Realising that you might have a condition such as ADHD can feel overwhelming, and six months ago, while waiting for a diagnosis, I spent a lot of time on online forums learning about it.
One subject that came up time and again was the fact that a side-effect of many ADHD drugs is loss of appetite -- and weight loss.
Many of the drugs, such as Vyvanse and Amfexa, are stimulants containing amphetamines (or pro-amphetamines) and are historically the sort of 'mother's little helpers' that you'd associate with 1950s housewives on diets.
At 16st, I've struggled with binge eating for as long as I can remember. I now understand that this can be part of the condition: it's a way of getting the dopamine that your brain is missing.
"The anonymous author says she was thrilled to be put on a drug called Vyvanse, which works by increasing the body's dopamine levels so you don't seek to boost them via food."
ADHD has blighted my life for years, but the strangest thing is that, until this year, I had no idea. I'm 38, with two kids, aged six and two, and a lovely husband. We both work in conservation, and from the outside our lives probably appear picture-perfect.
But along with my weight problems, I've always had desperate social anxiety and paranoia, and constant and exhausting chatter in my brain.
"I just thought that's how I was made,", "and for a long time didn't consider there might be ways to manage things beyond taking antidepressants when everything got a little too much."
But things had started to get worse. I was struggling to get up in the morning, focus on my work or organise simple tasks. And becoming a mother had made my life even harder. I found the pressures of parenting completely overwhelming.
"My social battery just couldn't take it -- and I couldn't handle the noise.", "I'd go into sensory overload and shut down,", "which I now understand is a very common symptom of ADHD."