An ADHD diagnosis tends to come with a certain amount of stigma due to common myths and misconceptions about the condition. One such misconception is that ADHD is perceived as laziness, with some people questioning whether the diagnosis is real or simply a lack of motivation and focus that anyone can experience. 

Here, we are exploring this misconception by looking at the symptoms of ADHD, how it affects daily life, some of the common myths surrounding the condition, how to distinguish ADHD from laziness, the importance of understanding the difference, how ADHD is diagnosed and treated, and more. 

At Augmentive, we aim to provide holistic, tailored mental health support to everyone so they can live their life to the fullest, so if you have questions about ADHD, we can help. 

What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is a type of neurodivergence meaning a person’s brain is hard-wired differently to that of a neurotypical person. There are three different types of ADHD, and each is characterised by the symptoms it produces; hyperactive-impulsive ADHD, inattentive ADHD, and combined ADHD. 

Some of the main symptoms of ADHD can include: 

Inattention symptoms

• Struggling to maintain attention during long tasks, and missing details
• Regularly making what seem to be careless mistakes
• Struggling to organise tasks and activities, and to manage time
• Often losing items like keys or phones
• Forgetting important things, such as paying household bills or attending appointments

Hyperactive symptoms

• Fidgeting or squirming a lot
• Prolonged restlessness and difficulty sitting still for long periods of time
• Being unable to engage in fun activities in a quiet manner 
• Excessive talking, interrupting, or answering questions before they are finished
• Difficulty waiting, such as in a line or for their turn to speak 
• Becoming easily distracted by unrelated things and external stimuli 

These symptoms may cause issues in certain areas of life, impacting things like relationships, career, parenting, finances, achieving personal goals, and more. The impact will usually be different for women and men too, as ADHD typically affects women differently to men – inattentive ADHD is thought to be more common in women, and hyperactive ADHD is thought to be more common in men. 

What are some common misconceptions about ADHD? 

There are a lot of misunderstandings about ADHD which can lead to people with this condition experiencing stigma in everyday life. A 2019 study suggested the symptoms can drive negative views of a person with ADHD and lead to social distance, so we believe it is important to address this stigma by correcting some common myths about the condition. 

Here are some of the common misconceptions about ADHD:

“If they can still focus on things they enjoy, they don’t have ADHD”

Many people believe being able to focus on one or two subjects means focus itself cannot be the issue, but rather, the subject matter. In fact, people with ADHD experience something called ‘hyperfixation’ which gives them an ability to focus intensely on their preferred activities or things they excel at, but they are usually unable to apply this skill to other subjects or tasks requiring sustained attention. You can learn more about this in our guide to understanding ADHD hyperfixation in adults.

For this reason, a person with ADHD may be able to lose hours of their day working on an art project they love, but not be able to complete their university work by the deadline due to constant distraction.

“It’s not ADHD because everyone struggles with focus sometimes”

You may have heard it said that ADHD is not real because everyone struggles with focus on occasion. While it is true that many of us will become periodically distracted and need to fight our way back to focus, those with ADHD suffer from a chronic and severe case of inattention leading to focus issues that negatively impact their entire life. They may also experience hyperactivity or impulsivity that affects their focus abilities, too. 

It is important to distinguish between occasional focus issues and a complete inability to sustain attention long enough to finish tasks or achieve goals. 

“Medication will solve all ADHD symptoms” 

Medication can certainly help to manage the symptoms of ADHD, however there are many other steps involved to help people with this condition reach a place where they feel in control of their life and able to complete tasks. 

It often requires a combination of medication, therapies, behavioural strategies, and lifestyle adjustments to make positive changes to their day-to-day life, and it may take a while for them to find a balance of these treatment options that suits them. 

“People with ADHD are just lazy”

The idea that people with ADHD simply lack motivation is a common misconception rooted in what other people see on the outside, however it is important to remember this condition is a neurodevelopmental disorder, not simply a form of laziness. Those with ADHD may struggle with focus and organisation due to neurological differences in their brain, not because of a character flaw. 

