All Conditions

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

A lifelong difference in attention, energy and executive function — not just a childhood condition.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is characterised by either a pattern of inattention, hyperactive behavior or both. This neurodevelopmental condition was previously associated with children only, however, new research and a growing body of anecdotal evidence is showing that this view of ADHD is inaccurate and most people do not outgrow their symptoms. Instead of symptom relief, symptoms tend to be increasingly internalised over time. So what may have looked like an inability to sit still in class may transform into an inner restlessness and losing track of thought over and over again. Some experts hold the view that ADHD is an executive function disorder, which tends to disrupt important brain functions such as organization, planning, emotion regulation and task initiation etc. When this dysfunction goes unaddressed, people with ADHD may start to believe that there is something wrong with their personality and that they cannot do anything right. ADHD is highly comorbid with anxiety, mood disorders and eating disorders etc.

When to seek help

Early diagnosis and treatment of ADHD can save a child from a lot of distress. However, more and more people are seeking ADHD diagnoses at any age now. Simply learning that their dysfunction was arising from a neurodevelopmental condition and was not their own fault can take a lot of shame and stigma away from people who have been carrying it their whole lives. Coupled with ADHD medication, learning executive function skills that work with your brain instead of against it can make daily functioning a lot easier.

How we can help

Self-assessment scales

These are the same validated scales clinicians use. Your answers stay on your device and take a few minutes.

Common questions

I was told ADHD is overdiagnosed. How can I tell if my symptoms are real?
A genuine ADHD diagnosis requires symptoms that began in childhood (whether or not they were recognised at the time), persist into the present, and cause real impairment in at least two areas of life such as work, study, or relationships. Many people are distractible without meeting that threshold. What distinguishes ADHD is the lifelong consistency and the executive-function difficulties that come with it [1]. A proper assessment works through your developmental history, screens for current symptoms, and rules out conditions that look similar, including anxiety, depression, sleep apnoea, and thyroid problems.
Are ADHD medications safe long-term?
The two main classes are stimulants (methylphenidate, amphetamines) and non-stimulants (atomoxetine, guanfacine). Both have decades of safety data behind them and are among the better-studied medications in psychiatry. The most common side effects are reduced appetite, disrupted sleep, and small increases in heart rate or blood pressure, all of which are checked at baseline and reviewed at follow-up. Most people who benefit stay on treatment long-term because the effect is consistent. ADHD medication does not cause addiction in people who actually have ADHD. Well-treated ADHD usually lowers the risk of substance misuse rather than raising it.
Why did my ADHD show up only in adulthood?
Usually, it didn't. The symptoms were almost certainly present in childhood, but they were tolerated by family or school, masked, or compensated for. Bright children often coast on intelligence alone until the external scaffolding of school disappears, and the difficulties surface at university, in a first job, or after becoming a parent. Hyperactivity also tends to internalise with age. What looked like climbing on furniture as a child often becomes restless thoughts and an inability to settle as an adult. Symptoms that genuinely begin for the first time in adulthood, with no childhood pattern at all, usually point to something other than ADHD.
Does therapy help ADHD if I'm already on medication?
Therapy helps, but the type matters. Open-ended talk therapy is rarely the right tool for ADHD itself. ADHD coaching and CBT adapted for ADHD focus on the practical layer: building external systems, breaking tasks into smaller units, working around time blindness, and learning to regulate emotion. Medication can make the brain capable of using these strategies, but the strategies still have to be learned and practised. Many people also benefit from therapy for the secondary issues that decades of undiagnosed ADHD often leave behind, including chronic shame, perfectionism, and low self-esteem.