Continuing from our last edition: After spending her youth struggling in chaos, Michelle Shavdia, 39, a coaching psychologist from Colchester, set up the award-winning business ‘Find Your Spark’ to support at risk young people. Like a growing number of other adult females, she was diagnosed with ADHD at the late age of 37 years old. Finally, everything made sense for her, she said it was as if a lightbulb had been switched on in her head. The reason for this late diagnosis is due to ADHD misinformation, owing to the commonly erroneous notion, that ADHD is something only ‘naughty boys had’ and something you grew out of! As a result, generations of females have been missed and the NHS was not set up and until 2022 did not have the required level of support offerings available to help adults with ADHD. This has had a massive negative impact on many people here in the UK and globally.
Michelle aims to now improve this situation and raise awareness into this misunderstood condition. There is still so much stigma and misperceptions about what ADHD even is. She was recently on BBC Essex with Rob Jelly on Tuesday 23rd May from 6-7pm talking about all things ADHD, which you can still catch on BBC Sounds till 22nd June: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0fkxxrt . Alternatively, you can find and listen to it here: Positive resources – Find Your Spark
She would like to prove that with an ADHD diagnosis, you can still have a successful life in whatever way success looks like to you as there are many strengths that come with having ADHD. In fact, she believes with ADHD, she is able to create more success for herself than she perhaps would have been able to without it. It would take only one Google search to realise that many successful celebrities in the UK have ADHD such as Richard Branson, Ant McPartlin, Russell Brand, Denise Welch, Nadia Sawalla, Olivia Attwood, Sam Thompson, Sue Perkins and Lily Allen to name just a few.
Getting on the radio and into the newspaper, which can offer several benefits for small businesses, has been a huge success for Michelle who says she ‘felt like she had finally arrived!’ Radio and newspapers remain a popular influential medium reaching a broad audience and providing a unique platform for businesses to promote their products or services so she would encourage businesses to use these forms of marketing too as well as networking such as the Business Women’s Network www.thebusinesswomansnetwork.co.uk
Her vision of creating a society which is more aware, understanding and accepting of neurodivergent differences is her purpose. “Looking back in hindsight I can see it all as having been necessary pain, for me to be able to empower and transform others. If I can help just one person not suffer the way that I have done, then the pain would have been worthwhile’.
Michelle is hosting two upcoming groups to fill the gap she noticed when she was trying to navigate the adult neurodivergent system, which she found to be a minefield. She will be sharing all she has learnt about ADHD since her diagnosis with the public and how you can use ADHD to create more success in your life. Please book via the Eventbrite link: ADHD Awareness Group Tickets, Mon 26 Jun 2023 at 19:00 | Eventbrite or email amanda@findyourspark.koala-digital.co.uk for further details. Alternatively visit the website www.findyourspark.co.uk to see what else she offers one to one and in groups.
