Is It ADHD… Or Is Your Nervous System Just Overwhelmed?
Photo by Elisha May
I know. It’s a bold question.
“Is ADHD real…?”
Yes, I believe ADHD absolutely exists. I’ve known people who’ve had extensive testing, brain scans, and diagnoses backed by data. In some cases, things like mercury poisoning or neurochemical imbalances in childhood have played a huge role. There are real, valid, medical reasons why some people experience ADHD.
But here’s what I’m concerned about…
The Rapid Rise in Self-Diagnosis
So many people today are self-diagnosing ADHD (or even Autism) after a few Instagram Reels or online quizzes, without ever looking deeper.
And honestly? I get it.
Life feels harder than ever. Tech overstimulation, burnout, trauma, lifestyle misalignment; it can leave anyone feeling distracted, dysregulated, and emotionally chaotic.
I’ve been there. I’ve lived there. And during those times? I ticked all the ADHD boxes, but I didn’t have ADHD.
I had an overwhelmed nervous system, unprocessed trauma, and a life that didn’t match my truth.
What If It’s Not ADHD? What If You’re Just Out of Alignment?
We don’t ask this enough.
Are you truly meeting your needs?
Are you surrounded by overstimulation 24/7?
Are you still running old trauma loops?
Are you trying to live a “normal” life that your soul never signed up for?
When I’m in alignment, grounded, rested, and clear, my mind works fine. I can focus. I can create. I feel stable.
But when I’m off balance?
I become chaotic. Scattered. Wired and tired.
I can’t make decisions. I feel like I’ve “lost myself.”
It looks like ADHD… but it’s not.
HSPs Often Get Mislabelled
When I finally discovered I was a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), everything clicked. I didn’t need a diagnosis, I needed understanding.
Being an HSP explained why:
I couldn’t handle constant socialising
I felt things so deeply it hurt
I needed solo time, nature, space
I was overwhelmed by “normal life” expectations
And when I didn’t honour those needs? I looked like I had ADHD.
My shadow side - as an ENFP - mimicked ADHD behaviour: distraction, chaos, forgetfulness, over-talking, inability to finish things.
But when I slowed down, disconnected from tech, grounded in nature, honoured my cycles…
The symptoms calmed.
My nervous system recalibrated.
And I returned to myself.
Questions to Ask Before You Label Yourself
Have you been tested for mercury, parasites, or inflammation?
Are you burnt out from people-pleasing or pretending to be “normal”?
Are you overstimulated by tech, city life, or toxic environments?
Are you in a job, relationship, or pattern that drains you?
Are you truly connected to your core values and desires?
Because for many people, especially HSPs, the real issue is a nervous system in survival mode.
Not a disordered brain.
Not a lifelong diagnosis.
Just… a system that’s had enough.
My Journey Back from the Edge
Ten years ago, I was suicidal.
I was on antidepressants.
I was grieving, disconnected, burnt out, and numb.
I thought that version of me was permanent.
But something in me, a whisper, knew I was meant for more.
That I could feel different. Live different. Be different.
And I did. Not overnight. Not easily.
But with deep healing, nervous system repair, spiritual awakening, and total life overhaul…
I came back to myself.
Now I look back, and I barely recognise that woman.
But I honour her. She got me here.
We Are Not Broken. We Are Just Misunderstood.
“Everyone is unique. Everyone is neurodiverse to a degree.
But we’ve got to stop turning every quirk, wound, or survival mechanism into a permanent label.”
We are allowed to outgrow patterns.
We are allowed to heal our symptoms.
We are allowed to change.
Please, before you sign your life over to a diagnosis:
Pause.
Reflect.
Get support.
Cleanse your system.
Disconnect from the noise.
And listen to your soul.
Final Words
You are worth fighting for.
You are not too sensitive.
You are not broken.
You are not behind.
You’re just wired for a deeper life.
And that life? Begins when you start honouring your needs.
Ready to rebuild your nervous system & reclaim your truth?
I help HSPs, empaths, and sensitive souls come back to themselves, through energetic healing, emotional recalibration, and practical lifestyle shifts.
👉 Book a 1:1 session with me here
Love,
Elisha ❤️🔥
Written by Elisha May | Originally 2022 | Refined 2025
