I did not expect this 1 year ago. Diagnosed with ADHD

I NEEDED THE ANSWER. This can’t be my pattern. Not if I’m a dad. I NEED to stop burning out!

Last year was a whirlwind in every area of life. Completely unexpected.

“You always make things such a struggle.” 

“You’re great but you give up before the end.”

“If you just were more consistent…”

3 messages that I’ve been told several times throughout my life, and in hindsight, were fair.

I suppose a bit more context is required. So there’s two timestamps to take note of in this blog. 

2018 & now.

In 2018, I got diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (I don't think I even have it now due to my recent discovery!) Back then, the lovely feedback mentioned above suddenly made sense. Medically and technically, my life was a struggle. Chronic fatigue sucks.

Timestamp 2, it’s Jan 2026, I have a 6 month old baby girl. She is my angel. 

Now the whirlwind that fills that 7 years.

Before having our baby I was terrified. Not the expected parental fears of losing social life or the avalanche of nappies coming our way.

It was all deeply rooted health and nervous system fears.

Chronic fatigue fears.

That my health would break.

That my mind would plummet to my darkest, vile places.

That my nervous system would crash and burn for months, like it so often does.

Relapses, burnouts, whatever you want to call it. 

The side of me that I hid from the world, I wouldn’t be able to hide from my child. I will fail.

The last 4 years, symptoms and relapses were getting worse.

2022, 23, 24 & 25. 

Oh crap, big relapses are happening annually. 3-4 months a year just completely wiped out.

So since before my wife was pregnant, I was going harder into finding the answer.

I NEEDED THE ANSWER. I NEED to stop my burnouts!

I’m good with finding answers. I love research, learning, trying new things. Self improvement. All that jazz.

And during said research, running my coaching business, with the 2025 relapse pending, I lost ALL my focus and my nervous system was in overdrive. My brain just stopped working.

Great. Just what I needed.

There are two types of people in this world. Solution-orientated folk, and those that don’t use ChatGPT. 

I am the former. 

Who struggles with focus the most? I thought… The clearest answer was people with ADHD.

So I start typing, ‘what tools do adults with ADHD use for focus?’ 

and little did I know, that question would change my life forever.

I wanted GPT to give me a rapid dose of focus. 

Something to blow my productivity socks off. 

But instead… I felt confused.

Bullet point after bullet point described my life.

The early picture was forming. “Maybe I have ADHD?”.

I soon realised, the more intense symptoms of ADHD aren’t just being fidgety, 

It’s a decades-long battle of burnout, 

shame loops, 

inability to ever switch off, 

short term dopamine addiction, 

mood swings and continually feeling like a let down to everyone,

Not fulfilling potential.

Not just the kid in the back of the class that couldn’t concentrate. Oh wait… I couldn’t concentrate in class?

The list goes on and on. 

Suddenly, maybe… my life was starting to make sense.

Let’s fast forward 15 months to today. 15 months of daily effort, books, research, supplements, discovery. Then more recently, 5 months of ADHD therapy, 4 months seeing a psychiatrist, 3 months with an official diagnosis of ADHD with medication.

Those 3 months have been like lightning for me. You know the movie, Limitless? The dude learns the piano in like 8 weeks? Well, sadly it’s not quite like that, but it’s been completely electric. 

My brain works! Like, for the first time, just works!

My coaching business has rocketed. Health has massively improved. I feel like who I should be for the first time in my life! I’m consistent!

My psychiatrist says because of all the research, hacks, strategies and health choices I was already doing to minimise symptoms, the medication should make a monumental impact (more on these bits later).

She was right.

Only now am I aware now that for decades I’ve been unknowingly sabotaging myself.

Despite my best efforts, the incorrect support for my brain. Even the healthy habits that work for a neurotypical brain can be detrimental! Now I work with systems FOR my brain, not against it. To help consistency and just having a better day-to-day.

And get this… My chronic fatigue symptoms have 97% gone. In fact, I believe it was a misdiagnosis and was actually undiagnosed ADHD. 

I have my non-negotiables for my morning and evening routine. Things that are disproportionately effective for the ADHD brain. I understand sleep, nervous system & symptom management more. Training to avoid burnout instead of creating it. Immense focus. Tools and strategies to help every area of life. Everything now, for the first time in my life, just clicks. 

No depression. No anxiety. No pain.

That version of me is gone.

I’m a better coach, husband and father. Consistent. I’m who I want to be. 

If you’ve been coached by me over the past 10 years, this blog might surprise you. 

During coaching, I was never the hidden, struggling side of me. I always felt on top form.

Coaching is my hyperfocus (one of the many amazing benefits of ADHD!) I can coach until I physically can’t.

Now, that version of me? The one my clients see. That version of me is everywhere I go. 

You can feel that too if you give your brain the right support, built for the way you need. In a way that creates consistency, real self-belief, control of symptoms, predictability, pride, energy and happiness.

I’m now getting further qualifications to help more people with ADHD. I’ll be introducing a new branch of Base Coaching to help adults with ADHD finally feel healthy, consistent, and in control. I’m already trialling aspects of this programme with some current clients and lets just say, it's helping them too!

In the very near future, I’ll be opening Base Neuro - online coaching and support specifically for ADHD adults to move from a lifetime of burnout and believing nothing works for them, to becoming the most consistent, capable version of themselves.

If you have ADHD or some of the symptoms, I will finish with this… Consistency is possible. In health, life, work, relationships.

You just need a plan that fits YOUR mind. The traditional methods for mental and physical health aren’t the right path for you, but the right path is definitely out there!

Cheers

Ross