Why I Decided to Disclose My ADHD

I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2023. Before this, I had always worked in retail alongside my studies. After university, I started my first office-based role, and I decided this would be the first time I disclosed my ADHD to an employer and asked for reasonable adjustments to help me work effectively.

I was extremely nervous about speaking to my manager. I was worried that I would be seen as difficult or demanding, but I approached her anyway. We had a meeting where I explained the areas I struggled with and discussed what could potentially be put in place to support me.

A week or so later, my manager told me that we would need to go through a formal process involving a risk assessment. This included weekly meetings to discuss whether the adjustments were helping and whether anything needed to change. Although the process felt very intense, I agreed to take part.

The Difficulties I Was Experiencing at Work

The main difficulties I raised were the noisy office environment, very bright lighting, and uncomfortable chairs, many of which were broken or had no armrests. I was told that any changes would require a desk assessment by a specialist.

I explained that I did not want the assessment carried out in front of my colleagues because I had chosen to keep my ADHD private. We agreed that it would take place at 8am, before most people arrived at 9am.

However, the assessor did not arrive until 8:45am, by which time many of my colleagues were already there. I felt exposed and embarrassed. During the assessment, the assessor immediately corrected the way I was sitting and suggested that this was the reason for my discomfort. This was particularly difficult for me because, with ADHD, I struggle to sit still, especially when expected to sit in a rigid or ‘standard’ position.

When Asking for Support Made Me Feel Like a Problem

When I raised the noise levels, I was told that this was simply the nature of working in a call centre and could not be changed. The assessor then concluded that everything was fine and that the environment worked for ‘normal’ people. 

That comment broke my heart. I couldn’t help but cry. I felt ashamed for struggling with something that seemed so easy for everyone else.

After the assessment, my requests for reasonable adjustments were treated as unnecessary, and I was left for six months without an update or check-in. By this point, I was struggling significantly. I eventually reached out to a colleague I trusted, who raised the situation with the head of the department. My manager was then challenged for not continuing the agreed check-ins.

Unfortunately, I felt that this led to resentment towards me. I began to be treated as though I was difficult, and I stopped being given opportunities because it was assumed that I would not be able to cope. I was on a one-year fixed-term contract and was told that my employment would definitely not continue beyond it.

What Happened Afterwards

Since then, I have found myself questioning whether I truly fit into the workplace at all. Many organisations, including this one, describe themselves as disability-confident employers. My experience has made me question what that means in practice.

Why Reasonable Adjustments Matter

I believe more needs to be done to understand and support less visible disabilities such as ADHD

Reasonable adjustments shouldn't make people feel difficult.

They shouldn't make someone feel ashamed for explaining what they need in order to work effectively.

Having a disability doesn't mean that someone can't do their job.

For me, the issue wasn't whether I could work. It was whether the workplace was willing to understand what I needed to work effectively.

Sadly, not all employers or managers understand this.