"For 40 Years I Beat Myself Up": Davinia Taylor on Late ADHD Diagnosis and Sobriety

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For 40 years, Davinia Taylor thought she was just disorganised. Then she filled in her son's ADHD checklist and saw herself on every line.

In this second conversation with Dr Shauna Watts, Davinia opens up about what happens when ADHD, perimenopause and midlife collide. She explains why so many women are only diagnosed as their hormones shift and their old coping strategies stop working, why hyperfocus is part of ADHD rather than proof against it, and how a late diagnosis replaced decades of shame with relief.

Davinia also shares her story with alcohol: how it started, how IVF and a hormonal crash after her first son's birth brought everything to a head, the care she never received, and what nearly 20 years of sobriety looks like today, even on a trip to Ibiza.

Content note: this episode discusses alcohol addiction and postnatal depression, and includes some strong language.

In this episode:

• What "neuro spicy" means, and why perimenopause can make masking impossible

• The Soho nail bomb, and why some ADHD brains go calm in a crisis

• Recognising herself in her son's ADHD checklist, and the relief of an adult diagnosis

• Why ADHD medication didn't suit Davinia, while it works for her son

• Hyperfocus: why concentrating for hours doesn't rule out ADHD

• When hyperfocus tips into overspending

• How drinking started, and why for Davinia it was about energy, not trauma

• IVF, the postpartum crash and the hormone testing that never happened

• Alcoholism as a disease, not a lack of willpower

• Why some women's drinking climbs in perimenopause

• Staying sober in Ibiza, the HALT check-in, and what withdrawal really feels like

• Swapping alcohol for carbohydrates, and what helps her now

• DNA testing and getting to know your own blueprint

• What a diagnosis label can give you

Support
If this episode brought something up for you, your GP is a great place to start.
National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015 (24/7)
Lifeline: 13 11 14 (24/7) www.lifeline.org.au
PANDA (Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia): 1300 726 306 www.panda.org.au

Follow Davinia Taylor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daviniataylor/
Will Powders: https://www.willpowders.com/

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Disclaimer: This podcast and any information, advice, opinions or statements within it do not constitute medical, health care or other professional advice. Information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only.

00:00 Intro
02:27 What "neuro spicy" means
04:50 ADHD and staying calm in chaos
09:24 Trying ADHD medication
10:02 When perimenopause meets ADHD
11:52 Not built to be a stay-at-home mum
14:11 Hyperfocus and why it doesn't rule out ADHD
19:26 Davinia's story with alcohol
26:39 Why midlife women's drinking is rising
33:34 What alcohol withdrawal really feels like
36:04 What moved the needle: knowing your blueprint
40:04 What a diagnosis label can give you
42:43 Dr Shauna's three takeaways

Menopause
Midlife
Perimenopause
Dr Shauna Watts
Dr Shauna GP
Womens health advocate
Davinia Taylor
ADHD in women
Adult ADHD diagnosis
Perimenopause and ADHD
Hyperfocus
Neurodivergent women
Alcohol and menopause
Sobriety
Postnatal depression
IVF and hormones

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