‘ADHD? SURE, THAT’S all made up!’ Just one of the many things those of us with ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, hate to hear.

It’s a common misconception, that one. As the wider understanding of ADHD grows, fuelled in no small part by social media, it’s no wonder many are happy to dismiss it as a passing fad.

But it’s no fad. ADHD is a real state of being that’s been established by decades of scientific process and practice. ADHD, by definition, is a neurodevelopmental condition rooted in differences in brain structure and function.

According to Stanford Medicine, it is believed to be genetic. The typical ADHD brain may face challenges with inattention, hyperactivity (though girls tend to present with less hyperactivity than boys), be prone to dopamine deficiency and find impulse control difficult. 

You can look at the history of ADHD, including in our book, for examples of how a neurological difference comes to wider attention and awareness – and how those definitions are gradually refined and revised, as bodies of knowledge and data are gathered and improved upon.

A formal diagnosis of ADHD requires a fixed number of criteria to be met in examination and assessment, and oftentimes public treatment in Ireland will require a set amount of ‘concrete’ evidence of material issues arising in one’s daily quality of life as a result.

Much of the discussion around ADHD in recent years has been driven by adults, like myself, who’ve been diagnosed in later life. You’ll often find them saying that once they received a diagnosis, their entire existence began to make sense. As with all neurodivergents, it is exhausting having to fit into a world that is designed to accommodate neurotypical brains.

So, in the interest of broadening the understanding and softening the discourse around ADHD, here are some more phrases that we ADHDers won’t thank you for:

‘That’s just fancy talk for being a bit hyper, like’

While many mass-media portrayals of ADHD have focused on hyperactivity, ADHD is far more than a simple ‘inability’ to concentrate or otherwise regulate attention.

ADHDers often experience very real practical difficulties with tasks or activities that aren’t rewarding to them or their brains specifically, which can manifest in........

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