poreless perfection offered by filters, staring at themselves on pandemic screens and social media skinfluencers (argh). I shouldn't be surprised – actual children are buying expensive anti-ageing potions and fretting about their nonexistent crow's feet now. But still, this dramatic normalisation of invasive beauty procedures is unnerving. For one thing, tweakments are so expensive! It's none of my business how people spend their money – my disposable income is dedicated to becoming the Joe Exotic of decorative poultry – but will we end up with an attractiveness inequality gap? Or will the democratisation of HD face mean almost everyone will be smoothly immobile soon? I suspect there will always be better and worse tweakments: that UCL research also points out how alarmingly unregulated the industry is. It's also uncomfortable feeling so out of step. My only foray into tweakment territory is getting my brows, lost to alopecia, tattooed back on (which demonstrates how central frowning is to my character, so Botox is out). It's not that I'm smugly delighted with my 50-year-old face: the baleful crone in my new passport photo appears, inexplicably, to have a single black eye (actually just a dark circle), adding to the 'pensioner arrested after brawl outside bookies' vibe. It would be nice to feel better about my neck, but not nice enough to actually do anything painful and expensive about it. I suppose we tweakment holdouts will have to wait, and hope, for the tide to turn. As Ozempic and shiny veneers may make thinness and Hollywood teeth look boring and basic, perhaps perfect faces will fall from fashion? I mention the veneers, because when I was watching the Bridget Jones movie, I become fascinated by Chiwetel Ejiofor's teeth. They're absolutely lovely, yes, but sort of … normal? One lower one peeps out from slightly behind the others. It only added to his charm. Hugh Grant's 64-year-old face looked charismatically crumpled too. Maybe when everyone has been homogenised to a glazed sheen of perfection, sagging, bumps, gaping pores and rough patches will be the height of desirability. At that point, I'll be ready for my closeup. Emma Beddington is a Guardian columnist
