Cat Burns on autism, ADHD and a lack of research

If you're a Cat Burns fan, you'll cognize her lyrics are honest.

It's thing she wants to widen to her idiosyncratic beingness excessively - which is wherefore she's opened up astir her caller ADHD and autism spectrum upset (ASD) diagnosis.

The vocalist tells BBC Newsbeat the diagnosis has near her with a amended knowing of herself, saying beingness present "makes sense".

But similar tons of people, Cat's way to being diagnosed wasn't straightforward and she's sharing her communicative successful the anticipation it helps others.

In 2021, the 23-year-old was told she had ADHD and past successful April this twelvemonth she tweeted to accidental she had besides been diagnosed with ASD.

In the days aft her ADHD diagnosis, Cat says she did a batch of reflecting connected beingness starring up to it.

"It was non-stop, reasoning astir experiences successful schoolhouse similar revising and studying and each the different things I struggled with daily," she says.

ADHD affects people's behaviour, resulting successful symptoms similar restlessness and occupation concentrating.

Although Cat's diagnosis was 1 measurement further to knowing herself, she inactive felt her encephalon was "different".

"I knew I had ADHD but I inactive felt determination was a quality successful my encephalon that I wanted to recognize and explore.

"So erstwhile I got my autism diagnosis that helped maine recognize myself and conscionable however overmuch I've had to bash successful bid to get to wherever I am."

Cat believes her roadworthy to diagnosis was harder due to the fact that she's a pistillate and idiosyncratic of colour.

"I deliberation it comes from the probe that's retired determination and the thought tons judge women can't person autism, and past connected apical of that adults can't person autism," she says.

"It [research] needs to beryllium crossed the board, but particularly with women and achromatic women."

Like astir conditions, determination are lists of symptoms for ADHD and ASD but Cat says they'll contiguous otherwise depending connected who you are.

One motion of autism is fidgeting, but, she points out, however a achromatic pistillate fidgets volition beryllium antithetic to a achromatic antheral for example.

"I conjecture being a achromatic woman, there's definite experiences we person that radical won't beryllium capable to prime up on.

"For a achromatic girl, it could beryllium taking retired her braids and putting them backmost successful oregon thing other to bash with her civilization that's overlooked."

Another mode autism tin manifest is simply a feeling of being overwhelmed erstwhile exposed to agleam lights oregon large noises.

You mightiness deliberation that would marque performing difficult, but that's erstwhile Cat goes into "auto-pilot".

Although it was a opus connected TikTok that launched her career, she says performing is her breadstuff and food and the happening she enjoys those most.

The People Pleaser vocalist spoke to Newsbeat from the dressing country of London's iconic Jazz Café up of a gig.

She was determination raising consciousness for grassroots venues struggling with the outgo of surviving for 1 of 150 gigs being held by the Music Venues Trust.

"There's an thought of up-and-coming artists that's incorrect," she says.

"We conflict financially erstwhile moving retired however we'll beryllium capable to spell connected circuit and that's wherefore it's truthful important to person these grassroot venues disposable for america to execute at."

Cat's utilized to large stages now, having performed astatine Glastonbury and the Brit Awards.

But reflecting connected her ain journey, she remembers being 16 and doing everything she could to get her archetypal gig.

"Small venues are truthful needed. I retrieve emailing loads conscionable asking them to fto maine execute truthful I could get utilized to being connected stage.

"My archetypal gig was astatine Off The Cuff successful Herne Hill, which was my local. I learned truthful overmuch and to this time it's inactive 1 of my favourite performances."

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