You’ve tried everything.
And somehow, you’re still running on empty.
HOW I GOT HERE AND WHAT CHANGED MY LIFE
Hi, I’m Tonya. I’m a neurodivergent woman — I live with ADHD and other neurodivergent traits. I always knew I was different — but I didn’t think I was neurodivergent.
To me, ADHD meant little boys who couldn’t sit still in class. I was quiet. I did well enough in school. I internalized everything. So instead of getting help, I got good at hiding. I thought I just wasn’t trying hard enough.
My family didn’t know what to look for — and honestly, in the ’80s, no one really talked about this stuff. If you were struggling, you were “lazy” or “moody” or “too sensitive.” It took years of exhaustion, research, and unraveling to understand that what I was living with had a name — and that I wasn’t broken, just wired differently.
When I finally accepted I had ADHD — the attention-deficit, spacing-out kind — so much of my life started making sense. The overwhelm. The disorganization. The shame. Even the way my brain would just shut off during conversations. And then, looking back, I saw it in my dad — clear as day.
All the things I had judged myself for… he had lived with too. He didn’t have the words for it either. But now I do. And just as I was starting to understand all this, midlife hit — around 36.
The brain fog, the crashing energy, the emotions I couldn’t predict or control. It was like my nervous system finally said, “We can’t do it this way anymore.” So I stopped trying to force myself into systems that weren’t made for me — and I started building one that was. It took a long time for me
That’s how Root • Rise • Restore was born!
how it works page
Land Acknowledgment
Root • Rise • Restore is based on the ancestral land of the Suquamish People, the traditional stewards of the land now known as Kitsap County, Washington.
I honor the Suquamish Tribe — the People of the Clear Salt Water — and offer deep respect for their enduring connection to the land, waters, and traditions.
May this work support a return to relationship with the Earth, with each other, and with the wisdom that has always been here.
