Do things get worse before they get better?

In my experience, things didn't actually get worse after the diagnosis, but I was very aware of my symptoms, which made it seem worse.

For example, one of my major ADHD things is losing important everyday items (keys, wallet, phone) literally daily. Before the diagnosis, I'd just sigh and go, ah it's happened again, okay let's find it. And then after the diagnosis I immediately would go "wow ADHD sucks I can't believe this." So my attitude was different and I was very aware of why it was happening.

Discovering I had ADHD and realizing how it's impacted my life was a huge moment of self-discovery. Sometimes in a negative way, but mostly positive. I finally understood things about myself that I'd found puzzling, or that didn't line up with things my friends experienced. It was freeing in that way. I was also able to reach out to friends who I knew had ADHD and exchange thoughts and experiences, which was quite helpful.

Don't be hard on yourself for anything you're realizing now. There are so many people who can relate, and having this ADHD explanation for what you've gone through can help things make more sense. And none of it is your fault; it's all how your brain is wired, which you had nothing to do with.

Things can get better with coping strats and meds if you want to go that route. I still have ADHD traits even with medication, but I've come to embrace some of them. I actually love hyperfixating (as long as it's on something harmless). I get to go down so many rabbit holes and have weird obscure knowledge of things that can be lots of fun in conversation down the line. But with meds, I'm able to concentrate on my work better, and that's been a huge relief.