Finding Closure in Difference
Dr Jeremy Sim is a dentist and entrepreneur with a heart for animals. Diagnosed with ADHD at 32, he finally found the cypher to a lifelong puzzle of feeling different. His journey has been shaped by overcoming doubts and challenges while building resilience, creativity, and a drive to build safe spaces. Today, he runs his own clinic, plays and even builds guitars, and dreams of opening an animal shelter.
Quotes
“ADHD was the cypher to the puzzle. It reframed my struggles from personal failings into a different way of thinking and being. Instead of hating myself for being scattered, restless, or inconsistent, I began to see those traits as part of a unique wiring that could be harnessed.”
“I thrive when I’m free to explore. ADHD may make consistency harder, but it also gives me bursts of hyperfocus that let me immerse myself fully in what I love”
Early Awareness and Diagnosis
I was diagnosed with ADHD at 32, but the signs were there long before. In school, I was constantly daydreaming, doodling, or sneaking storybooks behind my textbooks. Teachers punished me regularly, and I grew up thinking something was wrong with me.
I struggled with self-doubt and the nagging sense that I didn’t quite belong. On paper, everything looked fine — I did well in school, qualified as a dentist, and built a career. But inside, I often felt like an imposter. There were periods of low mood, times when I questioned whether I was good enough, and moments when I couldn’t reconcile the gap between what others saw and what I felt.
When my therapist first suggested ADHD, it felt like the missing piece. ADHD was the cypher to the puzzle. It reframed my struggles from personal failings into a different way of thinking and being. Instead of hating myself for being scattered, restless, or inconsistent, I began to see those traits as part of a unique wiring that could be harnessed.
Managing ADHD Day to Day
Medication helps, but what keeps me going are practical structures — habits that strengthen my “brakes” so that the Ferrari engine in my head doesn’t run out of control.
Living with ADHD means I have to be deliberate about systems and routines. One of the most effective strategies for me is accountability. I’ve given people in my life permission to remind, nag, or push me until I finish what I start. It’s not always comfortable, but it works.
I also use the five-minute rule: if something can be done in five minutes, I do it immediately. It prevents small tasks from snowballing into overwhelming backlogs.
Creativity and Interests
One of the hallmarks of ADHD is creativity, and that has been true for me. I’ve loved the guitar for nearly 20 years — which, for someone with ADHD, is a remarkable stretch of sustained focus. Music grounds me. Playing and composing are healing, and even building guitars has become an extension of my curiosity and need to create with my hands.
I’ve always been a tinkerer. Whether it’s experimenting with new hobbies, exploring design, or simply getting lost in learning, I thrive when I’m free to explore. ADHD may make consistency harder, but it also gives me bursts of hyperfocus that let me immerse myself fully in what I love.
Achievements and Professional Growth
Looking back, there are things I’m proud of. I survived Singapore’s education system despite my challenges with attention. I qualified as a dentist and, during the uncertain years after COVID-19, took the leap to start my own clinic. That was a daunting decision — to build something from scratch with no guarantee of success and bearing the responsibility for the livelihood of others on my team. But I believed in creating not just a workplace, but a home. At my clinic, colleagues support one another, staff know it is a safe space, and patients feel welcomed. For me, success is not just about technical skill, but about culture and care.
Advice to My Younger Self
If I could speak to my younger self, I would say: You’re going to be okay. Don’t overthink, don’t worry about being different. Life won’t be perfect, but you will find your path — one where you can help others, create, and build a life that is true to you.
Changing How the World Sees ADHD
Many people still misunderstand ADHD. They imagine hyperactive children running around uncontrollably. But ADHD can be quiet. It can look like the student who zones out in class, the professional who struggles in silence while meeting expectations, the high achiever who feels like an imposter.
Depression doesn’t always look like tears, and ADHD doesn’t always look chaotic. It is subtle, persistent, and deeply individual.
I want people to understand that ADHD is not a defect, but a difference. It offers unusual ways of seeing and solving problems. It brings creativity, empathy, and innovation. The challenge is not to erase those differences, but to give people the support and structures to thrive.
Support the ADHD Community
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Special thanks to our sponsors whose generous support made this book possible:
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