Tell us a bit about yourself and your coaching practice:

I discovered my ADHD in 2018, or at least was diagnosed in rehab as having undiagnosed ADHD. This revelation started filling in all the blanks – you see, I am hyper self-aware, but something was missing, an element that explained what seemed to make the way I approach things or see things very differently to the “others”. It was during my exploration of my ADHD that I came to understand the challenges I’d faced in making simple life decisions, how the unknown had played havoc with my emotional development and that now knowing meant that I could rewrite my life script to work for me.

The challenge for me was in the lack of local support from people who understand the nuances of a condition that was not widely understood. The medical fraternity to a large extent uses the DSM approach, focusing on the disorder of function with little attention to the emotional distress that both is created by and exacerbated by having ADHD. There is little resource to guide one through the more practical day-to-day challenges of making decisions that are right for you and having an accountability partner who will walk with you during your own explorations of your own idiosyncrasies.

Having been late diagnosed (45 years), I understand the challenges of how life can go very wrong when you didn’t know what you don’t know, but that only adds to the passion I bring to wanting to partner with you in finding your place in this world and making it work for you. I believe that once you understand your challenges and embrace them that everything you set your heart on is Possible.

I have studied under Laurie Dupar at the iACTcenter and qualified as a Certified ADHD Life Coach (CALC, 2020). My primary focus is people just like myself who got lost somewhere along the way and need a helping hand to find their focus in life, and on young adults having to make serious “adulting” choices when they don’t seem to fit into the neurotypical world. 

Why do you love being an ADHD Life Coach?

I have always been passionate about helping others help themselves, but had gotten caught up in the corporate trap believing that security comes through certainty and discontent. However, 2 months after I had left rehab and had begun to adjust to my new diagnosis, I just knew that the time had come for me to realize that passion. While seeking my own answers, I was challenged by the lack of support and awareness offered locally for Adults with ADHD and set on a path to stand in that gap for those with ADHD.

What is one of your favorite things about training at the iACTcenter?

I could be glib and speak to my love of learning, and enjoying all the classes jampacked with information and Laurie’s personal experience. However, I do know that the Ghouls and Guardians class stands out because it’s a concept that resonates with my presentation of negative self-talk and sabotage – the very inner voices that originally drove me to drink.  To understand that I was not alone in this and that I did not need to live life in fear of the ghouls. I was to rather empower my guardians to rise to the occasion and leverage my strengths without trepidation.

How can people find out more about you?

Visit my website at https://adhdreimagined.co.za to download my free ebook on ADHD and Addiction or send me a message via my contact page at https://adhdreimagined.co.za/contact-us/.

How the Bottom of the Bottle Made Sense to My Life

I could begin 1998, when I first moved out of the nest into my own home, alone for the first time – at least alone in the sense being surrounded by no-one at all.  I wasn’t completely unfamiliar with alcohol and the loneliness of emptiness meant that a binge went unnoticed.  You see, I could drink socially but never liked to be out of control so it was always limited to ensuring I’d never make a fool of myself (there were one or 2 exceptions but its difficult to make much of a fool of yourself going from conscious to blackout in a relative instant).  But on my own, when I really felt like my sense of self was drifting into uncharted territory, a side step into a binge was not uncommon.

Continue here with Shane’s origin story and descent into the abyss and lessons learned.