Steph Clare Smith reveals she was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
The model and fitness influencer, 30, bravely opened up about her health update in a vulnerable confessional and admitted she felt “relieved” when a doctor confirmed her diagnosis.
Speaking on KICPOD, the podcast she hosts alongside fellow influencer and business partner Laura Henshaw, Steph said she first got tested after M Rusciano invited her on the show to talk about her experience with ADHD.
“The other week I was diagnosed with ADHD,” he said on the podcast.
“I contacted Em and she told me about her subsequent ADHD diagnosis, and during the conversation, there were a lot of things I didn't realize, but I just nodded and accepted her story.
“At one point, she said it might be a little neuro-spicy, and at that point, she said, 'I don't know.'
The model and mother of one of them detailed the screening process that a woman in her 30s underwent and admitted that she was worried about not receiving a diagnosis.
“One of the scariest parts of the process is, 'What happens if I don't get a diagnosis?' And then I feel more lost than ever because there are all these things, these traits that have frustrated me throughout my life,” he added.
Steph Claire Smith, 30, was diagnosed with ADHD. The model and fitness influencer bravely opened up about her health update in a vulnerable confessional on her podcast.
'I've never been able to change habits that I feel I can't get rid of, or things that I feel are more challenging than people around me find them.
'Now that I have the diagnosis, I'm excited to learn more about it and find different tactics and ways. Also, talk about it with my loved ones and people around me so that they can also understand it better.
“It made me understand a little better why things might have been more challenging than necessary.”
In a tearful video shared on Instagram, Steph documented her emotions following an ADHD screening appointment.
In a tearful video shared on Instagram, Steph documented her emotions following an ADHD screening appointment.
The model burst into tears, worried about not receiving a diagnosis.
“It was good to talk about it, but I hope this process helps me understand it,” she said through tears.
'I'm not afraid of the diagnosis. I think I'm really afraid of not getting a diagnosis. If I don't have that or something else, what's wrong with me?'
The following clip showed Steph after her third and final evaluation, where she was diagnosed with ADHD.
'I don't know when I'll really feel it. “I don't know if I'm confused or angry or like… I don't know,” she said.
'I'm not afraid of the diagnosis. I think I'm really afraid of not getting a diagnosis. If I don't have that or something else, what's wrong with me?' Steph said with tears in her eyes.
He reflected on his younger self and wished he hadn't ignored the symptoms.
“Maybe I was a little hard on myself, but I also found ways to handle it,” she continued.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects one in 20 Australians.
According to ADHD Australia, it is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity and sometimes hyperactivity, and is often accompanied by emotional regulation problems.
While ADHD is the most common disorder among children aged four to 11, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says it affects about half of girls the same age.
Not because girls don't have ADHD, experts say, but because they usually have the inattentive type, which means their symptoms can go unnoticed.
