Former Coronation Street actress Helen Flanagan has taken to Instagram to condemn men who ghost women after sleeping with them, describing them as 'big fat rats' in a candid post about living with ADHD. The 35-year-old, best known for playing Rosie Webster on the ITV soap, shared a carousel of images captioned with personal insights into how Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder affects her daily life, including her romantic relationships.
ADHD and Rejection Sensitivity
Flanagan, who has been open about her health struggles in recent years, discussed Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD), a common experience for many with ADHD. RSD causes intense emotional pain after failure or rejection, as the brain struggles to regulate emotions. Alongside a picture of her younger self with a boyfriend, she admitted her romantic relationships have always been 'very intense' and she 'falls in love hard'.
On a subsequent slide featuring a photo of her crying, she wrote: 'Last time I had proper feelings for someone it just felt a lot. Intense. My friends say I’m like Cathy Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights lol. I get limerence and I also get terrible rejection sensitivity but I’m learning to deal with that better.'
Ghosting After Sex
Addressing her expectations in relationships, Flanagan stated: 'When it comes to sex I’m not a casual girl – I’m a lover girl/wifey and I do get [attached].' She added: 'I think guys that ghost girls after sleeping with them are big fat rats lol.' On another slide, she described her ideal partner: 'I go for someone that I find exciting. I go for a soul connection. Someone that makes me feel understood. I look for the male version of me.'
Motherhood and Mental Health
Flanagan, mother to three children—Matilda, Delilah, and Charlie—with ex-partner Scott Sinclair, also touched on motherhood and her mental health. She revealed her mental health was at its worst when she was 21, and she experienced 'OCD intrusive thoughts postnatal'. She described a period of psychosis, admitting she 'thought of the kids' to get through. Despite the challenges, she highlighted the positives of ADHD, such as always having a funny story to tell.
Support from Fans and Peers
The post garnered widespread support in the comments. Fellow Coronation Street star Tina O’Brien, who plays Sarah Platt, left love heart and clapping emojis, while Christine McGuiness added a love heart emoji. Many followers expressed relatability, with Suzie McFadden writing, 'Can relate to so many of these fellow ADHD queen,' and Nikki Shore adding, 'I can relate to this so so much.'
