Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau wants to become an autism and ADHD advocate after diagnosis

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau hopes to become an advocate for those who get diagnosed as neurodivergent later in life.

Whanau has revealed she’s been diagnosed with ADHD and “significant traits of autism”.

In a sit-down interview with the Herald, Whanau said the diagnosis came as a shock while she was receiving professional mental health support after publicly admitting to a drinking problem late last year.

She is now speaking out about the link between her addiction and her then-undiagnosed neurodivergence, and her hope to be an advocate for those in similar situations.

Whanau told Newstalk ZB she was talking with major organisations like Autism New Zealand, which had contacted her to thank her for speaking out.

She has now set up meetings with groups to become a spokeswoman and educate people on the dangers of undiagnosed neurodivergence.

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau says she wants to be an advocate for those with ADHD and autism. Photo / Mark Mitchell

She said there was a direct link between her alcohol addiction and her autism and ADHD.

Whanau explained when she was at gatherings, her social anxiety was so severe drinking was the only thing that helped.

“I thought I was this really outgoing social butterfly party girl, but really, I drank because I had quite severe social anxiety,” Whanau said.

“I just didn’t want to admit that to myself. I guess that’s the autistic side of myself.

“And the ADHD side, it’s like a dopamine hit. It is like, ‘Oh, I have had a couple of drinks, I feel good, I am just going to chase that buzz’.”

She said after her diagnosis, she no longer craves alcohol as she does not try to “mask or dull” herself.

Whanau has changed the way she works after being diagnosed, keeping meetings to 30 minutes and taking more time to rest. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists New Zealand national committee chairman Dr Hiran Thabrew said untreated ADHD was associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, accidents and injury, substance abuse, eating disorders and suicide.

Thabrew said early identification and treatment “significantly” improved the lives of people with ADHD.

He said ADHD was “complex” and “often misunderstood”, even among many health professionals.

“Having a comprehensive framework for the identification, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management is important for lifting the standard of care for people with ADHD right across the board.”

Whanau said having traits of autism also “played quite a big part in making last year challenging”, adding many neurodivergent people also struggled with alcohol problems.

“It’s still something I’m learning about myself. I’ve basically gone 40 years without this diagnosis, and when I look back and think about the assessment, things are fitting into place.”