Kate Garraway of Celebrity Traitors Shares How Filming the BBC Show Led Her to a Life-Changing Diagnosis

While that is a part of it, fidgeting, daydreaming, and easily becoming distracted are all symptoms of this behavioral condition, which is why it is often identified in children.

However, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is much more intricate than merely having difficulty focusing.

Henry Shelford, CEO and co-founder of ADHD UK, states: “If it isn’t debilitating, it isn’t ADHD.”

In recent years, social media has sparked trends that confuse specific personality traits or singular behaviors with ADHD.

You might be thinking, ‘I frequently lose my keys, forget birthdays, and can never concentrate at work — I must have ADHD’. But it’s not that straightforward.

While these may suggest the condition, Dr. Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of The Chelsea Psychology Clinic, emphasizes: “The crucial difference lies in how significantly a behavior impacts a person’s daily life.

“Authentic ADHD symptoms influence multiple areas of life – work, relationships, and emotional well-being – whereas personality traits are usually context-dependent and less disruptive.”

ADHD UK’s Henry, who has the condition himself, adds: “Living with ADHD is challenging. One in ten men with ADHD and one in four women with ADHD will, at some point, consider taking their own lives.”

So how can ADHD manifest in someone’s life? While hyperactivity is a common sign, here are nine other subtle indicators:

1. Time blindness – losing track of time, underestimating how long tasks will take, regularly being late or excessively early.
2. Lack of organization – a disorganized home, frequently misplacing items, forgetting deadlines.
3. Hyperfocus – becoming intensely absorbed in activities for extended periods.
4. Procrastination – feeling overwhelmed by to-do lists and struggling to prioritize tasks, leading to focusing on less important activities.
5. Heightened emotions – emotional challenges can result in angry outbursts, overwhelming joy, or shutting down due to feeling too much at once.
6. Being a ‘yes person’ – agreeing to new projects at work or dinner invitations with friends when already busy (a desire