01 June 2023 , 16:40
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Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace has revealed she finally "knows herself" after getting an ADHD diagnosis later on in her life.
The Big Brother star, 44, was diagnosed with adult ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) at the end of last year, which she said felt "cathartic" for her.
According to the NHS, ADHD is "is a condition that affects people's behaviour. People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse".
And, while symptoms can tend to be noticed at a younger age, the reality star and business woman didn't get her diagnosis until late last year.
TV star Aisleyne decided to seek a diagnosis after her best friend Michael, who also has ADHD, advised her to go for a test.
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She revealed to the Mirror: "I spent four hours with a psychiatrist on three different occasions.
Aisleyne opens up about her ADHD diagnosis (Instagram/aisleyne1)"But after the first occasion he was like like, 'yep'. If it was a scale of one to four – say if I had to get two out of four [to be diagnosed with ADHD] I was getting four out of four.
"It was very apparent and very obvious."
Aisleyne said it felt "cathartic" to get the diagnosis as she added: "It just explained a lot" from her decision making, memory and her sensitivity to rejection.
However, she also joked an earlier diagnosis would have made her "boring".
When asked how an earlier diagnosis would have helped her, she joked: "Oh it would've made me boring," with a giggle before she added: "I'm joking.
"I'm actually glad I didn't get it when I was younger because so what I didn't have a 10 year plan, I kind of roughly knew that I wanted to buy property.
"I did always know that I was different to everyone else, I absolutely knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wasn't like all my classmates – I know there was something but I didn't know what it was.
"I was a big daydreamer in class, just couldn't really concentrate, would be away with the fairies type thing and everyone knew what secondary school and what college and what they wanted to study and I was just sort of like a hippie child, like: 'I don't know, let's see what happens!'
"But I haven't done too bad for myself. So if they had diagnosed me earlier and got me on medication, maybe I wouldn't have had the life experiences that I have had and I'm pretty happy with how I've turned out."
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Since getting a diagnosis, Aisleyne said: "For want of a better catchphrase I finally know myself," referencing her iconic Big Brother line from her time in the house in 2006.
After Aisleyne was given her diagnosis she was also prescribed medication, which she struggled with.
"For me it was just not... it was awful," she said. "It's an amphetamine, so normal people would take an amphetamine and be like, sort of buzzing and like full of energy for the rest of the day – I'd fall asleep.
"I take it and go to sleep, because it has a sort of like almost the opposite effect on on you if you've got ADHD."
She continued: "It was fine for a while and my house was super organised – I knew where everything was, it was brilliant. But, then after a while there were the downsides of taking the medication which are listed and written about a lot but I couldn't get on with it so I came off of it."
Aisleyne is now on the hunt for "natural alternatives" and coping strategies, too.
The reality star said "simple" and "small" practical things – such as having a place for her keys – have been "making a big difference" for her.
She has also been looking into taking Lion's Mane, which is a mushroom some claim helps with productivity. However, it is unproven and unregulated.
She said: "Everyone's different but, so far for me the Lion's Mane has just helped me feel a lot more clearer."
You should seek medical advice before using any forms of treatment.
Aisleyne has said speaking about her experience feels "rewarding" as she said: "I'm glad that I've come on this journey now, in my position with my followers, and being able to give it press it's actually rewarding because it's gonna help other people."