21 March 2023 , 13:14
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Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha has opened up about how life has changed since receiving her ADHD diagnosis, and how her co-stars made her cry when she revealed the news to them.
The telly personality broke down on the show last year when she revealed she had been diagnosed at the age of 58.
The mum-of-two pre-recorded a segment about ADHD for Loose Women, as she told viewers she had been living with the condition since childhood, unbeknownst to her.
Nadia spoke to an ADHD specialist on camera and described her symptoms, which are characterised by difficulty concentrating, inattentiveness, poor organisation, and impulsiveness.
At the end of the assessment the ADHD specialist confirmed Nadia's diagnosis and said: “The symptoms you exhibit are consistent with ADHD.”
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She was then diagnosed and prescribed medication – a move which she says has been “life-changing”.
The mum-of-two pre-recorded a segment about ADHD for the show (ITV)She has since revealed that her co-stars have offered her nothing but support and reassurance since her diagnosis.
The TV star told how fellow panellist Jane Moore made her cry with her reaction and beautiful words.
She told Closer magazine: “They’ve been lovely. There’s nothing soppy about Jane and she said to me, ‘Your company is always lovely, you’re a great listener, I can 100% rely on you to turn up and be on time’. She made me cry!
“And when I told Kaye [Adams], I wasn’t sure how long I’d take the medication for, she said, ‘But look how much it’s helping you. Why wouldn’t you?”
Nadia also revealed how much ADHD had been affecting not just her personal life but her professional life too, prior to her diagnosis and treatment.
She told the publication how she would have to sit on her hands to stop her jumping up out of her seat and try extremely hard not to interrupt and talk over people in Loose Women meetings.
Nadia's husband Mark Adderley also lives ADHD (nadiasawalha/Instagram)“I’m a classic example of how someone with ADHD made their life work for them without realising,” she said.
Her ADHD diagnosis has had a profound affect on her life and since starting medication, Nadia said she can now organise things so much better, listen to a whole conversation and sit still.
“I’m still chaotic because I’m 58 and I am who I am, but there’s been a huge shift in me as well,” she told the magazine.
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Nadia lives with her husband Mark Adderley, who also has ADHA and daughters Maddie, 20, and Kiki, 15.
She told how alarm bells went off when Mark was diagnosed and her children suggested she was displaying the same symptoms too.
When her diagnosis was confirmed, Nadia told the magazine she burst into tears because she felt like she “wasn’t worthy” of having it after being labelled as lazy and disorganised her whole life.