What 3 Creatives Wish They’d Known Before Getting Diagnosed With ADHD

Sponsored by Supernus Pharmaceuticals.
Intended for U.S. Audiences Only.

Statistics and symptoms only tell part of the story. The rest comes from the people who’ve actually lived with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition characterized by an ongoing pattern of symptoms that fall into one or more categories: inattention, hyperactivity and/or impulsivity. We spoke with three creatives in three different fields who share a common thread: Their diagnosis came later in life, yet they each found something worth passing on to others. 

These individual stories are part of something bigger: That’s exactly why Ms. Represented, a campaign by Supernus Pharmaceuticals, exists—to make sure women see themselves reflected in these conversations. Ms. Represented empowers women to talk to their doctor about potential treatment options like Qelbree® (viloxazine extended-release capsules), a prescription medicine used to treat ADHD in adults and children 6 years and older.

Ahead, three creatives share what they wish they’d known. These individuals are sharing their experiences with ADHD and are not compensated Qelbree ambassadors. 

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Qelbree may increase suicidal thoughts and actions in children and adults with ADHD, especially within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed. Tell your doctor if you or your child have (or if there is a family history of) suicidal thoughts or actions before starting Qelbree. Monitor your or your child’s moods, behaviors, thoughts, and feelings during treatment with Qelbree. Report any new or sudden changes in these symptoms right away.

Important Safety Information continued below.

Please click here for full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, and Medication Guide.

Samm Davidson, 42, freelance writer for Scary Mommy and lifestyle and brand photographer, spent most of her life feeling like her struggles were simply because of raising four kids. “I always just assumed I couldn’t relax because of the extra noise of a chaotic life,” she says, “not the extra noise in my brain.” It wasn’t until she was 40, after hearing Mel Robbins talk about her own late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, that Davidson started asking her doctor different questions. 

One moment stands out: keeping track of her kids’ homework. “I thought it was because I didn’t really see the value in homework,” she says. “But I realized it was more that I myself cannot keep their workloads organized in my own brain in order to stay on top of it.”

Davidson has also learned to see her ADHD as an asset. As a family photographer who often shoots 15-minute “mini sessions,” she says she can accomplish more in that window than some photographers do in an hour. “It might feel chaotic to others,” she says, “but it feels seamless and purposeful to me.”

Hallie Goodman, 54, principal designer at Hallie Goodman Design, spent years being misunderstood before she was finally diagnosed with ADHD in her mid-30s. "I just thought I had a serious focus problem and couldn't sit still to finish anything," she says. "And like most of the world, I was convinced that trying harder and making lists would somehow transform me eventually.” (It didn’t.) 

These days, Goodman knows the warning signs of burnout well–like when she’s constantly on the go and starts losing her keys inside her own purse, over and over. Looking back, her learning is: “You can’t think your way out of [an ADHD brain].”

That understanding has reshaped how she works. When deadlines hit, she stays out of email entirely. “I know that I have an absolute inability to prioritize,” she says. Instead of forcing balance, she delegates what doesn’t need her attention and protects space for concentrated work. 

Goodman’s ADHD has also become a creative asset. “Design is not just about coming up with beautiful objects and interesting combinations—it’s about innovative problem-solving, and getting to the core of what will make someone feel truly happy and cared for in their home.” 

It’s also changed how she thinks people with ADHD in creative fields are understood. “The way we get to an endpoint is not going to be the way you get to an endpoint,” says Goodman. “From the outside, our process can look like chaos. You might not enjoy watching how the sausage is made, but chances are, you’ll love the end result.”

The signs were there early. Teachers pushed for an ADHD evaluation when Lindsey Allison, 43, a photographer, was still in grade school. It would take another two decades before she got real answers. “I always felt like there was something wrong with me mentally,” she says. “I spent most of my adult years hiding the fact that I was processing the world differently.” 

Rather than one defining moment, it was a slow build that finally caught up with her. When her business took off during the pandemic, Allison went from a small side hustle to tens of thousands of dollars in revenue almost overnight. “Everything kind of collapsed on my head,” she says, “and it became a real challenge.”

Looking back, she wishes someone had helped her see the full picture sooner, and “not just ADHD as something happening inside my brain,” she says. That shift in understanding has changed how she moves through her day now. “It’s changed how I perceive discipline,” Allison says. “Instead of seeing discipline as something I need because I’m somehow failing, I see it as a support system I create for myself.” More than anything, she says, having a diagnosis has helped her become more self-compassionate and self-accepting. 

Although these three women found their answers at different points in life, what they’d tell you now is remarkably similar—understanding came later in life. And that’s not unique to them: because these symptoms often go unnoticed, many women don’t get an ADHD diagnosis or find treatment to help manage their symptoms until their late 30s or 40s. Sharing these narratives is one way of making sure fewer people have to wait so long.

If you see yourself in these stories, visit Qelbree.com/MsRepresented and talk to your healthcare provider to see if Qelbree may be a good fit for you.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (CONTINUED)

You should not take Qelbree if you or your child: 
Take a medicine for depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or have stopped taking an MAOI in the past 14 days. Also, you or your child should avoid alosetron, duloxetine, ramelteon, tasimelteon, tizanidine, and theophylline.

Qelbree can increase blood pressure and heart rate. Your or your child’s doctor will monitor these vital signs.

Qelbree may cause manic episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. Tell your doctor if you or your child show any signs of mania.

Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Qelbree will affect you or your child. Qelbree may cause you or your child to feel sleepy or tired.

The most common side effects of Qelbree in patients 6 to 17 years are sleepiness, not feeling hungry, feeling tired, nausea, vomiting, trouble sleeping, and irritability, and in adults, insomnia, headache, sleepiness, tiredness, nausea, decreased appetite, dry mouth, and constipation. These are not all the possible side effects of Qelbree.
 
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Medication Guide, including Boxed Warning.

Qelbree (viloxazine extended-release capsules) is available in 100 mg, 150 mg, and
200 mg capsule strengths.

Qelbree is a registered trademark of Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
©2026 Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All rights reserved.

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