Opening up to a friend after I was diagnosed with ADHD, I voiced my struggles with time blindness, lateness, general disorganisation, and emotional dysregulation.
‘But isn’t it normal to get a little bit distracted sometimes? I probably have ADHD too, if that’s the case’ 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.
There’s an increasing perception that having ADHD is becoming a ‘trend’ or a ‘personality quirk.’
Just like OCD 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 date.
As soon as I first read about ADHD in women, 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.
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’d borrowed, and I’d spent my whole life feeling that my brain was simply a little bit different.
So, does everyone really 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?
Have ADHD diagnoses increased in the last few years?
In 2023, a study from UCL found that the number of people being diagnosed with ADHD has increased over the last 20 years, but this doesn’t mean that ‘everyone’ has it now.
Between 2000 and 2018, there was a twenty-fold increase in ADHD diagnoses, rising to almost fifty-fold in ADHD prescriptions issued to men aged 18-29.
Largely owing to medical misogyny that favours research into symptoms in men and boys, women are still largely going undetected: the ADHD Foundation estimates that between 50 and 70% of the 1,000,000 women in the UK living with ADHD are undiagnosed.
There might’ve been an increase in people seeking help for ADHD in recent years, but that doesn’t mean that the condition is becoming more common. It still only impacts between 2% and 6% of the world’s population.
Likewise, a 2025 review from King’s College London 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’t increased since 2020.
The author, Dr Alex Martin, noted that while much of the media has been concerned about a ‘surge’ in ADHD diagnoses, both ‘assessments and help-seeking’ are snowballing – which goes some way towards explaining why it might feel like more people have it now.
There are also multiple barriers to diagnosis, including excessive NHS waiting times (as long as eight years in some parts of the UK), and the hefty cost of a private diagnosis, which averages out at £1,200 for adults. For many, self-diagnosis is their only option – and that’s valid.
Meeting the threshold for diagnosis
Getting an ADHD diagnosis isn’t an easy task, and psychiatrists certainly aren’t handing them out like they’re lollipops. To qualify, adults need to align with at least five symptoms on the DSM-5, the framework that’s used to detect it.
As psychologist and clinical director Dr Angela Pickering tells Metro, various symptoms of ADHD might seem relatable to the general non-neurodivergent public.
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.
‘The 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,’ Dr Angela explains.
ADHD isn’t just being ‘scatterbrained’ or ‘disorganised’: in Angela’s words, it’s a ‘neurodevelopmental condition rooted in differences in brain structure and function.’
And so, a diagnosis doesn’t just require checking off a few traits, but a ‘detailed evaluation to understand the full context of a person’s life and challenges.’
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’s symptoms have longevity and started before the age of 12.
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.
I used to enjoy talking so much that I’d 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.
So at the age of 23, I almost cried when I heard the words: ‘you have combined ADHD’ from my psychiatrist, as in one short moment, years of suffering were validated.
Thankfully, I’d been able to skip the lengthy NHS waiting queue and had the cost of my private diagnosis funded through Right to Choose, so I was diagnosed within a matter of months, rather than years.
Do you have ADHD, or is modern life just overwhelming?
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’re increasingly distractible?
As Dr Andrea explains: ‘There’s 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.’
With this in mind, the ‘human brain simply didn’t evolve to handle the level of information and stimulation we now face daily.’
‘But 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,’ she reminds us.
So, whenever I hear people trivialising ADHD, I can’t help but feel angry. It’s not a quirky personality trait: it’s an incredibly debilitating condition, and it’s exhausting navigating a world designed by and for neurotypical people. ADHD isn’t just losing your wallet or being a little bit ‘scatty’: it’s so much more than that.
Neurodiversity is finally in the limelight, and with awareness increasing, so many more people are sharing their stories. No doubt, it’s saving lives.
But the truth is that awareness without understanding is useless, and to suggest that ‘everyone has it’ diminishes the experiences of those who actually live with it. And no, it’s not a ‘superpower.’
You don’t have ADHD if you just forget your keys sometimes; you’re probably just a regular human being living in an increasingly hectic world.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
