I’ve come to realise I don’t believe in lifestyle hacks anymore... and here’s why.

We’ve tried many remedies to help our gut health, but nothing has worked as well as removing foods that our bodies can’t tolerate. Because restrictive diets can be isolating, I remain hopeful that one day we’ll find solutions to eat freely again.

My curiosity led me to explore dopamine, that elusive neurotransmitter, and I found myself questioning: Are dopamine issues the result of trauma, toxins, genes, lifestyle or a mix of all these?

I’ve felt shame for growing up in poverty and neglect. Shame for struggling to function in a world that expects constant productivity. Shame for questioning societal norms and making unconventional choices.

We've been taught to look for trauma in the past, in our parents, in our childhoods. But what if the real struggle lies in simply living in a world that doesn’t align with who we are? The deeper I dug into trauma, the more I realised that the real issue wasn’t about fixing the past—it was about surviving the present.

ADHD often feels like having a brain that’s constantly switching channels, unable to settle on one. For me, it’s a paradox of intense dedication and persistent struggles—finishing what I start but running in circles without structure.