With celebrities like former Bake Off host Sue Perkins, Comedian Johnny Vegas and Loose Women’s Nadia Sawalha both recently being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, Hester Grainger, co-founder of neurodiversity consultancy Perfectly Autistic, shares the traits you should look out for.  

Sue Perkins explained that since her diagnosis ‘suddenly everything made sense’. This really resonated with Hester who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 43. With 3.1m hashtags for ADHD on Instagram and videos about ADHD traits all over TikTok, a lot of people are starting to wonder if they actually have ADHD, or if they are just easily distracted or impulsive.

Main types of ADHD

ADHD is often seen as something that only naughty boys at school have. When it comes to adults with ADHD, it’s something that’s only been discussed in the last 20 years.  There are three main subtypes of ADHD - hyperactive, inattentive and combined. 

Some typical traits that someone with hyperactive ADHD may have is fidgeting or finding it hard to sit still. They may also talk a lot, interrupt others and blurt out answers. When it comes to inattentive ADHD (formerly ADD) people may make careless mistakes, lose things regularly, have difficulty following detailed instructions, or organising tasks. Combined ADHD is a mixture of the two subtypes, so you may have all these traits and more.

Right to Choose

If you are looking at getting assessed, read about Right To Choose and then book an appointment with your GP.  Ask for an adult ADHD assessment and then you will have the right to choose where you go for it.  Start keeping a note of things you may do, e.g losing your keys and how often this happens, or times you were unable to concentrate during a meeting or when you’ve blurted something out you’d rather have not shared.

To be diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, you have to have had a certain number of symptoms present and they also have to have been there, when you were a child. Talking too much, regularly forgetting to unload the washing machine or finding some things overwhelming, like replying to emails or returning phone calls, doesn’t mean you have ADHD. People with ADHD need to show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity–impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Great to see

Hester Grainger, co-founder Perfectly Autistic explains: “It’s really great to see celebrities like Sue Perkins being open with their diagnosis, as this opens up the conversation about neurodiversity, which is always positive.

When I received my official diagnosis from the psychiatrist, it felt a huge sense of relief. Looking back, I’ve been masking for years which is exhausting and I knew why I struggled in certain areas of my life. Now I understand why and I feel ok about that."