Adults With ADHD in South Africa - Diagnosis, Care & Inequality

Neurodiversity week article - journalist looking for sources or anyone who'd like to chat Hi there! I’m a South African journalist with ADHD working on a Neurodiversity Week piece examining ADHD and neurodivergence in practice — not just as a diagnosis, but as something shaped by access, cost, culture, and inequality across the globe. A lot of the conversation feels imported or overly clinical. I’m interested in what happens on the ground here: who gets diagnosed, who doesn’t, who can afford support, and what people are left to figure out on their own. If you’re open to sharing, I’d really value your perspective especially around: Diagnosis in SA: How long did it take? What did it cost? Public vs private? Were you taken seriously? Access to care: Medication, therapy, psychiatrists — what’s realistically available to you, and what isn’t? School / university / work: Where have systems failed you? Have you received accommodations, or had to mask/cope alone? Socioeconomic realities: How do finances, location, or medical aid (or lack of it) shape your experience? Cultural perception & stigma: How do family or community understand (or misunderstand) ADHD / neurodivergence? Day-to-day reality: What does it actually feel like living with it in South Africa? Workarounds: What have you had to build for yourself because formal support wasn’t there? You can comment here or DM me — I’m treating this as reporting, so: I’ll anonymise responses unless you explicitly say otherwise I won’t publish identifiable details without consent If you’re comfortable, please include your province/city. I’m trying to understand how experiences differ across the country. I’m especially interested in hearing from people outside major urban centres, or those navigating the public healthcare system. Even if you think your experience is “small” or typical — that’s often exactly what’s missing from the bigger picture.