Tristan’s Story

Who: Tristan Hunt

Country: UK

Job: Regional Manager, Association For Electronic Music

Topics: Anxiety, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Insomnia.

My ADHD diagnosis came later in life but was both shocking and totally expected. It turns out that my other challenges – dyslexia, dyscalculia, anxiety and  insomnia – veiled my ADHD for most of my life. I had always suspected I might have it so the diagnosis was a welcome relief.

It helped explain many of the personal and professional challenges I’ve had over the years and continue to face. But considered alongside my other neurodiverse conditions, my ADHD and Dyslexia also helped to explain my wellspring of ideas, creativity, insights and deep social connections. The term Neurodiversity, or ND, encompasses a range or neurological variations including Asperger’s, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia.

Ultimately, I owe a huge portion of all I have – in my personal life and in my career in music – to my neurodiversity. Thank goodness that creative industries are now celebrating the unique abilities of neurodiverse people like myself because being ND in the music biz is common and often highly advantageous from a creativity pov.

I’ve at times found anxiety to be debilitating. When bad it has left me feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Sometimes it has at times made my personal and professional life very challenging. At its worst a bad bout of anxiety could make the idea of seeing and speaking with other people unbearable. Anxiety is a common condition which according to the World Health Organisation affects around 300 million people worldwide. From label execs to main-stage artists, anxiety is something that can impact us all.

As my career in the music industry grew so did the need to do more public speaking. For many of us, public performance of any kind can be daunting. If you have anxiety – especially when mixed with dyslexia and ADHD (making reading in public doubly hard – hence I tend to freestyle) the word ‘daunting’ is an understatement. My first public speaking role at a large music conference evoked fears akin to those that come from doing a skydive.

Thanks to psychotherapy, learning and research, I’ve gained a greater understanding on the issues which lay at the root of my anxiety. Coupled with the knowledge I’ve gained on my ND conditions, I feel more empowered to manage my anxiety and ND. Coping tools gained from therapy made the public speaking side of my job much more manageable. These tools have also helped me overcome many other obstacles and enjoy a rich career and social life.

Therapy is a wonderful tool which can help you lead a happier, healthier life – it really can be life changing and I highly recommend exploring it if you feel it may be helpful. Many of us go to the gym and work out to keep our bodies in shape, and your mind is no different. If you show it the same care as your body you can really flourish.

I feel very positive about my neurodiversity and credit as it the source of much personal and professional success. My experiences resulting from it have helped enhance my empathy and ability to help others with their own challenges. Now my greatest joy is helping others overcome their challenges and find success and fulfillment in what they do.