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Meet Karen: Finding Answers, Strength, and Self‑Compassion at 62 💜

As we continue to celebrate Neurodiversity Celebration Week, we’re honoured to share the story of Karen, a woman whose courage, honesty and humour light up her journey into understanding her ADHD - discovered at the age of 62.


Karen’s experience reminds us that there is no “right time” to understand your neurodivergence. For some, the realisation comes early in life; for others, it arrives later, after years of pushing through exhaustion, misunderstanding or a sense that something just didn’t quite add up.


For Karen, her diagnosis wasn’t just an answer - it was a moment of clarity that helped her make sense of decades of trying, coping, caring and carrying more than most people ever saw.


“It was like my life just started making sense.”

For most of her life, Karen was told she had chronic fatigue. She kept going, pushing herself through work, parenting and challenges without ever considering that ADHD could be part of her story.


Everything changed the day one of her children said:

“Mum, you do realise you have ADHD?”

At first, she didn’t believe it. Like many people, Karen associated ADHD with “hyper boys” - not with someone like her. But when she started looking into executive functioning and ADHD traits, everything clicked:

“It was a light bulb moment… my life just started making sense.”

That moment began a journey of reflection, understanding and self‑kindness after a lifetime of holding impossibly high expectations for herself.


A Late Diagnosis - and a New Beginning 💛


After struggling to access a local assessment, Karen sought private support - and alongside that, found her way to NEST.

“NEST have been the anchor”

With gentleness and encouragement, Karen began exploring strategies, community support and information that helped her understand her brain with compassion rather than criticism.


Her story highlights something we see often at NEST: understanding yourself later in life can still bring empowerment, healing and hope.


Embracing Neurodivergence - Fully and Proudly 🌈


When asked what being neurodivergent means to her now, Karen doesn’t hesitate:

“I embrace it. I think it’s amazing.”

She recognises both her strengths and her challenges - and how her brain allows her to make a real difference in her work as a healthcare chaplain.

“I can walk into any crisis and I know straight away what people need. I don’t panic - I just get on with it.”

Her intuition, empathy and ability to connect with people have always been there. Now, she finally understands why.


Strengths, Struggles and Self‑Acceptance 💡


Karen shares openly about the things she finds harder - remembering names, organising tasks, or filling out forms - but she balances this with deep pride in what she brings to the world.

“I like what it does give me and the difference I can make to other people.”

She also speaks powerfully about the importance of being accepted exactly as you are:

“I think it’s when people listen and allow me to be me.”

And she talks about the relief of finding community within her own family - three neurodivergent children who accept one another fully.


A Message for Neurodiversity Celebration Week 💜

At the end of her conversation, Karen offers a message that many will relate to:

“I’ve been so hard on myself all my life… I now recognise I can be kinder to myself.”

Her encouragement to others is simple and beautiful:

“Just be kind to yourself. Put yourself first. Each and every one of us is unique.”

She hopes her story reminds people that neurodivergent minds are not only needed — they are essential:

“The world needs us. We all have different skills.”

Watch Karen’s Full Story 🎥


📢 A Note on Personal Stories

This story is shared in Karen’s own words and reflects her personal experience.

It has not been written or influenced by NEST or NHS Ayrshire & Arran.

We are simply supporting her to share her voice as part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.


Video Transcript ✨

To read the full video transcript you can either download it below or read it below.



Meet Karen – Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026 – Full Video Transcript

 

Karen: Hi everyone, my name is Karen and I am recently diagnosed with ADHD at the lovely age of 62.


Celine (Interviewer): Do you want to tell us a bit about that journey?


Karen: So when I spoke about this to my boss, we sat down and talked about it when I was coming back to work. He actually said, “I feel really sad for the person I was before, the life I had.” And I said, “I feel sad too.” I said, “But I feel sad for the life my children didn't have.”


So basically, I was diagnosed all my life with chronic fatigue and I didn't stop, I kept going and trying to get support all the time. And I had premenstrual disorder, which was horrendous, bringing up my kids. And again, I think that's connected to ADHD.


So I had a burnout at work last year and I have three lovely neurodivergent children. And I went to one of them and I said, “I'm going to go back to the doctors and see if I can get a non‑stimulant for chronic fatigue because I heard that that can help, because I didn’t get a stimulant for chronic fatigue at one point.”


