Illustrator raises awareness of female bias

A Bristol illustrator who felt “on the brink of burnout” before being diagnosed with ADHD is calling for greater awareness of the condition in the workplace.

Anna Jax from Stokes Croft was diagnosed with: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) 2020, 27 years old.

She is currently involved in a campaign called Staring Back At Me, which was created to combat the stigma of ADHD, especially against women and non-binary people.

“I thought it was normal for people to be stressed all the time like I was,” Anna said of her work life before her diagnosis.

'Staring Back at Me' is a disease awareness campaign that aims to help people recognize the symptoms of ADHD, while highlighting the stigma that women can face in the workplace.

The first phase of the project, which focused on the signs and symptoms of ADHD, began in 2022, and the second phase, which focused on ADHD in the workplace, began in October.

As part of the campaign, Anna designed an illustration on the lining of her suit jacket to illustrate the invisible nature of ADHD in the workplace.

This illustration was used on the lining of the suit jackets worn by two ambassadors in the campaign movie.

“I hope other women with ADHD don't fear being seen,” said Staring Back at Me campaign ambassador Jenny McLaughlin.

“I hope this campaign and my story demonstrate the strengths that people with ADHD can bring to the workplace.

“All we need is the right environment and support to grow.”

Before she became aware of ADHD, Anna said she felt she had to “hide” her condition at work, which only made her symptoms worse.

“Eventually it starts to slip, it starts to wobble, it starts to collapse. The longer it goes on, the more severe that collapse becomes.”

“Because you're pretending to be something you're not, impostor syndrome can become a self-esteem issue and manifest as anxiety and depression.”

Professor Amanda Kirby, Chair of the ADHD Foundation, said that although there is now greater awareness of ADHD, around 50-75% of women remain undiagnosed and there is still a lack of understanding of the condition. said.

“This is especially true in the workplace,” she added.

Adults with ADHD may have problems such as:

• Organization and time management
• Follow the instructions
• stay focused and complete tasks
• deal with stress
• Feeling restless or impatient
• impulsivity and risk taking

Some adults have problems with relationships and social interactions.

Ana first noticed her symptoms when she noticed that she was too distracted and impulsive at school.

Suffering from anxiety and depression, she dropped out of her A-levels because she felt she couldn't keep up.

Ana was diagnosed in 2020. She had just graduated from college and was working as a freelancer in a studio space.

“I didn't fully understand what it was because I wasn't functioning like everyone else.

“And I remember saying to myself, 'I just want to get out of this situation.' But I didn't know what 'this' was.”

When Ana was finally diagnosed with ADHD at age 27, she felt like she finally understood herself.

“There's a sense of relief, but it quickly turns into thinking, 'Oh, my life could have been a lot easier if I'd known sooner.'

“I remember crying a lot. It was so weird to have someone validate everything I'd been struggling with. It wasn't because I was crap in life.

“There's a lot of sadness that comes with it. When you talk to other people who have been diagnosed, that's a very common feeling.”

Since her diagnosis, Anna has found that prioritizing sleep, getting daily exercise, and spending time outdoors have helped improve her ADHD.

She feels that she now understands her mind and is able to communicate her needs.

“At work, I still have to push myself a little bit more to act a certain way. But everyone does,” she said.

“The client I spoke to was [about my diagnosis] He was really nice and really kind. When I talked about it, I had nothing but positive experiences. ”