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Just Diagnosed with ADHD as an Adult? Here’s Where to Start

If I were starting again, here’s what I wish I knew.

October 2025, Kristina Proctor, ADHD Coach @ Agave Health


It Wasn’t Supposed to Be ADHD

I didn’t set out to get diagnosed with ADHD.

I was trying to get re-evaluated for dyslexia because I desperately needed accommodations at work. My desk was placed in one of the most chaotic parts of the office — next to the elevator, microwave, printer, and a noisy stairwell that echoed across two floors. I couldn’t focus. I was struggling to keep up. And I needed help.

So I scheduled an evaluation, hoping to confirm what I already knew: I have dyslexia.

But when the results came in, the clinician said, “Well, you have ADHD.”

Then I was handed some paperwork for workplace accommodations — and sent on my way.

No explanation. No resources. Just… good luck.

So if you’ve recently been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, and you’re wondering “What now?” — this post is for you. If I could go back and start over, this is what I’d want to know.


What Is ADHD, Really?

When we hear ADHD, most of us think about hyper kids bouncing off the walls. That’s not the whole picture — and definitely not what it looks like in adulthood.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects your executive functioning — the mental “management system” responsible for organizing, prioritizing, remembering, initiating, regulating emotions, and following through. In adults, it often shows up as:

  • Constant mental noise

  • Time blindness

  • Trouble starting or finishing tasks

  • Emotional overwhelm

  • Sensory sensitivities

  • Chronic procrastination (or urgency-fueled productivity)

➡️ Learn more about the different subtypes: Inattentive vs. Hyperactive ADHD: How to Tell the Difference

For many of us, the signs were there all along — we just didn’t know how to name them. We thought we were “lazy,” “flaky,” “bad with money,” “too sensitive,” or “not living up to our potential.” But those might not be character flaws. They might be symptoms.



Ask Yourself These 5 Questions to Understand Your ADHD

Everyone’s ADHD shows up a little differently. The first step to managing it is noticing how it operates in your life right now. Start here:

1. What environments overwhelm me — and why?

Think about the places where your focus, patience, or motivation disappears. (For me, it was the loud, high-traffic area at work.)

2. Have I mistaken symptoms for personality flaws?

For example, if you’ve called yourself lazy when really you’re frozen in executive dysfunction.

3. What coping strategies have I used to survive — and which ones help?

Are you over-preparing? Masking? Using deadlines to fuel action? These aren’t failures — they’re your brain trying to help. The goal is to refine them, not remove them.

4. What kind of ADHD do I resonate with most?

Hyperactive, inattentive, or a mix of both? 👉 Read more about the types here

5. What part of my life do I want to feel better first?

Don’t try to change everything at once. Pick one thing: work, routines, mental health, emotional regulation, relationships.



Where I’d Start (If I Were Diagnosed Today)

With hindsight — and a lot of learning — here’s what I’d do differently:

 1. Learn What ADHD Feels Like From the Inside

It’s one thing to read a clinical description. It’s another to hear someone say, “Here’s what it’s like to live with this brain every day.”

Start there. Read personal stories. Listen to podcasts. Get curious.

2. Find People Who Get It

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Whether it’s a coach, therapist, support group, or online community, find people who speak ADHD. It’s incredibly validating to hear, “Yes — that’s a real symptom. No — you’re not broken.”

Agave’s coaching model is built around this exact need: helping you support your brain with tools that actually make sense for how it works.

3. Track What’s Hard — And What Helps

You don’t need a fancy planner or perfect system.

Start with a few notes in your phone or a sticky note on your desk. What drained you today? What gave you energy? When did you feel stuck — and what helped you move again?

Pattern-spotting is one of the best ways to understand your ADHD in the wild.

4. Pick ONE System to Experiment With

Here’s the secret: ADHD brains hate one-size-fits-all solutions. And that’s okay.

Try one experiment at a time:

  • Body doubling for tasks

  • Visual to-do lists

  • 5-minute timers to get started

  • Moving your workspace to reduce distractions

  • Time-blocking (but flexible)

The key is experimentation, not perfection.

“Not every system will work. That’s part of the process — not a sign that you’re doing it wrong.”

5. Advocate for Yourself With Confidence

That workplace accommodation I got? It only happened because I asked. But I didn’t know how to ask for the right things until I better understood my needs.

Knowing your ADHD empowers you to speak up — with your manager, your healthcare team, your family, or even yourself.

ADHD Isn’t New — The Understanding Is

You’ve had ADHD your whole life.

You’ve already developed creative ways to navigate the world — whether you realized it or not. Now you have a name for it. You have language. You have tools.

And most importantly, you don’t have to white-knuckle your way through anymore.



Resources to Keep Going

Your ADHD journey isn’t linear — and that’s okay. Here are more blogs to help you keep learning at your own pace:



If I Could Go Back...

“If I could go back to the day I got that unexpected diagnosis — with just a few pages of paperwork and no map — I’d tell myself this: You’re not broken. Your brain is just wired differently, and now you get to support it differently too.”

“You don’t need to do everything at once. You just need to start.”

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