And they turned around and said to me, “Mum, you do realise you have ADHD? ”And I was like, “What? No, I don't have ADHD!”I said, “That’s just… boys are like hyper and all the rest.” And basically they told me to get out of the kitchen. So I sat down and started looking up things like executive functioning and all this, which I had no clue what it was. And in that moment…It was a lightbulb moment. Celine, like you said, it was like my life just started making sense. So that’s how it came about.


And then I went into complete hyperfocus. Went to the doctor, asked if I could get diagnosed. They said no, they're not doing it in Ayrshire and Arran. So I was lucky enough my doctor gave me some information about maybe a private clinic and possibly because they could then take on shared care.


Celine (Interviewer): What made you want to take part in doing these videos?


Karen: I think the reason why I said yes was because…I've just recognised that I just can't say no. So I just said yes, and I’m sitting here like really nervous, whatever. But I think a lot of women are now getting diagnosed later on in life, and I suppose I just wanted to come along - and if it helps anyone at all - just to say that it doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s really life‑changing when you have a diagnosis. People talk about it not being good being labelled, but actually…My life in the past now makes sense, and it gives me power and some kind of control now with moving forward.


Celine (Interviewer):Amazing. So what does neurodivergence mean - being neurodivergent - mean to you? How does that look in your everyday life?


Karen: I embrace it. I think it’s amazing. We need every single different person that we have in the world. And I think it’s now coming to light about neurodiversity. I think each are all just so unique. And I recognise why I’m so good at my work that I do. And I also recognise why I struggle with things in my work as well. I mean, I would rather not have all the struggles, yeah - but I like what it does give me and the difference I can make to other people.


Celine (Interviewer): Can you tell us a wee bit about the strengths or qualities that being neurodivergent gives you? What things are really good about your neurodivergence?


Karen: I thought it’s because I came from Glasgow that I could talk to anyone, but I think it’s just the fact I just love talking to people - I love connecting with people. I have amazing intuition and empathy.


At work - I’m a healthcare chaplain - I can walk into any crisis and I know straight away what… I sense things. And I don’t panic or anything; I just get on with it. I’m absolutely… I am good in a crisis and knowing what people need. However, a struggle is I can’t do things like my annual leave sheet, or follow directions, or remember names. But I’m lucky to have found work where it suits my ADHD.


Celine (Interviewer): So what kind of support has been helpful for you since discovering that you have ADHD?


Karen: You’re now smiling, Celine, because you know what it is. To be honest - I’m not saying this because we’re filming right now with NEST -It was NEST.I went to see the mental health nurse at the practice when I realised I thought I had ADHD, and she said we couldn’t get diagnosed in Ayrshire and Arran. So what she did was she said, “There’s a good organisation, NEST.”


And I thought… because I’ve never asked for help or explored anything for anything in my life…But I thought, “No, I need some help here.” And I phoned them, and they were the anchor on the journey. It’s been about 10 months now - so yeah, they’ve been the anchor.


Celine (Interviewer):So what makes you feel included and valued in your life - whether that’s family life, work life… what sort of things make you feel valued and included?


Karen: I think it’s when people listen and allow me to be me. And I think that has been all my life. My three kids are the most amazing, neurodiverse… they’ve got so many different things. And we just accept one another as we are. And I think it’s now going to be easier at work as well because I’m quite open. I tell people all the time, “Oh, by the way, I’ve got ADHD - which is why I can’t shut up talking,” and stuff.


Celine (Interviewer): So what message would you like to share with other people for Neurodiversity Celebration Week?


Karen: I love how we’re now coming to the end and this is where I’m now relaxing.

So I think the message I would like to leave people with is…


I think one thing with ADHD - and I’ve noticed all my life - is how hard I’ve been on myself. I mean really hard. And I didn’t realise that all these hundred tabs, and procrastinating, and feeling guilty, and feeling that I was lazy, and stuff like this… and burning myself out because doing too much…


I now recognise I can be kinder to myself, which is easier said than done, but I am working on that.


And I think the message is basically: just be kind to yourself. Put yourself first, and by putting yourself first you can give more to others. And just accept that each and every one of us are unique - whether you’re neurodiverse or not.


Celine (Interviewer): And just last one - what do you hope people are going to take away from your story?


Karen: I hope you take away something, because I feel as though I’ve just thrown all this out here. I just hope you realise… actually, the world needs us. It’s a world built for neurotypical, but we need all different types of people because we all have different skills.


So yeah - just embrace who you are.

 

 

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