Author name: Alan Stracey

ADHD Brains run on interest. And when they’ve been constantly engaged for days, weeks or months and the interest stops: you need to know how to deal with what happens next.

A few days ago the UK Government published the interim report from its independent review into Mental Health Conditions, ADHD and Autism – which confirms that demand for diagnosis is skyrocketing. Here’s why that matters.

If you’re a man with ADHD, you’re probably going to live between 4.5 and 9 years less than a man without ADHD.

Each time I need to trust myself, I find myself back again – watching a ‘greatest hits’ compilation of every single time I’ve tried and failed.  Or even failed to try.

Research shows that 21% of people seeking treatment for substance use disorders have ADHD.
This isn’t a personal failing. This is neurology.

Research shows that individuals with ADHD have a 4–9 times higher rate of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders compared to the general adult population.
That’s the cumulative strain of living in a world that wasn’t designed for your brain.

Most workplaces aren’t hostile to neurodivergent people on purpose. They’re just designed for a version of “average” that doesn’t exist.

Psychological safety isn’t just about trust and respect. It’s also about nervous system regulation. And you can’t regulate when your environment is constantly triggering hypervigilance.

You don’t need to be “struggling enough” to deserve support.

You just need to be ready to understand how your brain actually works and build a life that works with it, not against it.

For ADHDers with Big Brilliant Brains and a talent for coming alive when the world is burning down around us, what we actually need is the right amount of stress.