ADHD and other stories
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is very popular. It is a condition that seems to explain a lot of difficulties that people have had and may have had for a long time. It seems to provide both an explanation of what they are suffering and a treatment route for their relief. Furthermore, the scientific validity of ADHD is now widely accepted. Taken together these factors have led to a high demand for ADHD diagnosis and treatment (NHS Taskforce, 2025).
So, what is ADHD and how does it relate to other approaches?
ADHD, is sometimes presented as a neurodevelopmental condition:
‘Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that interferes with daily functioning or development.’ Psychiatry.org (Accessed 12 May 2026)
At the same time, ADHD is also presented as an analysis of behaviour:
‘ADHD is a disorder that is defined through analysis of behaviour. People with ADHD show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interferes with day-to-day functioning and/or development.’ adhd.co.uk (Accessed 12 May 2026)
Now, you may find it interesting, if not puzzling, that ADHD is open to such different explanations and is available to such different approaches. How can this be?
Well, who are the people who are given ADHD diagnoses based on these (and related) definitions? Are they people suffering from ADHD as from a chemical imbalance, say, or from a type of psychological disorder? Are they people looking for relief from the distressing situation they find themselves in? If so, are they offered an ADHD diagnosis as a way out of their situation? Or are they people who have been told that they have a condition they were not aware of and who regard their ADHD diagnosis as their way of getting treatment? And what does receiving an ADHD diagnosis in fact do for them? Does it relieve their personal difficulties? Does it change their actual situation? If it does, then how does it do this?
To help us address these questions let us break the concept of ADHD down into its component parts and look at how the condition known as ADHD comes to be put together.
First, ‘Attention Deficit’ – Well, not paying attention is not uncommon, is it? We’ve all been caught looking out of the window when we should have been concentrating on the job. And we’ve all nodded off after a late night and missed what is going on around us.
Next ‘Hyperactivity’ is something we all engage in, be it a deadline at work or college, or getting the packing done before a trip or a holiday. We may simply feel overwhelmed by the pressure of all that we are expected to do. After all we don’t want to get the sack, fail the exam or literally miss the boat.
Finally, ‘Disorder’. Now, is everything we do in our lives ordered? Or to put it another way, is order ordinary? It might be nice if it were but we’re all human and while some of us are less ordered than others I don’t think anyone is completely ordered. Indeed, someone who was completely ordered would probably strike us as at least a little strange. So, disorder is both common and to be expected in our lives.
Overall, then by looking at these concepts together we can see that if you are; someone who has attention deficits, engages in periods of hyperactivity and lives a less than ordered life then you are someone who is as normal as the rest of us. You are like me, your friends and indeed everyone else around you. Welcome!
Hang on. Am I saying that people who give and are given ADHD diagnoses are making it up? No, absolutely not. The people who give the diagnoses have identified the symptoms they have identified. The people who are given the diagnoses really do feel the way that they do. They may not be feeling happy at all. So, are they being mistreated? Are they given medication for being the way we all are? Again no, for they are being treated for the symptoms that have been identified and identified through an ADHD assessment process.
So, that’s ok then? Well, it would be if they were being treated for the conditions that they actually have. And this would be based on an assessment of what else is going on with them and what is happening to them in their lives. For example, do they feel anxious or depressed? Do they or their loved once have a serious health condition? Are they going through redundancy or divorce? Are they worried about having enough money? In short, is there something about them that would explain their problems, their issues, and their difficulties in their own terms? And would it be better if they themselves could do something about this such as talking about how they are feeling to loved ones, or with a counsellor or psychotherapist?
Ah, you may say, surely what is better is for people to find relief from their suffering no matter how such relief is presented or whatever the motivations behind whatever diagnosis they have received? Well, is it? If you go into a bakery you don’t expect to be asked to buy a sofa. And, more seriously, what if your underlying condition is missed? Who will then listen to you? After all, you have had your ADHD diagnosis – job done! However, what matters to you is not whether you have ticked the diagnostic boxes for ADHD. Rather what is truly important is what truly matters to you and how you truly feel about your life. If this is shown through the process of ADHD diagnosis and treatment then so be it, though this should not be the end of the matter. This should only be the beginning of your journey; your journey to a healthier and a better life.
References
adhd.co.uk – About ADHD, Accessed 12 May 2026.
NHS England – Report of the independent ADHD Taskforce, Parts 1 & 2, 2025.
Peter, Paul & Mary – Leaving on a jet plane, 1970.
Psychiatry.org – What is ADHD? Accessed 12 May 2026.
David Large Therapy 