🧠 ADHD in Adults: Real Diagnosis or Overpathologisation?
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ADHD in Adults: Real Diagnosis or Overpathologisation?
You forget appointments.
Start five tasks and finish none.
Your phone steals hours. You blame yourself.
Then you see a TikTok: “This is ADHD.”
Is it?
Or is the rise in adult ADHD diagnoses a reflection of a culture built to break attention, not a disorder within the individual?
Let’s pull apart what’s valid — and what might be medicalising modern life.
📈 ADHD Diagnoses Are Exploding — Especially in Adults
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Adult ADHD prescriptions in the UK have tripled in the last decade
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Social media has created an explosion in self-diagnosis — especially among women
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Private ADHD assessments (often costing £700–£1,200) are skyrocketing in demand
Some of this reflects better recognition.
But some reflects overdiagnosis — and the marketing of focus as a medical problem.
🧪 What Actually Is ADHD?
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition marked by:
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Inattention
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Impulsivity
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Hyperactivity (internal or external)
It begins in early childhood, not adulthood — though it may go unnoticed.
Genuine ADHD impairs functioning across life domains, not just at work or when you're bored.
But here's where it gets murky.
🔎 Is It ADHD — or a Broken Environment?
Modern life is filled with:
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Dopamine-chasing apps
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Information overload
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Poor sleep
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Micronutrient deficiencies (magnesium, zinc, omega-3s — all critical for attention)
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Burnout and trauma misdiagnosed as neurodivergence
No wonder people are struggling to focus.
The question is: Is the problem internal — or cultural?
💊 What About Stimulant Medication?
Medications like methylphenidate (Ritalin) and lisdexamfetamine (Elvanse) can increase focus — in anyone.
This creates risk:
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Overprescribing to those with burnout, trauma, or anxiety
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Abuse and dependency (especially in students and professionals)
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Blunting creativity or creating hyperfocus on unimportant tasks
And once you start, stopping is hard.
You’ve medicated your productivity. Now you need the pill to perform.
🧠 A Better Question: Why Can’t You Focus?
Before calling it ADHD, ask:
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Are you sleeping 7–9 hours?
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Do you eat protein and omega-3s daily?
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Have you had trauma that dysregulated your nervous system?
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Are you in a constant state of over-alertness or distraction?
Focus is biological — but also emotional, nutritional, and environmental.
Fix those, and attention may return without a diagnosis.
✅ What Might Help Instead
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Dopamine reset: 1 day without screens, stimulation, or caffeine
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Exercise + sunlight: proven to increase dopamine naturally
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Supplement smart:
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Magnesium threonate (brain-specific)
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L-Tyrosine (dopamine precursor)
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B-complex vitamins (neurotransmitter support)
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Rhodiola or adaptogens (for mental stamina)
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Focus training: Pomodoro, journaling, deep work windows
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Therapy: Especially if distractibility is rooted in trauma
⚖️ Final Verdict: Be Careful What You Label
Some people absolutely have ADHD.
But if everyone thinks they do, we’ve blurred the line between disorder and modern overstimulation.
You might not need a diagnosis.
You might need nervous system repair, digital boundaries, and nutrient replenishment.
Before you accept a lifelong label, ask if you're just trying to survive a world that’s constantly stealing your focus.
🧠 Support Brain Health Without Labels
Nutritional focus support that doesn’t require a diagnosis.
Designed to balance neurotransmitters and restore natural attention — gently and effectively.