{"id":4882,"date":"2025-09-06T09:45:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T09:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=4882"},"modified":"2025-09-10T21:34:11","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T21:34:11","slug":"this-is-why-it-seems-like-everyone-has-adhd-right-now-including-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/06\/this-is-why-it-seems-like-everyone-has-adhd-right-now-including-you\/","title":{"rendered":"This is why it seems like everyone has ADHD right now \u2014 including you"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It might seem like ‘everyone has ADHD right now’ – but that couldn’t be further from the truth (Picture: Metro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Opening up to a friend after I was diagnosed with ADHD<\/a>, I voiced my struggles with time blindness, lateness, general disorganisation, and emotional dysregulation.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2018But isn\u2019t it normal to get a little bit distracted sometimes? I probably have ADHD <\/a>too, if that\u2019s the case\u2019 she said to me. My heart sank, feeling both rejected and my life experiences diminished in one simple interaction. I doubt she meant to upset me, but her words stung.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an increasing perception that having ADHD is becoming a \u2018trend\u2019 or a \u2018personality quirk.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Just like OCD <\/a>has been carelessly thrown about as being neat and tidy, ADHD is starting to become synonymous with making seemingly normal, harmless mistakes like misplacing a purse, or being 10 minutes late to a coffee <\/a>date.<\/p>\n

As soon as I first read about ADHD in women<\/a>, I knew that I had it. I once lost my house keys and paid my landlord for another set, only to find them wedged down the back of the sofa when I moved out.<\/p>\n

I also impulsively switched subjects during my GCSEs, A Levels and university; I had my library card revoked at the age of 10 after I failed to return the books I\u2019d borrowed, and I\u2019d spent my whole life feeling that my brain was simply a little bit different.<\/p>\n

So, does everyone really <\/em>have ADHD now? Or are we just being equipped with the tools to navigate our own brains, and connecting with a like-minded community in the process?<\/p>\n

Have ADHD diagnoses increased in the last few years?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In 2023, a study from UCL<\/a> found that the number of people being diagnosed with ADHD has increased over the last 20 years, but this doesn\u2019t mean that \u2018everyone\u2019 has it now.<\/p>\n

Between 2000 and 2018, there was a twenty-fold increase in ADHD diagnoses, rising to an almost fifty-fold increase in prescriptions issued to men aged 18-29.<\/p>\n

Largely owing to medical misogyny that favours research into symptoms in men and boys, women are still largely going undetected: the ADHD Foundation<\/a> estimates that between 50 and 70% of the 1,000,000 women in the UK living with ADHD are undiagnosed.<\/p>\n

There might\u2019ve been an increase in people seeking help for ADHD in recent years, but that doesn\u2019t mean that the condition is becoming more common. It still only impacts between 2% and 6%<\/a> of the world\u2019s population.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Open\t<\/div>
ADHD impacts between 2% and 6% of the population (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Likewise, a 2025 review from King\u2019s College London<\/a> looked at 40 studies across 17 countries and concluded that the prevalence of ADHD (AKA, the number of people living with a condition within a specific timeframe) hasn\u2019t increased since 2020.<\/p>\n

The author, Dr Alex Martin, noted that while much of the media has been concerned about a \u2018surge\u2019 in ADHD diagnoses, both \u2018assessments and help-seeking\u2019 are snowballing \u2013 which goes some way towards explaining why it might feel like more people have it now.<\/p>\n

There are also multiple barriers to diagnosis, including excessive NHS waiting times (as long as eight years<\/a> in some parts of the UK), and the hefty cost of a private diagnosis, which averages out at \u00a31,200<\/a> for adults. For many, self-diagnosis is their only option – and that’s valid.<\/p>\n

Meeting the threshold for diagnosis<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Getting an ADHD diagnosis isn\u2019t an easy task, and psychiatrists certainly aren\u2019t handing them out like they\u2019re lollipops. To qualify, adults need to align with at least five symptoms on the DSM-5, the framework that\u2019s used to detect it.<\/p>\n

