Programme on ADHD this evening

There is actually a lot more to ADHD than just difficulty sitting still. Here are a few examples:

-poor working memory
-emotional dysregulation
-ability to focus is determined by interest; if an individual with ADHD is interested in something, they can engage in "hyperfocus" and they can be focused for hours, even forgetting to eat
-extreme sensitivity to rejection (even to perceived rejection; as an example, a boss asking to meet triggers fears of being fired; a partner asking to talk brings up worries of the relationship ending)
-sensory issues
-struggles with object permanence (i.e. if you can't see something, it doesn't exist; this leads to clutter and also to losing things)
-increased intensity of emotional reactions
-easy distractability
-challenges with proprioception (i.e. walking into things, tripping over your own feet, clumsiness); brain scans of people who have ADHD show a decreased number of neural connections in the cerebellum, which controls balance and fluidity of movement, as compared to neurotypical people
-challenges with time management
-executive functioning issues (e.g. trouble planning and carrying out tasks)
-restlessness, inability to relax
-trouble sleeping; there is evidence that the brain secretes melatonin later in the night in people with ADHD compared to neurotypical people

Several years ago, Hubby told me that my stepdaughter posited that I might have ADHD. She had female friends who had a diagnosis and noticed similarities between them and me. As I started to look into signs and symptoms of ADHD in women, and to look at the lived experience of people who have ADHD, it was as if I finally figured what was up with me. I had known since I was about 6 or 7 years old that I was "different". I just didn't know WHAT was going on with me.

I don't have an official diagnosis, but we do strongly suspect I have ADHD. However, I always say it's an explanation, not an excuse. It doesn't mean you can just say that it's acceptable for you not to be organized or to be late. It DOES mean that you can recognize that it's not just a case of "trying harder"; you need to find specific solutions that work for you. For me, for example, this translates into options such as making lists, putting things in a digital calendar, and even putting things I'll need to take with me the next day in my car the night before so I can't forget them when I wake up. It's about recognizing that techniques that work for neurotypical people won't work for you - and figuring out alternatives that WILL.

Many people who have ADHD invest substantial amounts of energy attempting to cope with a neurotypical world. This can even lead to issues such as burnout and (especially in women) mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression.

This is not just " trouble sitting still" or "trouble paying attention". It's A LOT more than that.

I haven't seen it but have heard about it. I'm not buying it. There are documented cases of what would be called ADHD now that go back to ancient times. Brain scans show differences in the brains of people with ADHD. ADHD existed well before there were screens. ADHD is real, though I don't disagree that over use of screens and lack of old fashioned play time, especially outside, are problematic and no doubt cause issues.

And I've trained social workers and take a bio-psychosocial approach to everything. I believe ADHD is rooted in biology but psychological and social elements can have an influence for better for worse. I've noticed that medication does have a place for some people (helping them get through university, for example), but I don't think most ADHD children would need medical if they weren't expected to conform to an educational system that doesn't suit them.

By the way, I agree with you on the getting children to move around bit.
It's why many of them ( me included) constantly ask to be excused for the toilet - nothing to do with the bladder!
(At least not until now!)

I have mixed feelings about this.
I wasn't diagnosed with ADHD till I was in my 60s but had there been more understanding of it when I was a child (NOT necessarily medication) I feel I could have achieved so much more.
I supposedly had a high (158) IQ but was easily distracted, labelled "Dolly Daydream" and "Butterfly Brain" as I rarely finished what I'd started (except books - I could lose myself in books for hours) and could never cope with "read, learn and remember" subjects like history (as it was taught when I was a child anyway) and always did better in exams than class work.
"Could do better" was teachers' constant comment so I always felt like a failure.
Poor memory has always been a problem too, now of course made worse by age!
Many women don't suffer from the physical hyperactivity that used to be associated with ADHD but instead the constantly churning brain, never able to switch off, stupid phrases and snatches of songs or conversations on an endless loop...
I'm sure there will be others on here who can identify.
But I haven't seen the programme in question because we don't watch live TV or BBC iPlayer. (Refuse to pay for a licence).