The Rising Tide of ADHD - Thanks to TikTok? Or Just Improved Awareness and Diagnosis?

How is it that everyone has ADHD these days? Friends that you have known since grade-school are confessing to years of concentration glitches and distractibility. (You never knew). They confide problems with time management and procrastination, and you wonder how you didn’t realize that their lovable day-dreaming selves were really struggling to keep their heads afloat in a world that demands routine, consistency, and organization. You feel guilty for the times you teased them for being ten minutes late (again). On one hand, it seemed like they had their act together with kids, career, and marriage and yet when you hear the words, “I’ve been diagnosed with Adult ADHD”, you find yourself nodding and the puzzle pieces fall into place.

ADHD refers to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. It is usually comprised of symptoms of distractibility, impulsivity, and motor restlessness, with symptoms first observed before the age 12 years. It is often referred to as a regulation disorder (Russell Barkley) with impairments in ability to regulate attention as well as emotions and arousal. Difficulties with planning and organization are often viewed as significant characteristics of ADHD as well. Historically the focus of diagnosis and treatment of ADHD has been on children. But these children grow up and the term “Adult ADHD” has become commonplace. Statistics presented in Forbes Health (August 2023) suggest that an estimated 8.7 million adults in the United States have ADHD.

            While it is obvious that children with ADHD grow up to be adults with ADHD, there seems to be an upsurge in requests for Adult ADHD testing over the past few years. Physicians’ offices report significant increases in self-referred adult patients who have complaints of distractibility and time management issues, as well as concerns over the negative impact these difficulties have on their careers and relationships. In my psychology practice, this has certainly been the case.  Some have suggested that COVID “brain fog” has led to an increase in concentration and thinking problems in otherwise healthy and well-functioning adults. While this may be true for some individuals, many of our patients tell us it was the isolation and change in work environment during COVID that led to their initial recognition of ADHD symptoms.  Adults changed their work environments from one that relied upon real co-worker interaction and frequent opportunity for engagement and reward, to an environment that felt isolating and lacking in stimulation and interest. It was just us, our laptops, and the hum of the refrigerator. The home office (aka kitchen table) took on a whole new level of distraction for at-home workers.

Some patients tell me that it was TikTok that opened their eyes to the possibility that their distractibility and procrastination patterns were actually Adult ADHD. While watching TikTok videos and hearing from professionals and non-professionals about ADHD, the words and stories felt familiar to them. They followed creators on #adhdtiktok and learned about attention symptoms that had plagued them since grade school. Patients recall they were told things like “he’s just all boy” or “she’s just chatty and social” as a child to explain their struggles in the confines of the classroom. Sometimes patients just thought they weren’t good enough or not smart enough for success. That’s how my brain has always worked, they think. As a professional, when given the opportunity to look back through a patient’s school report cards, you can see a pattern where students with ADHD start out great each semester, quickly followed by disorganization, and then the wheels really fall off the bus with incomplete and late schoolwork. Then the student and family members go to extremes with late night hours, tears, and threats, the week before end of semester to catch back up with an overwhelming number of missing assignments. This pattern repeats itself each semester and exhaustion and discouragement set in for all. Unfortunately, similarities of this pattern continue into adulthood and now have very real-world life consequences (e.g., late taxes, overdue car registration, long-forgotten email responses, busted friendships).

I’m not quite sure what has led to the increase in the prevalence of attention disorders. Likely many factors are coming into play, but hopefully accurate diagnosis of Adult ADHD is a part of that increased recognition and will be a game-changer for those who suffer from these challenges.  I am glad that people are talking about these symptoms and are looking for ways to help themselves understand what symptoms they have and how these might be related to Adult ADHD or other disorders.  There is so much hustle and bustle to life but I know there is hope for people who struggle with these symptoms.

As co-founder of the Attention Disorders Clinic of Kansas City (www.attentiondisordersclinicofkc.com) and having over 25 years of experience working with children and adults with ADHD in a private practice setting, I plan to start posting some of my thoughts and observations regarding ADHD, especially how ADHD affects those in adulthood. Future topics to include thoughts on generational ADHD and young professionals with ADHD, as well as review of books and resources that may be helpful for someone who is trying to find their focus. I hope you enjoy this content and find it useful.