As psychologist and clinical director Dr Andrea Pickering tells Metro<\/strong>, various symptoms of ADHD might seem relatable to the general non-neurodivergent public.<\/p>\n

But what differentiates these symptoms between being a normal part of life and being suggestive of neurodiversity is the frequency with which they happen and how debilitating they are.<\/p>\n

\u2018The key difference is that for someone with ADHD, these symptoms are persistent, pervasive and significantly impact their ability to function in daily life, across multiple settings such as work, school and relationships,\u2019 Dr Andrea, from Clinical Partners<\/a>, explains.<\/p>\n

ADHD isn\u2019t just being \u2018scatterbrained\u2019 or \u2018disorganised\u2019: in Andrea\u2019s words, it\u2019s a \u2018neurodevelopmental condition rooted in differences in brain structure and function.\u2019<\/p>\n

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@adhd_chatter_podcast<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u2018Everyone has ADHD these days\u2019 \ud83d\ude24 #adhd<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound – ADHD Chatter Podcast<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

And so, a diagnosis doesn\u2019t just require checking off a few traits, but a \u2018detailed evaluation to understand the full context of a person\u2019s life and challenges.\u2019<\/p>\n

As part of an ADHD assessment, psychiatrists will look at the pattern, intensity, and consistency of symptoms over time, even going as far as to ask a parent or family member to testify that their loved one\u2019s symptoms have longevity and started before the age of 12.<\/p>\n

When I was diagnosed in November 2021, I asked my mum to fill out the forms for me. Thankfully, she was able to recall with colour the school reports that were constantly telling me I was bright but needed to pay attention to detail and listen more; the eye tics that saw me blinking multiple times in a row, and my persistently hyperactive nature.<\/p>\n

I used to enjoy talking so much that I\u2019d ask my parents if I could read my book aloud to them; my room was almost never tidy, and I had trouble paying attention in the classroom, often doodling into the line margins of my exercise books.<\/p>\n

So at the age of 23, I almost cried when I heard the words: \u2018you have combined ADHD\u2019 from my psychiatrist, as in one short moment, years of suffering were validated. <\/p>\n

Thankfully, I\u2019d been able to skip the lengthy NHS waiting queue and had the cost of my private diagnosis funded through Right to Choose<\/a>, so I was diagnosed within a matter of months, rather than years.<\/p>\n

Do you have ADHD, or is modern life just overwhelming?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The reality is that, in the modern world, many of us will be feeling burnt out and overwhelmed by information. So, is it any surprise that we\u2019re increasingly distractible?<\/p>\n

As Dr Andrea explains: \u2018There\u2019s certainly growing evidence that people feel their environment – especially constant exposure to digital devices, social media and multitasking – can reduce attention spans and increase distractibility, even in people without ADHD.\u2019<\/p>\n

With this in mind, the \u2018human brain simply didn\u2019t evolve to handle the level of information and stimulation we now face daily.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018But while modern life can make anyone feel distracted, ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition with symptoms that are consistent, long-standing and impairing across multiple areas of life,\u2019 she reminds us.<\/p>\n

So, whenever I hear people trivialising ADHD, I can\u2019t help but feel angry. It\u2019s not a quirky personality trait: it\u2019s an incredibly debilitating condition, and it\u2019s exhausting navigating a world designed by and for neurotypical people. ADHD isn\u2019t just losing your wallet or being a little bit \u2018scatty\u2019: it\u2019s so much more than that.<\/p>\n

Neurodiversity is finally in the limelight, and with awareness increasing, so many more people are sharing their stories. No doubt, it\u2019s saving lives. <\/p>\n

But the truth is that awareness without understanding is useless, and to suggest that \u2018everyone has it\u2019 diminishes the experiences of those who actually live with it. And no, it’s not a ‘superpower.’<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have ADHD if you just forget your keys sometimes; you\u2019re probably just a regular human being living in an increasingly hectic world.<\/p>\n

This article was first published on June 22, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n


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