Former Miss Universe Maria Thattil reveals she’s taking medication for ADHD

Australian beauty queen Maria Thattil has broken her silence about a hidden struggle that made her question if she had “character flaws” before receiving medical help.

Former Miss Universe Australia Maria Thattil has opened up about her recent ADHD diagnosis revealing she is taking prescription medication.

Ms Thattil, 32, was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder three months ago, however, she hasn’t spoken in depth about the impact on her until now.

“Yes, I have been put on medication,” she announced on Instagram.

“I wanted to give myself a chance to adjust to it and really understand how ADHD has manifested in my life and how employing certain strategies and getting on medication makes a difference.”

The Melbourne-based model revealed she is currently taking medication. Picture: Instagram

She said her brother was the one who recognised her symptoms. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The Melbourne-based beauty queen, author, model and Neighbours actor said the diagnosis explained a lot of things that previously made her question behavioural patterns.

“I’ve had many moments and things in my life where I’ve gone, ‘Why am I like this?’ And I have also always just thought maybe it’s a character flaw, whether it’s my penchant for impulsivity, or you know, not being able to sit still and talking a lot.

“Even just recently learning about vocal stimming, just thinking this is just [a quirk] of your personality and learning actually, no, neurobiologically something else is going on and this is how it’s manifesting,” she explained.

The beauty said she now had explanations for things she previously thought were a quirk of her personality, or even a “character flaw”. Picture: Adam Yip

“Don’t get me wrong, in many ways I do feel like some of these things have served me so well in business, but the reason I sought out a diagnosis is because my brother recognised it in me. The emotional disregulation part of things really came to the forefront when I was going through some life changes, so I really needed some support for it.

“The diagnosis has been amazing and the medication has been very helpful.”

Ms Thattil, who has 322,000 followers on the social media platform, said she had never considered having ADHD until her diagnosis because of the way it is understood.

Maria Thattil shares an on screen kiss with Hannah Monson on Neighbours. Picture: Supplied

“Representations of neurodivergence are not always very inclusive and for me, being a high-functioning person, it surprised me to learn this. But also then getting help for it, it’s like, wow, there are these things I used to struggle with that I shouldn’t have had to struggle with. “And so in sharing I hope it encourage people to open their mind and reconsider what neurodivergence looks like.”

ADHD affects one in 20 Australians, or more than one million people, according to ADHD Australia, and diagnoses are on the rise as people seek answers for lifelong symptoms.

“There’s not necessarily a large influx of people who suddenly have ADHD, but there is an influx of people who are willing to present,” Australian Psychological Society president Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe told the Herald Sun.

Maria Thattil pictured at Glamour on the Grid at the Melbourne F1. Picture: Jason Edwards

“It’s a neurobiological disorder and it is not caused by parenting styles.”

It is most commonly diagnosed in school-aged boys, however, experts – including Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists president Dr Elizabeth Moore – agree it is “particularly under-diagnosed in women”.

Symptoms typically include being inattentive or easily distractible, being impulsive and hyperactive, or a combination of the two, according to Health Direct.

A formal diagnosis requires a comprehensive clinical evaluation by a medical professional.

Originally published as Former Miss Universe Maria Thattil reveals she’s taking medication for ADHD