{"id":3041,"date":"2025-07-16T07:32:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T07:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/3041\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T07:32:04","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T07:32:04","slug":"woman-diagnosed-with-adhd-at-28-reveals-one-common-question-which-might-hint-you-also-have-the-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/3041\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman diagnosed with ADHD at 28 reveals one common question which might hint you also have the condition"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you find yourself frequently asking ‘are you mad at me?’, it may be a sign you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD<\/a>), according to a woman recently diagnosed with the condition.<\/p>\n

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects concentration, impulse control and activity levels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Olivia Brooke, 29, from the Appalachia mountains, in the US, asking if everything is OK or if people are annoyed with you might be a sign of rejection sensitivity disorder (RSD), which has been linked to the condition.<\/p>\n

In a video<\/a> posted on her TikTok<\/a>\u00a0page @oliviabroookee which has been viewed more than 1.7million times, the mother, who was diagnosed with ADHD last year, described it as like ‘feeling like everyone hates me’.<\/p>\n

RSD isn’t a recognised medical condition, nor is it an official symptom of ADHD.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, many people who have ADHD report having RSD, and it acknowledged as a comorbidity of ADHD by a number of local NHS<\/a> trusts.<\/p>\n

One trust describes it as an extreme emotional response to either real or perceived criticism or rejection.<\/p>\n

Other symptoms Ms Brooke experienced before being diagnosed included forgetfulness, difficulty sleeping, bad time management, and mood swings.<\/p>\n

\"In <\/p>\n

In a recent TikTok video she claimed the question can be a sign you have the condition ADHD<\/p>\n

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Olivia Brooke was diagnosed at 28-years-old after her symptoms were brushed off as anxiety<\/p>\n

In a comment on the post, the Ms Brooke said: ‘I was told it was just anxiety!\u00a0I’ve also been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and panic disorder when I was 16.’<\/p>\n

But when the symptoms made juggling the endless tasks of motherhood harder, she spoke to a doctor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just two months ago she started the stimulant ADHD medication Vyvanse, and has already seen improvements.<\/p>\n

In another video<\/a>, she showed her kitchen looking messy and filled with items left from ‘half done tasks’, before it suddenly became neat and tidy after she started taking the medication.<\/p>\n

Now through her TikTok videos, Ms Brooke has urged those who experience the symptoms to talk to their doctor.<\/p>\n

In a comment she said: ‘Medicine can help and so can talking to someone to help get an understanding how your brain works and things you can do to help.’<\/p>\n

After posting the original video, she received over a thousand comments from social media users who related to the symptoms.<\/p>\n

One user said: ‘I have ADHD, and all of this is painfully relatable. I’m naturally a pretty chill, happy-go-lucky person, but man my brain is mean to me some days.’<\/p>\n

Another commented: ‘My rejection sensitive dysphoria is bad. I constantly feel like everyone hates me and doesn’t want to be my friend.’<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

It comes amid a sharp rise in the number of adults seeking ADHD diagnostic assessments later in life.<\/p>\n

In recent years diagnoses have soared, with more than 2.6 million people in the UK now estimated to have the condition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some have suggested this is because too many incorrectly people think they have the condition, while others put it down to better awareness of how it affects women.<\/p>\n

A review<\/a> of research published from 1979 to 2021 about females with ADHD showed girls and women tend to show inattention and internalised problems,<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in contrast, men show greater hyperactivity, impulsivity, and externalised problems.<\/p>\n

The study also found clinicians may overlook symptoms and impairments in females because they appear less overt, despite still impairing them.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Concerningly, it also revealed that up until recently, almost all research on ADHD has focused on boys and men.<\/p>\n

However, a recent report by MailOnline <\/a>revealed thousands of women diagnosed with ADHD may in fact have an iron deficiency.<\/p>\n

Josie Health-Smith, 44, had suffered from brain fog, fatigue and an inability to concentrate for as long as she could remember.<\/p>\n

So, when she watched TikTok videos in which women shared their ‘day in a life’ with ADHD, she sought a diagnosis\u2014and got one.<\/p>\n

But after trying medication which caused her side effects, her extreme tiredness and forgetfulness continued.<\/p>\n

In July 2023, she returned to her GP who, this time, ordered blood tests which revealed she was dangerously low in iron.<\/p>\n

The essential mineral, iron plays a vital role in energy levels, cognitive function, digestion and immunity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is common for people to suffer from iron deficiency, which is estimated to affect 36 per cent of UK women of childbearing age, with only a quarter diagnosed.<\/p>\n

Remarkably, after being prescribed a course of iron injections, not only did her energy return, but her ADHD symptoms all but disappeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n