ADHD Self-Relationship, plus a ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ and Blackpool!
Every year February shines the spotlight on romantic relationships. But whether you’re in one, several, or you’re self-partnered; relationships can be challenging for people with ADHD.
Our focus for February’s free in-person ADHD Peer Support Groups is on the most important relationship any person can have; Self-relationship. We hope you’ll come along to your local group in Scotland, England or Wales (at last!) to discuss this very important topic with other ADHD adults of marginalised genders.
Before we dive into what’s coming up in February, let’s reflect on the glimmers that brightened up the darkest month of the year, and unlike the current 2016 nostalgia onine; ADHD is NOT a social media trend; and I want to ‘throw it back’ six years later…
Happy New Year!
I’m Laura, the founder of ADHDAF+ Charity, and I was diagnosed with severe combined type ADHD four years ago, aged 38 in January 2022.
ADHD diagnosis and medication not only improved, but genuinely saved my life!
Three months post diagnosis, I started a Podcast called ADHD As Females (ADHD AF) in the hope that sharing my lived experience would help others like me, to help raise ADHD awareness, and to be part of the push for essential systemic change to improve, and also save lives.
Most unexpectedly, people actually listened all over the world!
A Patreon Community of ADHD AF Podcast Listeners was born in November 2023; including peer support on the private
Discord forum and online events like Body Doubling…
And on 8th January, we celebrated THREE WHOLE YEARS of weekday Morning Body Doubling Sessions in the Patreon Community!
What a start to 2026!
Above are just a few of the LEGENDS that joined our ‘one-thousand-and-something’ 7am Body Doubling session on Zoom, and we celebrated by… hitting record of course!
You can listen to this very special episode of ADHD AF: Celebrating Three Years of Morning Body Doubling wherever you usually get your podcasts or you can watch it as a video podcast on Spotify.
Whilst the online community leant on and learnt from each other behind the scenes; I took the podcast on the road to connect with listeners in real life.
Over the course of those three UK ADHD AF Podcast Tours during ‘23 and ‘24; I witnessed first hand the empowerment that came from connecting ADHD adults in their local community.
What makes our charity so unique and special, is that the ‘Leopard Print Army’ of listeners not only inspired ADHDAF+ Charity’s creation, but they continue to inform everything we do - the actual lived experience of thousands of late discovered ADHD adults of marginalised genders.
“Nothing about us without us -
ADHDAF+ Charity is:
ABOUT US, BY US, FOR US!”
That motto memorialised in January’s very special ADHD AF Podcast episode: New Year, Same ADHD and SAD with Oxford Peer Support Group Facilitators Claire and Kirsty.
In 2025, all of our ADHD Support Groups were facilitated by people whose lives have been transformed or even saved by the Patreon community and live podcast events!
I’m made up with the response to that episode, and to the feedback we’ve received from all of our January ADHD Peer Support Sessions on the topic - again, direct feedback which shapes the evolution of our Charity.
You can join Kirsty and Claire for February’s Oxford ADHD Support Group on Wednesday 11th February 7-9m in the Jubilee Room of Headington Quarry Village Hall (Margaret Rd entrance)OX3 8NX.
You can sign up for Oxford ADHD Group reminder emails HERE.
Fidgets, snacks and info - as pictured at our January Ayr ADHD Peer Support Group by the lovely local late-discovered ADHD Facilitator Beth.
You can join Beth’s group on Tuesday 3rd February at 48 Newmarket St, KA7 1LR from 6:30 -8:30pm.
Our Ayr, Scotland ADHD support session falls on the same night as our Birmingham ADHD Group - the first Tuesday of every month.
Despite January’s HORRENDOUS weather(!) legends in London and Bristol (above) braved the cold for some heart warming ADHD community connection.
Usually our Bristol and London ADHD Groups are on the same night (first Thurs of each month) , but for February only our Bristol Group is changing date:
Join Kate on Thursday 12th Feb in The Loft (3rd Floor)
of the Tobacco Factory, BS3 1TF.
You can sign up for email reminders for our ADHD Bristol Group HERE
Our ‘Geeky Roo’, Ruth invites you to her London group: Thursday 5th February 6:30-8:30pm at Almorah Road Community Centre,
58 Almorah Rd, N1 3EU.
You can sign up for email reminders for our ADHD London Group HERE
Fabulous feedback as always for Gill’s Manchester ADHD Support Group; supported by Volunteer Co-facilitator Toni.
You can join them both on Wednesday 11th February, 7-9pm at Friends’ Meeting House, 6 Mount St, M2 5NS
You can sign up for email reminders for our ADHD Manchester Group HERE
We started the New Year with a new Runcorn ADHD Support Group
Runcorn local Volunteer Facilitator Gemma, invites you to her second session at 6:30pm on Wednesday 4th February at Castlefields Community Centre, Village Square, WA7 2ST.
