“You can’t have ADHD” (Farah Jamil’s story)

Farah Jamil had to stand up for herself when two health care providers told her she couldn’t have ADHD. The reasons cited? One thought she was too smart, charming, and cared for to have ADHD. The other seemed to question whether ADHD was even real. Fortunately, Farah has strong self-advocacy skills that allowed her to debunk these myths in real time. 

Farah is an executive coach, ADHD life coach, and the founder of the community groups Muslim ADHDers and Interfaith ADHDers. Listen as host Laura Key and Farah bust common ADHD myths. They also talk about how ADHD can make keeping friends hard.

Related resources

• From Sorry, I Missed This: The impact of ADHD on workplace relationships
• 8 common myths about ADHD
• Muslim ADHDers
• Interfaith ADHDers

Timestamps

(01:14) Farah’s first attempt to get an ADHD diagnosis

(05:11) Unpacking the 4 myths her doctor told her about ADHD

(09:22) Farah’s second attempt to get an ADHD diagnosis

(10:55) What was Farah struggling with?

(13:41) Why is Farah surprised she “still has friends”?

(18:53) The ADHD communities Farah has founded

(27:24) Farah’s advice

(29:53) Where you can find Farah

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the ADHD Aha! podcast page at Understood.

Want to share your “aha” moment? We love hearing from our listeners. Email us at [email protected].

As kids head back to school, it's a good time to remember: not every student experiences the classroom the same way. Through My Eyes, a free interactive experience from Understood, lets you step into a day in the life of a kid with ADHD, dyslexia, or dyscalculia. See their strengths and challenges in a whole new way. Try it out here.

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