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Gibney's Shock ADHD & Autism Diagnosis
24 Mar
Summary
- Actress Rebecca Gibney received ADHD and autism diagnoses.
- Diagnosis provided answers to lifelong struggles and panic attacks.
- Gibney grapples with grief, questioning past difficulties.
Actress Rebecca Gibney, 61, recently received diagnoses of ADHD and autism. This news came after she sought psychological help for difficulties experienced following her participation in Dancing With The Stars earlier this year. The diagnoses have been profoundly emotional for Gibney, who stated they explained lifelong challenges, including panic attacks and a history of "masking" her natural behaviors to fit in.
While Gibney finds some relief in understanding her past struggles, the diagnoses also brought grief. She expressed a sense of mourning, contemplating how different her high school years and subsequent mental health challenges might have been if she had known about her conditions decades earlier. This follows a pattern of Australian celebrities, including Mia Freeman and Sigrid Thornton, also receiving later-life ADHD diagnoses.
Gibney's journey has involved addressing perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies, traits she believes were inherited. She is now learning to set boundaries and prioritize her well-being, reflecting a broader theme of self-acceptance and understanding complex neurological conditions in adulthood.
