I was recently diagnosed with ADHD. But I've decided to decline all medications because the disorder is my superpower.

• For years, people suggested I may have ADHD and that made me angry.
• When I finally decided to get tested, I was told I'm an "equivocal case" and mainly hyperactive.

Long before ADHD came into common parlance, friends, acquaintances, some family members, and, occasionally, colleagues told me they were sure I had it.

I became prickly at these "street diagnoses" — they weren't trained psychiatrists, so they weren't actually qualified to tell me whether or not I had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

If I had that "deficit,"' would I be able to read books regularly? I mean, I completed an English literature degree and have read for pleasure ever since. I even recently wrote a book. It required long days using enormous stores of discipline and focus. Does that suggest a deficit to you?

It also felt like they were accusing me of not properly listening. It's literally my job as a journalist to pay acute attention to every nuance of what is being said.

For a long time, I resisted getting tested because I didn't feel disordered or inattentive. I'm just Gary. But when I finally got tested, I learned I do have ADHD and I made a difficult choice.

I decided to get tested for ADHD after a conversation with a stranger

Whenever someone diagnosed me with ADHD, they pointed to the same characteristics: my sporadic need-driven hyperfocus; my deadline-driven work ethic; my low boredom threshold, drawing me into a novelty-obsessed but detail-driven profession like journalism.

Some part of me understood their point, but I was still resistant — until I met a woman at a picnic.

We spoke animatedly to each other throughout the picnic, accidentally ignoring everyone else. Eventually, she took my hands in hers and said: "I hope you don't mind me saying, but I think you have ADHD. I have it too and am most drawn to others with it. It's our superpower."

And so upon that final street diagnosis, I decided to book my test.

If I could learn more about myself — be more productive and engaged — then maybe the test would be worth it.

As I waited to get tested, I wondered if people were labeling me as having ADHD because I'm gay

I booked an appointment with a top Sydney-based psychiatrist for testing. The waiting list was six months long.

During that long waiting time, I began researching the topic to figure out what I wanted from a diagnosis.

The bible on neurological conditions, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, listed some symptoms I recognized: spontaneity, lack of impulse control, sexual promiscuity, discomfort sitting through meetings, binge drinking, substance misuse, and overreacting to frustration.

But the more suspicious and cynical side of me thought: You've just described many gay men under 45!

I feel like my sexual orientation comes into play here. I wondered if people were diagnosing me as hyperactive because I'm not the stoic, strong, silent stereotype of a man. I'm just loquacious and, well, gay.

I started to feel like my queer personality was being pathologized — medicalized as a disorder and something that needed curing. I became defensive again.

Before getting tested, I had to ask myself a difficult question: Has my high-energy nature — and even my sexual orientation as a gay man — been conflated with this disorder, or have I been in complete denial?

I took the test and learned I do have ADHD

Armed with all this information, I went to the test: two hours of interrogation, raw reflection, school reports, and thoughts from my mom about my childhood.

I answered honestly. At one point, I became unexpectedly emotional and was handed tissues by the psychiatrist.

Then I learned my result.

I am an "equivocal case," I was told. I certainly have elements of hyperactivity. I ranked slightly lower on the spectrum for inattention, but I have elements of that, too.

"Gary presents with an interesting confluence of problems," my psychiatrist wrote in his summary report. "He seems to be describing a long-standing combined subtype of ADHD," which, he said, is characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity, and some level of inattention.

I was offered numerous "solutions," including two different prescriptions — one of which moderately inhibits serotonin and dopamine uptake.

I was also referred to an ADHD life coach and an ADHD therapist.

I have decided to decline any medication

My hyperactivity, my spontaneity — these are the traits people sometimes say they like about me. They're what drew in the woman at the picnic. I own them, and now I have a clearer sense of who I am.

As I mainly have the "'H" in ADHD, I'd certainly consider coaching or counseling in the future if things get tricky, but I don't think I'm the right candidate for medication right now.

I know medication can be a game changer for people with ADHD. A diagnosis and being prescribed the proper medication could deter suicide, end a substance-misuse problem, or transform a life.

But I'm choosing to see my hyperactivity as a superpower rather than a deficit, and so far, it's working for me.

X: @garynunn1