leaf through Elea’s story
Elea
Living with ADHDAn illustrative preview of the brochure and the stories it will contain.
Elea
“The diagnosis was a huge relief for me. I stopped asking why I am the way I am and started looking for what my brain needs and how to be kinder to myself.”
“I was good at anticipating other people’s needs, but inside I was always exhausted. I suspected I might have ADHD, but I didn’t want to admit it.”
Childhood
As a child I was terribly curious, forgetful and fidgety. I felt emotions very intensely. When someone was kind to me, I remembered it for a very long time. When someone laughed at me, it stayed with me for years. I got excited easily, but lost interest just as easily. When things didn’t go quickly, I got frustrated. My family thought I was just too sensitive and impatient.
School
At school I had to put a huge amount of energy into simply not disturbing others and not forgetting anything. At secondary school the demands grew even more; on the outside I looked like a normal student, but inside I felt as if I was constantly trying to catch a train that had already left. I came to school at seven in the morning, when only the caretaker was there, to catch up on what I was behind with. I thought procrastination meant that I didn’t care. But I cared a lot. Sometimes I cared about something so much that I couldn’t even start. I wasn’t running away from work. I was running away from the feeling of being overwhelmed. But I learned to look capable. People only see the result, not the chaos behind it.
Work and diagnosis
This cycle continued into adulthood, when I worked as an English teacher and was good at anticipating other people’s needs, but inside I was constantly exhausted. I suspected I might have ADHD, but I didn’t want to admit it. The turning point came when I later read an article by a woman with ADHD in which I completely recognised myself. At the psychiatrist’s I still had doubts and told myself I was exaggerating, but in the end I passed the test with flying colours. The diagnosis was a huge relief for me. I stopped asking why I am the way I am and started looking for what my brain needs and how to be kinder to myself.
Today
Today I work as an executive assistant and I’m finding that ADHD helps me in many ways – I’m good in crisis situations, I solve problems quickly, I notice details and I can read situations and people’s moods well. Even though I still struggle with time blindness, routine and starting even simple tasks, I have learned to work with it. To people who recognise themselves in this, I would say: don’t be afraid to look for answers. The biggest relief is not the diagnosis itself, but finally understanding yourself.
“I stopped asking why I am the way I am and started looking for what my brain needs and how to be kinder to myself.”
Working version: the expert text is awaiting professional review before publication.
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
It is a neurodevelopmental difference resulting from the different development and functioning of some areas of the brain, especially the networks responsible for attention, motivation, planning and self-control. In the new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) it is classified among neurodevelopmental disorders as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
According to ICD-11, the typical symptoms are:
- inattention,
- hyperactivity,
- impulsivity.
However, it is a very variable condition and can show differently in each person. Symptoms must be present for at least 6 months and can be observed from childhood. They should appear in different settings and contexts (e.g. at home, at school and at work).
ADHD affects approximately 5–8% of children. In the adult population its prevalence is estimated at 2.5–4%.
In childhood the diagnosis is made much more often in boys (3 : 1), partly because in girls the symptoms tend to be milder, less noticeable, or dominated by inattention alone without physical restlessness. In adulthood this ratio evens out considerably (to about 1.5 : 1).
This condition cannot be “cured”. It is a state that people can learn to work with effectively, with the help of psychotherapy, medication and adjustments to their environment.
Expert text: Eliška Kálalová. Sources (in Czech): Theiner, P. (2012). ADHD od dětství do dospělosti. Psychiatrie pro praxi, 13(4), 148–150. ÚZIS ČR (2026). MKN-10 klasifikace. ÚZIS ČR (2026). 11. revize Mezinárodní klasifikace nemocí (MKN-11).
About the Muôn màu project
Muôn màu, “a thousand colours”, opens up the topic of mental health and neurodivergence in the Vietnamese community in Czechia. Through personal stories, art and community gatherings we help break the stigma around mental health problems and create space for sharing.
Elea’s story describes her own experience. ADHD can show differently in every person.
This is an illustrative preview of the brochure. The texts have not been proofread yet and the final version may differ.
and you?
Do you have a story of your own? Join us.
Share your story, come to an event or join in the creative work. Taking part is voluntary and non-binding. You decide what you want to share and where your boundaries are.
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we are still looking for stories At the end of the project they will become a brochure of stories and an exhibition. Your story could be one of them – publicly, anonymously or simply as part of the shared process.
