Lauren Ash says she 'felt misunderstood' before ADHD diagnosis: 'End the stigma'
The "Superstore" star said a big reason she wasn't diagnosed with ADHD as a child was that she was a "great student in school."
Lauren Ash wants to end the stigma that "surrounds neurodiversity."
On Thursday, the "Superstore" actress took to Instagram to share a photo of herself posing in a stunning black and white dress with nude cutout panels.
The 39-year-old paired her photo with a caption marking Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
She began by pointing out that "Dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder and ADHD constitute around 70 percent of all neurodevelopmental disorder diagnoses."
"That said, I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 and felt so much relief," she continued. "I had always felt like my brain worked differently in so many ways and often felt misunderstood in regard to things that I struggle with."
Ash said a big reason she wasn't diagnosed with ADHD as a child was that she was a "great student in school."
"No one really knew how hard I worked and how difficult every day was for me," she wrote, before recalling a time she told a medical professional of hers that she was diagnosed with ADHD and "their response was, 'That's impossible. You're way too successful to have ADHD.'"
"This made me realize just how much stigma surrounds neurodiversity, even in the medical community and how important it is to have conversations using my platform so that people can learn that this is a deeply incorrect way of viewing people with ADHD," Ash concluded.
In the comments, fans applauded Ash.
"Thank you so much for your honesty. Opening up about it publicly and normalizing the discussion is what's going to help end the stigma!" an Instagram user commented.
Someone else wrote: "Thank you for spreading awareness!"
"Thank you so much for this post!" another fan added. "So many adults are ignored by professionals. We need to keep fighting the fight."
"You really are a woman of the people, Lauren," one commenter shared alongside a heart emoji.
"Thank you for speaking out on this. I'm also a successful woman with ADHD and was late diagnosed for the same reason. Thank you for using your platform this way. It does make a difference," commented another.
In January, Ash debuted her pink hair with her more than 300,000 Instagram followers and announced that thanks to her new look, she has "never felt more" like herself.
"Sneak peek of my latest photoshoot shot by the amazing @isergiogarcia," Ash wrote next to a photo of herself in front of a cement wall, wearing a white tank top and a black, lace choker necklace. "I am dying about these pics. Also, I have officially entered my Jem era with this pink hair and have never felt more myself!"
"Thank you to my hair angel @guiniushair for making this pink dream come true, and to my makeup god @aaronpaulbeauty for this perfect look," she added.
Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
