Discovering My Neurodivergence Helped Me Rediscover My Passion
I returned to a career that I never thought I’d love again.
From the time I was in middle school, I told everyone that I wanted to be a social worker or a psychologist. I was determined and driven, and I never doubted what or who I wanted to become.
I was willing to work really hard to get there.
I took a three-year full-time program from 2003–2006 and graduated with honours with a diploma in Child and Youth Work. A year later, my partner at the time (currently my husband) was offered an amazing career opportunity.
In 2007, we moved to another province for him to pursue a job — it’s one that he is still in now and still loves — even 14 years later.
From 2007–2010, I completed an undergraduate degree in psychology in our new hometown. Everything looked like it was going exactly as planned… then in 2009, I got sick, just as I was starting the last year of my degree.
I’m in good health now, but it took a very long time to get diagnosed and treated for my physical health issues, and it also took a toll on my mental health in the process.
As Things Were Looking Up
Throughout 2003–2010, I worked in a few different social services roles, primarily in residential treatment (a.k.a. group homes). As one can imagine, this work is incredibly challenging.
The youth living in these homes have been through a great deal of trauma in their lives, they often have serious mental health challenges, and at times their behaviour can be extreme.
I figured that I could handle this as I was trained to deal with these sorts of things. I could even handle the ridiculously low wages — that undervalue the work of much front-line staff in social services settings — and I was prepared for that as well.
What my seven years of post-secondary education did not prepare me for was the lack of leadership, lack of accountability, and lack of support for staff in many of these work settings.
My First Bad Experience
The first group home that I worked in was the absolute worst. The management treated the staff terribly, provided us with no support, and had little to no training.
Our supervisors were often sitting in their offices rather than “on the floor” supporting the youth, or working alongside their employees. When anything went wrong in the house, they sat the staff down to blame and berate them, yet did nothing to improve the conditions for the staff or the youth.
Impressionable Youth
Like most of my co-workers, I was young and didn’t know what my rights were as an employee, and had not yet developed self-advocacy skills. I did not know how to respectfully and diplomatically stand up for myself, nor did I know what and where the boundaries should have been.
I definitely learned this the hard way, but at least I could eventually leave. My heart breaks when I think of the youth living in that home who had no choice but to be there.
When I got sick in 2009, it was the final straw in a six-year gauntlet of stressful circumstances.
When Life Hands You Lemons
After graduation, I worked part-time in a pet store because I love animals, it was close to home, and I was not yet healthy enough for a full-time job. However, this experience brought some equally new and different opportunities.
As a person working in customer service in the pet industry, I witnessed an enormous amount of misinformation and terrible advice being given to customers, all in the name of selling products.
Terrible Management Strikes Again
The retail industry doesn’t treat its employees all that well either. While being paid minimum wage and working part-time, we were expected to have highly flexible availability, and essentially be available all evenings and weekends.
I didn’t last long there, but this inspired me to start something of my own. I started my own pet care business, having no idea I had ADHD, nor that people with ADHD have a tendency to lean toward entrepreneurship.
According to research because of our differently wired brains, we possess a greater focus on innovation, proactiveness, and risk-taking, all of which are performance advantages when running one’s own business.
I must have fit the bill because my humble start-up grew and flourished for 10 years — until covid hit — and business declined as much as 90% at the height of the pandemic shut-downs.
The Trials and Revelations
2019 was a big year for our family. In March, our son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 6. In June, he was assessed as being cognitively gifted, meaning he is twice-exceptional (gifted with a disability). In October 2019, I myself was given the same diagnosis, at the age of 36.
2019–2020 were also extremely difficult years.
My son was miserable at school and was not being treated well due to his neurodiversity. Having been away from psychology for a decade, it was time for me to dust off my old textbooks (and buy a heckuva lot of new ones too), and arm myself with all the knowledge.
Better Outcomes
Thankfully, our son has since moved to a different school and is doing much better now. Once we moved through those immense challenges, I realized that I wanted to advocate for others like him — like us.
I realized that I wanted to use my skills and knowledge to support other families, and to help educate others about what it’s like to live with the neurocomplexities in a world that is made for neurotypical people.
ADHD and Education
I also recognized that, given the pandemic and the strain being put on our academic system, children with disabilities were being left behind in even greater numbers than before.
This may also align with the research that people with ADHD usually have a more intuitive cognitive style and demonstrate higher levels of entrepreneurial alertness.
After having so many negative experiences previously, and being successful as a dog trainer and pet care provider, I never thought I would return to psychology and social services.
Yet there I was, and here I am.
Work Takes On a Whole New Meaning
Being an entrepreneur is a very different experience from being an employee. When you add the experience of advocating for children who have disabilities while getting to know their families, the concept of “work” takes on a whole new meaning.
It’s a great responsibility, but also a great privilege, to advocate for children to ensure their needs are being met. I get to meet amazing children and wonderful families, and some very hard-working and caring professionals as well.
Most importantly, I was able to advocate for my son.
He is the reason that I started down this road, and he is the bright light that keeps me going when things are tough. To see what a difference it made to start pushing back against a system that was harming him, and to see how much happier he is now, it was worth all of the pain and stress I endured.
He was worth it, and so are all the other children out there who need support, and I aim to do everything I can to make sure they get it.
© Jillian Enright, Neurodiversity MB
Related Articles
My ADHD was Misdiagnosed as a Personality Disorder
My ADHD Made Me a Successful Entrepreneur
Children with Disabilities are not an Afterthought
My ADHD & Neurodiversity Booklist
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References
Moore, C. B., McIntyre, N. H., & Lanivich, S. E. (2021). ADHD-related neurodiversity and the entrepreneurial mindset. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 64–91. doi:10.1177/1042258719890986
Yu, W., Wiklund, J., & Pérez-Luño, A. (2021). ADHD symptoms, entrepreneurial orientation (EO), and firm performance. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 45(1), 92–117. doi:10.1177/104225871989298