“A Brain That Never Sleeps”: An Arts-Based Exploration of Black Women’s Narratives of ADHD in the United States

The master narrative of ADHD as a condition affecting mostly White boys ‒ who eventually “grow out” of it ‒ creates barriers for adult Black women to be diagnosed and treated. Counter-narratives can challenge traditional thinking and create room for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to resist harmful master narratives. This arts-based study asked Black women diagnosed with ADHD (N = 166) to describe their illness journey as a novel, including selecting a genre, describing the cover, and naming the chapters. The first and third authors used pictorial narrative mapping to present visual representations of participants’ books within the results. Themes emerged around participants’ chosen conflict styles, setting, and mood, including master narratives of “woman vs. self,” a bedroom setting (indicating an internal, private struggle), and a mood of darkness. However, counter-narratives also emerged, including conflict styles of “woman vs. nature” and “woman vs. supernatural,” an idyllic natural setting, and a radiant mood. Methodological and practical implications are discussed.