Hi everyone, I’m Emma and I need your help.

For those who know me, you know I’ve been fighting hard for my recovery and my life. I live with Complex PTSD, physical health and learning challenges that have left me disabled and unable to work. For five years, I have shown up to trauma therapy and 12-step recovery, but I’ve hit a wall I can't climb alone: undiagnosed and untreated ADHD/ADD. The difficulties I have with staying, focussed and present have massively impacted my ability to be consistent with and applying the tools I am receiving from therapy etc. I am utterly exhausted living like this - I have lost the last 5 years of my life and increasingly feel like I am failing at recovery.

I am hoping this assessment will be the missing piece of the puzzle, allowing me to move toward a life where I’m not only surviving, but thriving.

The Reality of My Daily Life - Living with this brain fog is debilitating. It affects every second of my life in ways that go far beyond being distracted:

• I have extreme difficulty starting even simple tasks and feel overwhelmed by basic decisions.

• I lose track of hours. I either procrastinate or feel a desperate, last-minute urgency that leaves me exhausted.

• My brain feels full. I forget instructions almost immediately and struggle to process information, which makes therapy and step work very difficult to follow and retain. Mental overload and debilitating brain fog.

• I can focus intensely on one thing for hours, but I’ll completely forget basic needs like eating or sleeping.

• I wake up mentally drained. The effort it takes just to function leads to total energy crashes and chronic fatigue

• It is a constant struggle to manage grocery shopping, consistent routines, basic day to day tasks or follow multi-step instructions.

I wouldn’t have been able to even do or write this without the help of a friend and Gemini, as I don’t have the capacity or brain power right now. Thank you, Sherene, for recognising the barriers I face, that I needed extra support and for all your input—I wouldn’t be here without you. No emoji's here or I'd give you a hug. lol

The No-Win NHS Situation

I have been desperately fighting for help through the NHS for 4 years. Their response is always the same: they do not have the resources to test adults for ADHD. I’m going round in circles. Without an assessment, there is no treatment. Without treatment, my brain lacks the necessary executive functioning to move forward. I am stuck in a cycle of distress, anguish and mental exhaustion.

How You Can Help

By helping me reach this goal, you aren't just funding a test; you are giving me the lifeline and mental toolkit I need to finally succeed at life and in my recovery. I am aiming to raise £3,000 to cover:

• The initial private specialist assessment in Glasgow.

• The titration process (finding the right medication).

• Follow-up appointments, prescriptions, and travel costs.

If I can access this care, I will finally have the capacity to regain my independence.

Thank you for reading my story. If you can donate, even a small amount, it would mean the world to me. If that isn’t possible, please consider sharing this link. Your support gives me hope that I don't have to give up and that I can recover.

Much love and hugs, Emma