As many as one in four adults in the U.S. may suspect they have undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
ADHD is a mental health condition that has typically been diagnosed in children, usually boys, who struggle to concentrate at school.
Videos online about ADHD in adulthood, especially among women, have spread awareness about the condition—and led to many theorizing that they may have it too.
This is something that worries psychologist Justin Barterian, clinical assistant professor in Ohio State’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health.
“I think there is also an over-pathologizing of normal variability in human attention, as not everyone can pay attention all of the time or may engage in some of the symptoms of ADHD without them causing significant problems,” Barterian told Newsweek.
“Research has suggested that many of the videos on social media discussing ADHD often contain inaccuracies, leading some to believe they have the disorder while something else may explain the difficulties they are having.”
“Anxiety, depression and ADHD—all these things can look a lot alike, but the wrong treatment can make things worse instead of helping that person feel better and improving their functioning,” he said in a statement.
Emma Llewellyn—who has nearly 500,000 followers on TikTok and 400,000 on Instagram, as Mind Over Matter—makes videos about her ADHD and told Newsweek that the topic gained popularity “because so many of us grew up thinking that something was wrong with us and that we were flawed.”
“When people began sharing their experiences online… it opened up a door for people to connect and feel validated for the first time in their lives,” she said. “So many of us went unnoticed for a very long time and are now able to speak up and connect the dots about why we struggled so much.”
Symptoms of ADHD in adulthood often include problems with concentration, memory and impulsivity, that are severe enough to disrupt daily life, and may get worse with stress or conflict.
“Symptoms of ADHD can look different between different people,” Barterian said. “Some people might have more difficulty focusing on lectures or with organization, while others may have more social difficulties with impulsivity and trouble following along in conversations.”
Adults with ADHD tend to either have grown up with the condition since childhood and have had symptoms persist, or have been diagnosed for the first time in adulthood after childhood symptoms were unnoticed or misdiagnosed.
“The people being diagnosed with ADHD now, have always had it,” said Llewellyn. “It is not something that just develops later in life.
“Whilst some people may think that ADHD is being over-diagnosed now, it is actually just a case of the healthcare system catching up and realizing that many went under the radar, simply because there wasn’t enough education and understanding.”
Ohio State’s survey of 1,006 American adults found that 25 percent of adults suspected they may have undiagnosed ADHD, but only 13 percent have shared suspicions of ADHD with a doctor.
“Within this group there are likely people who have the disorder who were never diagnosed for various reasons, while there is also a significant group who may be exhibiting some symptoms of inattention that don’t rise to the level of impairment needed for ADHD, and likely some who are experiencing other mental health disorders that can also impact focus and concentration,” said Barterian.
But there is another side to this story: someone with ADHD trying and struggling to get a diagnosis. For Llewellyn, it took three different doctors to get a diagnosis, after one doctor didn’t listen to her and another refused to refer her to a specialist.
“I was diagnosed at age 30, but always knew there was something a bit different about my brain,” she said. “I just saw it as my problem, and didn’t realize that it was the way my brain was essentially wired up.
“I personally feel it is unfair and unrealistic to assume people are faking it or just doing it for an excuse, considering getting a diagnosis can be so lengthy and costly.”
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