‘I blamed myself for my differences’: neurodivergence and IP

During Neurodiversity Celebration Week, Rebecca Campbell of Mewburn Ellis outlines the challenges faced by many neurodivergent IP lawyers

I wasn’t diagnosed as neurodivergent until my early 30s. Neurodivergence is the term for when someone's brain processes, learns, and/or behaves differently from what is considered “typical”.

I did well at school and university and didn’t seem to display any of the traditional symptoms. However, I never felt as if I was fulfilling my potential and I always felt exhausted and overstimulated.

The pandemic disrupted my normal routines and gave me time for some introspection. One day, I came across some articles which described the experiences of late-diagnosed neurodivergent women. It was like reading about myself. I did some online tests and scored highly for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyscalculia.