Moonlake Lee did not fit the stereotype for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)– she considered herself to be an organized woman, and had 4 degrees. But when her teenage daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and she learned of the genetic link, she started wondering if she had it too.
“It explained a lot of things in my past: The need to pack my schedule to the brim, inability to sit still, struggles with poor working memory and constant distraction by things around me. I had prided myself on my multi-tasking ability and to-do lists, but these were actually adaptations I had picked up over the years,” Moonlake shared during an interview with Vogue Singapore.
Moonlake was finally diagnosed with ADHD in 2020, at age 50. Through her experience she saw a gap in ADHD information and resources in Singapore. She decided to make a difference by creating Unlocking ADHD a non-profit with a mission to empower ADHDers in Singapore.
Moonlake told Vogue Singapore that getting a proper diagnosis brought her new self-awareness, self-compassion and even improved her relationships:
“The biggest benefit about finding out I had ADHD was my improved relationship with my husband. There was finally context, understanding and compassion for the issues that had been a source of conflict over the years – time blindness, forgetfulness and jumping topics during conversations. Previously, all these had been perceived as character flaws. I am happy that he is fully supportive of what I am trying to do for the ADHD community in Singapore through Unlocking ADHD.”
Learn more about Moonlake’s organization Unlocking ADHD by visiting UnlockingADHD.com.
