Ruth's story

Ruth is a 32-year-old woman. She left school at 16, having got into trouble for not working hard enough, arguing and getting into fights with other girls. She had a stormy relationship with her mother, who said she was a difficult child, ‘into everything and could have done better if she had tried’. She has lost several jobs in retail for getting angry with customers, but more recently has enjoyed working as a gardener in a small firm. She is disorganised at home, struggling to keep on top of things, and this resulted in her relationship ending. Her 7-year-old son was getting into trouble at school, has dyslexia and has recently been diagnosed with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Medication has helped him in his school work and his behaviour at school and at home. She asked her general practitioner (GP) for referral to an adult ADHD specialist, and was subsequently diagnosed with ADHD, which made a lot of sense to her. She tried medication but, although this helped, it also caused sideeffects. She has read a lot about ADHD and manages her symptoms better as a result of developing better coping strategies, and by avoiding or planning for situations that might cause conflict.