For this reason, a lazy neurotypical person may procrastinate because they prefer to do something else instead of starting or continuing the task at hand, whereas people with ADHD are usually fighting against their brain’s wiring to find the focus, which can look similar to procrastination from the outside.   

It is important to address these sources of stigma, as they continue to promote inaccurate ideas about what it is really like to live with this condition. Equating ADHD to laziness can lead people to misunderstand, suppress or ignore their own symptoms, which can have detrimental effects on their mental health and wellbeing. 

Is it ADHD, or laziness? 

Certain ADHD symptoms are often mistaken for laziness, which is a common reason why this condition is often missed during diagnosis. Procrastination, having difficulty starting or finishing tasks, having seemingly no willpower, and being forgetful are traits often attributed to laziness, but are in fact common ADHD symptoms caused by the neurological challenges impacting self-regulation and executive functioning. Studies suggest ADHD has been connected to spontaneous mind-wandering and heightened distractibility, which could appear to be procrastination or lack of motivation from an outside perspective. 

As another example, someone with ADHD may procrastinate not because they are lacking motivation, but because they are experiencing ADHD sensory overload, ADHD paralysis or from ADHD burnout, which leads them to struggle to begin the task at hand. Having difficulty initiating tasks tends to come from a struggle to prioritise, while forgetfulness in ADHD comes from memory lapses rather than carelessness. 

In daily life, these symptoms might look like frequently missing deadlines, ignoring responsibilities or abandoning tasks half way through. Similarly, in relationships, people with ADHD may forget important dates or struggle to maintain conversations, which can cause others to feel a sense of neglect or to become frustrated. While the person with ADHD does not mean to do this, it can have a detrimental effect on their life. 

Unlike neurotypical people, those with ADHD may have neurological differences causing these symptoms; studies suggest people with ADHD may have an imbalance in dopamine levels in the brain compared with neurotypical individuals. Internally, this explains the symptoms they experience, but externally, it can be difficult to distinguish these symptoms from laziness. 

How do I know the difference? 

ADHD and laziness can be almost impossible for many people to differentiate, and this is especially true when a person has high functioning ADHD, or is masking their symptoms. This means they are taking steps to appear neurotypical instead of showing the symptoms they are experiencing under the surface. You can learn more about this in our guide to ADHD masking and how to spot it.

Usually, distinguishing ADHD from general laziness comes down to the person’s intention and their ability. Laziness is a choice to intentionally avoid effort, while ADHD is rooted in neurological challenges that make focus, organisation and finishing tasks extremely difficult. Simply mislabelling this as laziness makes it much harder for them to access helpful interventions and treatments, and can leave them with feelings of guilt, shame and frustration. In addition, studies find people with ADHD tend to suffer from negative self-esteem as a result of their symptoms, so additional societal pressure and stigma could further contribute to this. 

By recognising ADHD in a loved one, you can foster self-compassion and help the person by providing the necessary accommodations to improve their productivity, their relationships, and as a result, their self-esteem and quality of life. Removing stigma can open up pathways for more meaningful help.

How is ADHD diagnosed? 

Accurately identifying ADHD enables proper management and support for the condition, such as getting the right medication, organising the best type of therapy, and employing time management and focus strategies that can really make a difference to a person’s life. 

This process often begins by getting an official ADHD diagnosis, and this includes a look at the person’s medical history, history of symptoms, a behavioural assessment, and any further tests required to determine if ADHD could be the cause of the symptoms they are experiencing, such as interviews with loved ones, questionnaires to find out more about their motivation and symptoms, or referrals to psychiatrists who can assist.

