Why Inclusion Matters: Krista’s Story

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is Inclusion!

As a Registered Social Worker I’ve spent my career challenging systemic barriers and advocating for inclusion.

In honour of IWD 2024, I share my own journey from undiagnosed ADHD to where I am now. I also connect the dots on why inclusion is so important for women with ADHD.

Listen to the audio below or read the transcript.

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

Sitting down to record this piece for International Women’s Day 2024 I’ll admit that I battled many of the familiar challenges for those of us living with ADHD - perfectionism, negative self-talk and overwhelm.

And yet I persevered because I know what I have to say matters too. This year I decided to not let my ADHD hold me back because the theme of International Women’s Day 2024 is Inclusion and I have something to say about it.

As someone who has essentially built my entire career around themes of inclusion and breaking down systemic barriers, this is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart.

Before I get any further I should probably introduce who I am. My name is Krista Varsakis and I am a Registered Social Worker here in beautiful British Columbia and I am also registered to provide services by telehealth in Ontario. 

For those who don’t know, I run a practice called Live Heart Forward where I help educate adults with ADHD on ways we can live more joyfully using a mix of ADHD psychoeducation, self-acceptance and mindfulness practices to name a few.

Krista’s Story: From undiagnosed ADHD to now

That's actually not what I wanted to focus on today though, I wanted to share a bit of my own story as a woman with ADHD.

I am someone who identifies as having multiple barriers myself. That’s basically just a fancy way of saying I have faced challenges related to my neurotype and a few other (barriers) too.

On the outside looking in I don’t think many people would think that I have struggled. I have managed to go to fancy universities for a long enough time to get to where I am now in some pretty competitive environments  

I also have worked in some very demanding environments at a high level 

In fact I was only diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 40 but I have a lifetime of struggling under my belt

So I know what it’s like when people on the outside look in may think  “hey you’re successful!” but the truth is only I know the toll it has taken on me to get here

Why am I sharing this? Well the truth is there are many aspects of my experience that I just don’t think are unique to me, but unfortunately there isn’t enough awareness yet out there of the true cost of ADHD and especially on the toll it takes on women in our society

That’s why I was so excited to find out the theme of International Women’s Day 2024 is Inclusion because Inclusion is critical! And I am proof of that!

Women make up approximately half of the world’s population, and on average do much of the emotional labour and caretaking in society while receiving much less support and acknowledgment than men just to name a couple things. We know there’s more to it.

I know firsthand from experience that watching the women around me who shaped me into the person I am today, women often have to overcome so much at great personal cost and yet we persevered.

Women with ADHD are having a moment where we are certainly being diagnosed much more frequently than before, and at the same time I also know from my work with clients many women continue to be taken less seriously or even dismissed by healthcare providers when seeking support for their possible ?ADHD and are often told things like “You couldn’t have ADHD, you have a degree!”

In fact sometimes it’s the people closest to us who say things like that too without recognizing how invalidating this really is

Although I do think there are lots of reasons why someone with undiagnosed ADHD might be able to make it through a gruelling academic program or a high-performing position, it undeniably comes at a great cost and very often leads to ADHD burnout

How do I know that? I have talked to a lot of clients about this but the truth is I am living proof

I’ve had to mask much of my life to get to the point I’m at now. And while again, I don’t think my story is unique I do occupy a pretty cool position as a Social Worker and practitioner who has the privilege of working with other women with ADHD who have similar stories and I have the immense privilege to recognize that many of the barriers I faced are not my creation but I’ve still have to deal with them…

My background is actually in non-profit land as well as local government where I have worked both overseas and here in Canada. Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice work have always been my bread and butter and then I went back to school to become a Social Worker in my 30s so I could continue to advocate for inclusion.

As a baby Social Worker I cut my teeth so to speak working in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood in Vancouver for a social enterprise that focused on inclusive employment practices as the Employment Support Worker. 

For those who may not know, Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside is notorious/famous because there are a lot of folks who do end up in that community who face multiple barriers and an enormous amount of stigma. And it is also a really resilient and beautiful community if you get to know the folks down there

Working down there for an organization that focuses on inclusive practices as the Employment Support Worker I really honed my abilities to support folks through hiring and retention practices that reduce barriers so I know what it looks like boots on the ground to be inclusive 

I’ve also completed Disability Applications for the Province of BC and during my time working as a healthcare social worker working amongst Doctors, Psychiatrists, Nurses, to name a few I gained an in-depth understanding of the realities and polarities of the health care system and how people with mental health challenges and the social determinants of health are impacted significantly by internal and external factors

Back to me though. Layering on the stress of the nature of public healthcare social work in a hospital during the COVID19 Pandemic while essentially doing some of the hardest work I know of, I was battling my own undiagnosed ADHD and characteristics as a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) which has led to spectacular burnout

To be candid, I am still emerging from that level of burnout and that is why I am so passionate about the work I do because I am part of the community I serve and I have gone on a personal journey to better understand ADHD and my own lived experiences - that continues today. 

Although sometimes I think people expect their therapist or Social Worker to be perfect, I think it’s super important to be honest about our experiences and frankly I prefer to work with someone who I know gets it.

The majority of my clients I work with are women and that is my specialty area although men and non-binary folks are welcome too and I would never turn anyone away.

That said, I know so many women - both clients and even those in my own life - who on the outside are high-performers but under the surface are plagued with self-doubt, battling perfectionism and negative self-talk stemming from ADHD. We know that over time can lead to a host of mental health issues like Anxiety and Depression, and eventually the lack of participation from these very capable individuals in society

I really believe that is a net loss for us all and so inclusion is the only way forward. I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief overview of and learning a little bit about me and why I am so passionate about International Women’s Day. 

I would love to hear more from you about your story - feel free to reach out and leave a comment and let’s continue to the conversation…