Jools Oliver has said that diagnoses of autism and ADHD in adulthood have brought answers to long-running difficulties, but also prompted a painful reassessment of much of her life.

Speaking on the Lessons from Our Mothers podcast, Oliver said her ADHD diagnosis came about four years ago. Although she has been prescribed medication, she said health anxiety has made her reluctant to take it: “I’ve got the medication, but I don’t want to take it because I’m scared.”¹

Oliver said she sought an autism assessment after learning that her children had autism and recognising similarities in her own experience. The diagnoses, in her account, offered an explanation rather than a simple solution. “It’s a little bit overwhelming to know what I actually have,” she said, describing the experience as draining and tiring.¹

Her remarks contrast the relief often associated with finally receiving an explanation with the grief that can accompany a late diagnosis. Oliver said she had spent decades believing her struggles stemmed from something else, adding that autism was “no superpower” for her but “really hard work.”¹

The account also places her current uncertainty alongside other health and family pressures. Oliver said she was unsure whether stress had been intensified by menopause or reflected ADHD and autism. She is the mother of five children and has previously spoken publicly about fertility and the prospect of menopause.¹