There is no individual test to confirm ADHD, so this requires professional observation and opinion based on how accurately the symptoms meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. For adults, this usually means showing a persistent pattern of five or more symptoms of either inattention, or hyperactivity and impulsivity (or both) that interferes with functioning.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the criteria for inattention includes issues like: 

• Regularly failing to pay close attention to details, or making careless mistakes in schoolwork, at work, or in other activities
• Regularly struggling to hold attention on tasks or activities
• Regularly failing to follow through on instructions and failing to finish work or chores
• Regularly struggling to organise tasks and activities
• Regularly losing things that are necessary to complete a task or activity, such as tools, wallets or paperwork

The criteria for hyperactivity and impulsivity issues involves: 

• Regularly fidgeting with things or tapping hands or feet
• Regularly feeling restless 
• Regularly being hyperactive, as if driven by a motor 
• Regularly talking excessively 
• Regularly interrupting others and struggling to wait 

Undergoing an ADHD assessment through the NHS or a private mental health care solution (such as what we offer at Augmentive) is usually the best way to learn which symptoms are present and to obtain an official diagnosis if applicable. 

If you are unsure whether you or a loved one has ADHD, a discussion with a therapist who has experience working with people with ADHD can be extremely helpful, as this can identify the root cause of difficulties and identify whether these are due to ADHD or simply motivational struggles. 

How is ADHD treated? 

ADHD is usually treated with a combination of medication (if desired), therapies, behavioural strategies, and lifestyle changes. At Augmentive, we believe advice and support for anyone with ADHD should be bespoke and tailored to the individual to help with their specific symptoms. If you want to address your symptoms and discover helpful coping techniques that may work for you, we recommend speaking to a professional with knowledge and experience of this condition.

A number of different therapies are used to treat ADHD, such as:

Medication

There is no cure for ADHD, so no type of medication will rid a person of ADHD symptoms entirely. However, certain medications can help with the condition to improve and regulate focus, impulsivity, anxiety and more. These include both stimulant medications and non-stimulant medications. Remember, some people believe taking medication for ADHD will solve all of their symptom issues, but usually a combination of medication and the below therapy options is the most helpful way to manage the condition. You can read more about medication options in Your Guide to ADHD Medication in the UK.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Multiple types of therapy can be recommended for ADHD depending on the person’s specific combination of symptoms, but CBT is a helpful type of talking therapy that can assist those with ADHD to manage everyday issues by adapting the way they think and behave in relation to their condition. This can be done alongside ADHD medications, or can be helpful on its own for those who may be intolerant to ADHD medications. You can read more about this in our guide: CBT For ADHD: How Well Does It Work?

Lifestyle changes

There are a number of lifestyle changes recommended for those living with ADHD, which can help to regulate and better manage their symptoms. These include:

• Dietary changes to improve overall health and address potential gut health issues contributing to ADHD symptoms. This could mean eating more fibre-rich foods, plant-based foods or fermented foods, as well as staying hydrated and avoiding processed foods, alcohol or caffeine. You can learn more in our guide to the relationship between ADHD and gut health
• Take steps to manage your stress levels, such as practising mindfulness through activities like meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises, or spending more time outdoors.
• Get regular exercise. Even gentle exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga can help to alleviate stress and has been found to boost memory and thinking skills in neurotypical people, so those with ADHD may experience a positive impact on their ADHD symptoms through exercise. 
• Get plenty of rest and sleep, as this has been found to have a positive impact on ADHD symptoms. Those with ADHD are more likely to develop a sleep disorder like insomnia or restless legs syndrome, so working on improving your sleep can make it easier to manage ADHD symptoms in everyday life. 

If you are unsure whether you or a loved one has ADHD and want to find out more from a specialist, you can begin the process of getting diagnosed by speaking to your GP to find out how they can help. They may recommend doing this through the NHS, however if you are concerned about long wait times for these appointments, you may choose to look into private options such as the service we offer at Augmentive, where we can help by booking you a private adult ADHD assessment much more rapidly.

We believe all advice and support for those with ADHD should be personalised to each person’s individual symptoms and situation, so our free 15 minute consultation can help match you with an appropriate professional who can help.