Diagnosed at 38, Dr. Ozgur Yalcin transformed his understanding of ADHD, using his personal experience to become a more empathetic and effective clinical psychologist. Dr Oz shares his ADHD epiphany.
Having immigrated to Australia from Turkey when I was 5 years old and growing up in commission housing, I didn’t quite fit the traditional mould. School was a constant struggle and I dropped out in Year 10, thinking education wasn’t for me. Hospitality suited my need for stimulation, social engagement, and misadventure but not for autonomy and a sense of purpose.
So, at 29, I thought I’d give education another go – I didn’t even know what clinical psychology was at this stage, let alone that I was about to embark on 12-plus more years of study.
Fortunately, I’m passionate and competitive, which got me through my undergraduate and master’s always juggling full-time study with working enough to survive.
It’s always been hard for me to do one thing at a time. Halfway through my registrar program, I was also a therapy manager at a psychiatric hospital, running my own private practice, and doing a PhD!
Clinical work was exciting and fulfilling, but I struggled with administrative tasks and the unstructured nature of research – I would feel overwhelmed lost, stressed, and bored all at once. Something didn’t feel right; as a matter of fact, something had always felt different inside as far back as I could remember.
I did a screener questionnaire for ADHD with my partner and we had a good old laugh about how I ticked every box and then did nothing with this information for over six months.
I feared being judged or seen as impaired as a clinician if I sought help. I ignored the signs, convinced I just needed to work harder, as I had always done.
Eventually, hitting a brick wall of frustration and helplessness, I bit the bullet and consulted a psychiatrist colleague. To my relief, I was met with warmth, compassion, and understanding. Diagnosis at the ripe old age of 38 was a turning point. It brought immense clarity on who I am as a person, both the challenges and strengths.
I’ve certainly gotten into plenty of trouble, missed opportunities, and taken the long way round. But I’m also perseverant, tenacious, intuitive, and insatiably curious.
While the journey has not been without its challenges and remains ongoing, I can now proudly say that I am a person, clinical psychologist, leader, friend, and advocate with lived experience of ADHD.
Why am I sharing this? Because I believe that if I can overcome the obstacles I’ve faced, so can you. ADHDers are amongst the most resilient, interesting, compassionate, and endearing individuals I have met.
It is my hope that I can help reduce the stigma, particularly amongst healthcare professionals, and give permission for people to ask for help. You are not alone, you don’t have to do it alone, and you will find your tribe.
By embracing my ADHD, accepting support, and building the necessary scaffolding around my life, I now work with my brain instead of against it. I’ve found strength, purpose, and a newfound appreciation for life. I wish the same for you.
- Dr Oz
