![\"Joan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_IMG_5807jpeg.jpg\")
Joan Alexander(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\nJoan Alexander was diagnosed with ADHD in her 50s after being misdiagnosed with other conditions for decades. She is just one of many neurodivergent women who face late-in-life diagnosis.Joan Alexander(Image: Supplied)<\/p>\n
An Edinburgh mum with a “debilitating” condition has finally found support after facing decades of misdiagnosis.<\/p>\n
Joan Alexander was diagnosed with ADHD<\/a> three years ago but only learned the truth in her mid-50s, years after crucial support was needed.<\/p>\n Now 57, Joan has told of being incorrectly diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and an eating disorder.<\/p>\n She told Edinburgh Live: “I think my whole life would have been different. I think I could have gone to university with the right help and support.”<\/p>\n Nearly 80 per cent of females with autism are misdiagnosed, according to data<\/a>, often with conditions like borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety. And women with ADHD are less likely to be diagnosed in childhood than are their male counterparts, says studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Too often, professionals dismiss autism or ADHD as “anxiety”, delaying necessary support and leaving women feeling “stupid” or “lazy”. Years of such treatment can lead to feelings of confusion and even depression, according to the University of Durham<\/a>, as well as the delay of much-needed support.<\/p>\n Growing up, Joan never though going to unviersity was even an option for her. Her symptoms make it difficult to focus on tasks and grasp new concepts. She also grapples with rejection sensitivity, a “debilitating” condition that causes intense emotional pain from perceived or actual criticism and rejection, which leaves her with constant “inner turmoil”.<\/p>\n She said: “It\u2019s very debilitating and it\u2019s a daily battle. It can be a look, a comment, something that\u2019s perceived, it can be nothing at all, but you’re having to deal with this inner turmoil. I\u2019d say as a child that was incredibly difficult to manage.<\/p>\n “My head is like a box of frogs and it\u2019s constantly jumping about. Even on quiet times my head has got 150 record players playing the same tune at different speeds and different times.”<\/p>\n In her 30s Joan was diagnosed with depression and anxiety, a verdict that left her skeptical. Soon after, she gained “a lot of weight” and was diagnosed with an eating disorder – a symptom she now knows is linked to her ADHD.<\/p>\n