We’re excited to share this guest post from Bethany Dempsey, ADHD advocate and author of the new adult picture book “So You’ve Got ADHD, Now What?”.

Bethany’s book is a fun, fresh, and easy-to-understand guide to ADHD — perfect for anyone just starting their journey. It breaks down everything from medication to ADHD subtypes in a way that’s engaging, accessible, and never overwhelming.

In this blog, Bethany shares insights from the book and what inspired her to create a resource that makes ADHD education less clinical and more human

You can order the book here

You want to know more… but sitting and reading just doesn’t keep your attention
long enough. A blank page full of words, and you’ve read the same sentence over
and over again. The doctor gave you plenty of information about ADHD and about
the medication and how it all works, but while the appointment was happening, ALL
YOU COULD FOCUS ON was trying to figure out where that weird smell was
coming from, whether you’d left the tap running in the bathroom, and the fact that
there was a small rock in your shoe.

It’s irony at its finest: to finally reach the point of diagnosis, you had to jump through
hoop after hoop, making a call, handing in paperwork, waiting, waiting, and more
waiting. Then finally, you spent all day trying to be on time for your appointment,
recalling things from your past, and finishing on that bittersweet moment: Yes, you do
have ADHD… but now what?

The doctor said to read some literature. But what? Another planner (don’t even go
there)? Another thick book you bought purely for the fancy cover that’s now
gathering dust in a junk drawer?

The thing is, as ADHDers, we do need novelty BUT we also really need the facts.
And while social media is brilliant for picking up tips, tricks and insights, it can quickly
spiral into doom-scrolling for hours, leaving you unsure what’s legit and what’s
nonsense.

Here’s the thing: I didn’t become an author illustrator because I ticked the usual
boxes. I’ve got NO formal qualifications, not because I didn’t care, but because
ADHD made the traditional way of learning and doing things feel impossible. I
couldn’t sit still, couldn’t focus, couldn’t quite do things the way I was supposed to.
But what I did have was grit, determination, tenacity, and absolutely no fear of
looking a bit daft in the name of figuring stuff out. I got here by asking questions,
trying things, messing up, starting again (sometimes multiple times), and refusing to
let a lack of certificates define my ability or worth.

So You’ve Got ADHD, NOW WHAT? Is a short, flick-through, adult picture book
packed with key facts, tips, and relatable guidance for teens and adults who suspect
they have, or have just been diagnosed with, ADHD. Written and illustrated by
myself, ADHD author Bethany Dempsey, and endorsed by consultant psychiatrist Dr
Ali Ajaz, it’s made for brains like yours.

Because learning about ADHD shouldn’t feel like a chore, it should feel like finally
being understood.

Bethany Dempsey is an advocate and author of the journal The Dempsey Diaries. You can find her work here

Are you an ADHDER or do you support ADHDERS in Berkshire, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire? Got something to say or share? Wed love to hear from you