‘Getting a diagnosis really opened my life’: Kristen McGuinness says she feels liberated after finding out she had ADHD just months after learning she had autism
Kristen McGuinness was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) just months after revealing that she is “at the top of the spectrum” of autism.
The 34-year-old, who is married to comedian Paddy McGuinness, 48, said this weekend that she found her diagnosis liberating as it set her on the path to better understanding herself.
She said Daily Star Sunday: ‘I have now been diagnosed with ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
Health: Kristen McGuinness, 34, was diagnosed with ADHD just months after revealing she was ‘on the high spectrum’ of autism
“Knowledge is key. If you know the situation, you can deal with it. So getting the diagnosis really opened up my life.”
“It has given me a much greater opportunity to understand why I am the way I am.”
Kristen’s three children, twins Penelope and Leo, eight, and Felicity, five, have been diagnosed with autism.
The Knowledge: The star, who is married to comedian Paddy McGuinness, 48, said this weekend that she found her diagnosis liberating because it set her on the path to understanding herself better.
She revealed that she was also diagnosed with autism in November last year.
The media personality confessed in her new book Christine McGuinness: A Beautiful Nightmare and told how her husband, Paddy, had suspected this for years.
Autism refers to a wide range of conditions characterized by challenges in social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.
Family: Kristen’s three children, twins Penelope and Leo, eight, and five-year-old Felicity, have been diagnosed with autism, and Kristen revealed she has autism in November
In her book, she wrote, “I’ve been confirmed as having autism. It’s weird, but I’ve noticed there have been few hints throughout my life that I have autism and more like my children than I ever imagined.”
My issues with food, my social struggles, how hard it was to make friends and stay focused, my indecisiveness. The way I float through life reminds me of my eldest daughter Penelope.
Meanwhile, Kristen has had horrific meltdowns while training for the upcoming TV series The Games.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire star is set to take on a variety of sporting challenges during the live television broadcast of the show.
She told the Daily Star Sunday that being in a gym was ‘overwhelming’, calling it a ‘sensory burden’ due to autism.
Kristen says her anxiety has grown and she is “terrified” by the competition for live TV.
She concluded, “It was a lot of tears from me, and even more so as the series approached.
“I have minor breakdowns.”
Challenge: Meanwhile, Kristen has had horrific meltdowns while training for the upcoming TV series The Games