ADHD isn’t just a boy thing

Women are rarely diagnosed properly with ADHD in school.

Men, women, boys, and girls of all ages have ADHD.

Have you often have you felt like the smartest, dumbest person in the room? How often did you get in trouble for talking in class? Where you ever told that “you aren’t living up to your potential?” by a teacher or school counselor? How offended you wait until the night before your paper was due to write your paper or finish your project? You still made a good grade because your drafts make As. How often did you forget your homework and do it in classes in order to turn it in? How often did you forget he form your parent needed to sign?

Do you look for your keys and phone every morning because you can’t remember where you put them?

Do you check and double check and triple check what’s important at work?

Do you get criticism for not doing mundane task at work?

Is it hard for you to make phone calls on your behalf or ask for help?

Have you often felt like an outsider? A bit too loud? Saying something without thinking?

Women are more likely to be misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression.

People who have symptoms of ADHD are often anxious because they have received so much negative feedback in their life. They’ve been told they aren’t living up to their potential. They’ve heard, “you would have made an A except for the minor spelling and grammar mistakes.” They’re been told that they are smart but they often feel dumb for forgetting to turn in work or not remembering they even had work. All these negative messages can cause anxiety about being in school, talking in class, talking with friends, and sharing ideas. All these negative messages can cause depression and a poor self-concept from internalizing being told that you are lazy, you don’t work hard enough, and you are not living up to your abilities.

ADHD is a terrible name.

Not only is ADHD a terrible name, it’s not accurate. ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. First, it’s not that people with ADHD can’t pay attention, the problem is they pay attention to everything! Everything they see, hear, feel, and smell comes at them at the same volume level and they can’t "tune it out”. Second, Hyperactivity doesn't mean that everyone with ADHD is moonwalking on the ceiling! Some people have a little hyperactivity which can look like a shaking leg or difficulty sitting through a slow movie or lecture. Third, Disorder is a strong word. For people with symptoms of ADHD a significant amount of how the world is structured, especially school, makes it hard to stay “in order”. In other contexts, symptoms of ADHD become strengths.

People with ADHD can be successful.

One of the best examples of someone who has ADHD, is very successful, and whose life reflects some of the traits of ADHD is Richard Branson. In 2007, he was placed in the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World. Sir Richard Branson is a British billionaire, entrepreneur, and business magnate. In the 1970s he founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields. His vast range of interests and business reflects the common trait of people with ADHD who are curious and love to learn and experience new things. Richard Branson’s companies have included: Virgin Records, Virgin MegaStores, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Orbit, Virgin Rails, Virgin Hotels, Virgin Cruises, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Media, Virgin Comics, Virgin Animation, and more. On 11 July 2021, Richard Branson, 70 years old at the time, travelled as a passenger onboard Virgin Galactic Unity 22 at the edge of space, a suborbital test flight for his spaceflight company Virgin Galactic.

Others with ADHD:

Michael Phelps the American competitive swimmer who is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals.

Simone Biles the American artistic gymnast. Her seven Olympic medals tied with Shannon Miller for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. Having won 25 World Championship medals, she is the most decorated gymnast in history, and is considered by many sources to be the greatest gymnast of all time. In 2022, Biles was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden.

Justin Timberlake the Grammy-winning singer and actor Timberlake says: "I have OCD mixed with ADD. You try living with that."

Emma Watson best known for her Hermione Granger role in “Harry Potter.” She was diagnosed with ADHD when she was a kid.

Ryan Gosling won a Golden Globe. Ryan Gosling is example of someone who struggled in school years because of his ADHD, but had the strength to turn it into an award-winning career in Hollywood.