'It was like someone tuned the radio': Why are more adults being diagnosed with ADHD? | UK News | Sky News
Finally, after three decades of uncertainty, Kathleen knew why they had always felt like an outsider. They had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
When a friend first suggested Kathleen might have ADHD, they dismissed it as something that affected "young boys in the classroom pulling little girls' pigtails and throwing erasers around".
It's this stereotype that has partly led to thousands of adults, particularly women, getting diagnosed later in life - or not at all.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts parts of the brain that help us plan, focus and execute tasks. Its symptoms include hyperactivity or inattention - or both - and impulsivity.
It was first formally recognised in 2000 by the NHS as a condition that affected children. But it wasn't until 2008, that it was formally recognised in adults.
It is "the worst named" disorder, says Henry Shelford, chief executive of the charity ADHD UK, who himself suffers from the condition