Though each month’s adults only groups focus on a different topic; all follow the same format for each session and run for two hours.
All of our venues are fully accessible, and although attendees are encouraged to share their experiences if they would like to - there’s no pressure!
Similarly, there’s no pressure to be on time or stay for the duration.
All are welcome to sit comfortably, take some time out or move around during - so long as they do not disrupt
the session for other attendees.
Can any adult attend ADHDAF+ Groups?
As you can see from February’s schedule above; joining our growing ‘leap of leopards’ - February brings two new ADHDAF+ groups to connect and empower ADHD adults of marginalised genders. One in Blackpool and finally our first group in Wales - Wrexham.
But how did these groups come to be created?
Paula was one of the incredible models in ADHDAF Emporium’s ADHD awareness raising catwalk show, which closed Blackpool Style Assembly’s ADHDAF+ fundraiser back in August 2025!
Late diagnosed at 58, our Paula is currently awaiting titration having got her ADHD diagnosis in October ‘25.
Local government politician and Pastoral Support in local FE College; Paula’s spent the last 25 years in informal counselling/ mentoring/coaching positions.
Paula saw the desperate need for a Blackpool ADHD Support Group; and as a long term listener, she knew our values aligned.
We’re so excited and grateful that Paula’s starting the Blackpool ADHD Support Group!
You can join her on Thursday 12th February from 7-9pm at Aunty Social, 28 Topping St, Blackpool FY1 3AQ and you can sign up got Blackpool ADHD Group reminder emails HERE
The story of how our Wrexham group came to be is incredibly emotional, Trigger Warning: Suicidal ideation. If you are experiencing similar struggles YOU ARE NOT ALONE; there’s a list of resources for support HERE -please do reach out for help.
I am so grateful to MJ, for not just applying to volunteer to start our first ADHD Wales Support Group, but for helping raise awareness about this sadly commonly shared experience in our community - by sharing her experiences in the below post…
It was both a pleasure and an honour to meet MJ at Camp VC Festival ‘25; where Manchester ADHD Group Facilitator Gill was helping me give ADHD Bingo Seminars at the very special event.
I can’t wait to do more of the same this summer.
But first, I’m even more excited for MJ’s first ADHD Wrexham Peer Support Group!
You are invited to join MJ on Wednesday 11th February, 7-9pm at Quaker Meeting House, Holt Road, Wrexham, LL13 8HN. You can sign up for Wrexham ADHD Group emails HERE
If we’ve not started a group in your local area yet, and you’re an ADHD adult of marginalised gender in Scotland, England or Wales;
you can apply to volunteer to start your own HERE
All of February’s groups will focus on the topic: Self-Relationship, but what does that mean?
How do you think about yourself? Talk to yourself? Care for yourself? How do you respond to your own emotions and needs?
Just as self-love is much more than bubble baths and chocolate cake(!) Self-relationship is the very foundation for mental health, confidence, and how we relate to others.
But speaking from my own lived experience and that of the podcast community…
Late-discovered ADHD often leads to:
Self-doubt: You stop trusting your intentions or follow-through
Self-abandonment: Ignoring your needs to compensate or mask
People-pleasing/peace-keeping : Overcorrecting to avoid criticism
Burnout cycles: Pushing → crashing → self-blame
After a lifetime of being what ADHD Actor and Writer Nicole Nadler calls ‘the unreliable narrator’ of our own lives; in finally identifying that our struggles are due to ADHD, it is essential that we begin
to build self-trust.
Easier said than done; I know but absolutely essential!
However the wrecking ball of unidentified ADHD swung in and bashed your life, your relationships, your self worth, career, and so on… it is important to acknowledge your trauma and your challenges are not personal failures - quite the opposite.
“You adapted and survived without even having the instruction manual! ”
It’s time to start a new chapter with all of the information; healing our Self-relationship with ADHD and self awareness.
The work isn’t to fix yourself - you’re not broken - it’s about re-relating to yourself accurately.
With so many ADHDers having experienced traumatic personal relations, abuse, manipulation, violence and isolation. We’re telling Cupid to DO ONE(!) and spending February focussing on building the most important relationship of all…
It’s time for your second act; to turn the page TOGETHER.
We hope you can attend an ADHDAF+ Charity ADHD Peer Support Group on Self-relationship in February!
If you would like to make a donation to ADHDAF+ Charity you can do so HERE and we would be extremely grateful. You can also Volunteer to help us HERE
Thanks so much for all of your support!
Laura x
