A young woman who was diagnosed with ADHD as a child has penned a powerful letter of gratitude to the mother who "drugged" her.
Actress and writer Jessica Lauren McCabe, who hosts the YouTube channel How to ADHD, shared the heartfelt words to her Facebook page, along with an accompanying video.
Addressing, "my mum, who 'drugged me'", Ms McCabe thanks her mother, Rebecca Lynn McCabe, for listening to her when she was struggling all those years ago.
"Thank you for standing up for me when my dad tried to dismiss what I was dealing with as 'normal'," she says, adding that she now believes her father "felt that way" as he was dealing with undiagnosed ADHD himself.
"Thank you for taking me to get a proper evaluation so I understand my brain's differences," Ms McCabe continues. "I never ran out of medication because you took the time to take me to every appointment."
The young woman also thanks her mother for ignoring those her judged her, acknowledging that "there were many."
"Thank you for understanding that while all children can be fidgety or impulsive or get distracted, I struggled way more than the other kids my age," she writes, explaining that now, years later she knows it's "because ADHD brains develop differently".
And yet, while her mother didn't know this at the time, she still listened when her daughter told her "I need help."
"Because of you, I got the treatment I needed," Ms McCabe continues, noting that it allowed her to do well at school, to feel more confident and to reach her potential. And it meant, unlike so many of her fellow "ADHDers", that she didn't need to self-medicate.
"I never sank into depression," she describes. "I never gave up on myself. I never felt misunderstood."
By listening, by understanding and by believing, Ms McCabe says her mother took away "so much shame".
And for that, she'll always be thankful.
Ms McCabe's words have struck a chord with other mums going through similar experiences with their own children.
"Thank you!!" writes Robyn Campbell. "I'm a mum with an 11yr old son who struggles daily with ADHD. He is medicated and has been since the age of 5. It's a struggle but we deal with it together so my son doesn't feel alone."
"My son is 10 yrs old," said Amanda Montes. "We are going through the toughest year ever. I just cried with this video and I pray that years to come that he would realise that everything I am doing is for the love I have for him. Not to cure him, not to have the perfect son but for him. Thank you."
After her post went viral, Ms McCabe shared an update, writing that while she was proud her words had spread "like wildfire", she was also "a little sad that so many parents needed to hear this".
"Decisions about treatment are hard enough without the stigma attached," she writes. "Hopefully this helps #endthestigma against treating mental health issues in general."
You can find more of Ms McCabe's videos and resources on her YouTube Channel or Facebook page