ADHD Awareness Month 2024

ADHD Awareness Month happens annually every October and aims to help educate people on the issues and obstacles people with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) face on a daily basis. Because this awareness month welcomes information and open discussions about ADHD, it’s a wonderful opportunity to help create a better understanding of this often misunderstood condition.

What is ADHD?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a kind of neurodiversity that can impact many aspects of daily life. If ADHD isn’t diagnosed during childhood, a lot of adults can have this condition and live perfectly normal lives without even realising they suffer from it.

ADHD is often viewed as a condition that affects young people who are easily distracted, hyperactive, or unable to focus on their work at school. However, people with this condition can also deeply focus on certain subjects that inspire them and tend to be extremely creative individuals.

What are the ADHD Symptoms?

Everyone is different, and ADHD in people outside of childhood may be more difficult to spot. So, while no two people may have the exact same symptoms, the following symptoms are commonly associated with young adults/adults with ADHD:

• Extreme cases of impatience
• Poor organisation skills/difficulty prioritising tasks
• Mood swings and shifts in temper
• General restlessness
• A tendency to begin new tasks before completing other tasks
• Poor attention to detail
• Constantly losing things or not knowing where you put them
• Interrupting others and difficulty keeping quiet in conversations

Interestingly, it’s theorised that ADHD can’t be developed in adulthood, unless first developed during your childhood stages. Due to the fact that many of the above symptoms will impact adults in a much different way than it would with children, diagnosing an adult with this condition isn’t as easy as it would be with a child.

How can an EAP help with ADHD?

Treating ADHD

Treating ADHD, particularly in the case of treating adults, will usually involve a combination of education, counselling, behavioural training and potentially even medication. These kinds of treatment are intended to help manage the general symptoms of this condition, but not ‘cure’ it.

Like all treatments, it may take some time to figure out what works best for each individual person and will require a discussion with your healthcare professional before making any final decisions.

Helping to Raise Awareness

For ADHD Awareness Month, what matters most is that you’re having open discussions and doing your part to reduce the stigma surrounding attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. In general, it’s always a good idea to educate yourself about this condition, discuss it with neurodivergent people, and perhaps even take part in some webinars or book learning about ADHD.

Final Thoughts

ADHD Awareness Month is an opportunity to open dialogue with others about how others feel and to learn a lot about the different kinds of neurodiversity that people live with. And if you’re someone who finds this kind of awareness day difficult or anxiety inducing, never forget that our qualified counsellors are available 24/7 via our fully confidential helpline on 0800 206 2532