Tamworth Swan Ben Berger's ADHD diagnosis a game-changer

Sitting at a bench by the Bicentennial Park duck pond, the Tamworth Swan was focused and articulate while detailing the transformation he has undergone since moving to Tamworth with his wife, Andrea.

Central to that was his ADHD diagnosis more than two years ago. He now knew why he lacked concentration, couldn't sit still for extended periods and was making too many mistakes.

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It explained why he did not finish his accountancy degree at Charles Sturt University at Bathurst.

"I was actually self-medicating using caffeine when I was working at coffee shops," the Forbes native said. "With ADHD, the stimulants usually bring you back to a level where you can concentrate and stuff."

When Berger did not have that caffeine source "on tap", as he put it, sitting down and focusing on the job at hand proved difficult.

"People around me noticed and said, 'Look, you're actually showing signs. It's not a bad thing. You might need to just go and talk to someone."

Berger saw a doctor and then a psychologist. He is now on medication.

"Significantly," he said of the medication's positive impact on him, adding: "Instead of thinking I was failing work and home tasks, and having anxiety from it, I could address it."

Berger works for Savage International, a two-man Wagyu-beef export business owned by his father-in-law, Brett Savage. Berger moved to Tamworth to work there. At the time, he and Andrea - an Oxley High alumnus - were engaged.

They married in April 2021, having hooked up while working together at an Orange cafe. Their son, Christian, is 18 months old.

The shift to Tamworth from Bathurst was made more difficult for Berger because it occurred during the initial onslaught of the pandemic, while Andrea was working away for extended periods as a paediatric physiotherapist.

Luckily, he had the Swans - whom he messaged on Facebook before the relocation. He will line up for the third-placed side when they meet the second-placed Nomads in Armidale on Saturday.

"They [the Swans] basically offered to help in any way they could," he said of his move to Tamworth. "That just kind of sums up what Josh [McKenzie], especially, is about," he added, in reference to the Swans' president.

"It's just that mentality of give first, which he exemplifies."

Berger enjoys parenthood, but finds it challenging. However, the jolt of pure love he receives when his son's face "lights up" when he sees him "makes everything worth it", he said.

"There's a lot stuff you learn on the fly," he said of parenthood.

Ditto for yourself.

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