WHAT IS ADHD & HOW TO TREAT IT

🧠 What Does It Take to Be Diagnosed with Adult ADHD?
Think you might have ADHD? It’s more than just being easily distracted or feeling restless sometimes.

Here’s what’s involved 👇
✅ To meet the criteria for adult ADHD, you need to show:
AT LEAST 5 SYMPTOMS of inattention &/or hyperactivity-impulsivity
Some symptoms must have STARTED BEFORE AGE 12
The symptoms must show up in AT LEAST TWO AREAS OF LIFE (like work & home)
The symptoms must CLEARLY INTERFERE WITH YOUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION
And they must not be better explained by another mental health condition

ADHD vs. Normal Life Stress?
Yes, EVERYONE gets distracted or disorganised SOMETIMES. But to be diagnosed with ADHD, these issues MUST BE PERSISTENT, START EARLY IN LIFE, & DISRUPT YOUR DAILY LIFE especially in work, school, or relationships.

Can ADHD be “reversed”?
ADHD isn’t brain DAMAGE it’s a DIFFERENCE in how certain networks develop & communicate. Research shows variations in things like dopamine activity & prefrontal cortex function.

So can those differences be REVERSED over time?

NOT EXACTLY. ADHD isn’t something you can “undo,” because it’s part of how the brain is wired.

But here’s the hopeful part:
The brain is PLASTIC. It can adapt, reorganise, & strengthen new connections.

🔸 Medication can temporarily balance brain chemistry.
🔸 Therapy & coaching can build new habits & skills.
🔸 Sleep, exercise, & mindfulness can support healthy brain function.
🔸 Maturity itself helps symptoms often ease as the brain develops into adulthood.

In other words: ADHD doesn’t DISAPPEAR, but with the right support, the brain can change in powerful ways. You can learn to work WITH your wiring, not against it.