Health Care : Current Reviews

ADHD and the societal assumption principle

8^th Global Conference on Nursing and Healthcare & 5^th Annual Conference on Diabetes and Endocrinology

JUNE 28, 2022 | WEBINAR

Gordon Brown

ADHD Direct Ltd, Scotland

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Health Care Curr Rev

Abstract:

There is a perception among the general population and also within the healthcare profession that the presentation of ADHD is one of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, which leads to a life of under achievement, unhappiness and contributes to other health related problems, and can lead to addiction and criminality. This stereotype presentation then leads to those who pursue an assessment and treatment for ADHD being denied access to care because of their achievements in life, things they are good at. The classic example is, ‘you have a degree, so you can’t have ADHD. Those who are bright, intelligent, try their best, and who actually achieve great success in life, can also have ADHD. Doctors, Lawyers and Accountants, amongst others can also have ADHD but are less likely to get help for the condition because of their success. Society assumes that because of all the things that they are good at, the complex things, the difficult things and then everything else should be easy for them. This is where society would be wrong. What is easy for every neurotypical person is the most difficult for those with ADHD, regardless of ability. Society will assume that as an individual gets older and gains more life experience, they breeze through normal everyday activities and tasks. This is not the case for those with ADHD because they often do not learn and master these life skills in their younger years. Subsequently, the Doctor with ADHD has nowhere to go to get help because if they disclosed that they can’t put their clothes away, they always forget to take the trash out or they get overwhelmed with housework, they would not be believed. This presentation highlights in detail the difficulties and struggles of those who on the face of it, appear to be successful in life, but who also greatly struggle with normal everyday life and are perpetually overwhelmed and subsequently exhausted because of their ADHD. I first delivered this presentation to UK mental health clinicians during Lockdown, and subsequently, many of them have got in touch to inform me that as a result of my talk, they are now diagnosing individuals with ADHD who previously they would have quickly ruled out the condition because of their successes. With input from my colleagues from the University of Glasgow, we are currently writing a discussion paper on my theory, ADHD and The Societal Assumption Principle with a view to submitting it to The Lancet.