Recognising ADHD

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Look at what takes effort, even when nobody else sees it.

You might lose the thread of a conversation, or jump from subject to subject with not many people keeping up, or miss an appointment, or know exactly what needs doing and still struggle to begin. Look for patterns across different parts of your life and notice how much they affect you. [2]

In your mind

Jumping between thoughts or finding it hard to switch off

Difficulty getting started, especially on tasks that feel boring or overwhelming

Losing track of time, often called "time blindness"

Forgetting appointments, losing or misplacing things or overlooking details

Getting so absorbed in something you love that hours disappear (often called hyperfocus)

In your emotions

Feelings that arrive fast and big, and can be hard to settle

Getting frustrated or overwhelmed quickly

Being deeply affected by criticism or the sense of letting people down

Rejection sensitivity, when even a small sign of rejection can bring on a sudden, intense wave of hurt or shame.

Or getting so excited you impulsively do things you regret

In your day

Restlessness, fidgeting, boredom or needing to move

Acting or speaking before you've thought it through

Hard to not get distracted with the most random things

Starting many things and not being able to finish them in that moment

It can look different in different people

ADHD includes inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive and combined presentations. Inattention can look like daydreaming, losing track of instructions or quietly working hard to stay engaged. ADD is an older term people still use for predominantly inattentive ADHD. [2, 3]

→ Explore our ADD page

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