​Myth 1: ADHD is a childhood condition which we grow out of in adulthood​.

• Our current understanding is that for many people with ADHD it is a lifelong and lifespan condition.

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• The latest research suggests that for individuals diagnosed with ADHD as children between 50% to 70% will continue to be impaired by ADHD symptoms in adulthood.

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• As our knowledge, awareness, and ability to diagnose ADHD increases many adults are receiving a diagnosis of ADHD having never been formally or accurately diagnosed as children.

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• The strong genetic component of ADHD often means adults are retrospectively diagnosed with ADHD, or recognise and seek help for their own ADHD, when their children or those of close family members receive an ADHD diagnosis.

Myth 2: ADHD only or predominantly affects boys.

• Historically ADHD has been diagnosed approximately three times more frequently in boys than in girls contributing to the perception of it being a condition which predominantly, or even overwhelmingly, affects males.

• Research is increasingly challenging this as a misconception and recognising that ADHD is potentially missed altogether in girls and women, or attributed to other conditions, with a greater frequency than it is in boys and men.

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• The prevailing stereotype associating physical hyperactivity and disruptive behaviour as hallmark symptoms of ADHD is even less valid for girls, for whom the inattentive manifestations of ADHD prevail in a greater percentage of cases.

Myth 3: ADHD is always characterised by bad behaviour and "physical hyperactivity"​.​

• Whilst visible physical hyperactivity, an inability to sit still and associated disruptive behaviour linked to physical restlessness can be an indicator of ADHD it is often wholly absent.

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• For many the restlessness of ADHD is internalised, characterised by racing thoughts and an inability to switch our minds off, or a more subtle combination of internal and external restlessness, rather than overt manifestations of physical hyperactivity.

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• Even where physical hyperactivity is a feature of an individual's ADHD in childhood in many cases this becomes much less pronounced as they move through their teenage years' and into adulthood.

Myth 4: ADHD is a Stand​-alone Condition with a single treatment approach.

• Comorbidities or co-existing conditions are indicated in over 50% of individuals with ADHD complicating both the diagnosis and management of ADHD.

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• Amongst the most commonly seen co-existing conditions are Depression, Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.

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• There is no cure for ADHD nor a single treatment approach. A multi-disciplinary approach is recommended which may incorporate medication and/ or non-medication.

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• Non-medication options that can effectively support the ongoing management of ADHD include specialist Coaching, Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Behavioural Therapy and Educational Interventions.

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• Five medications are currently licensed for the treatment of ADHD in the UK: Methylphenidate, Dexamfetamine, Lisdexamfetamine, Atomoxetine and Guanfacine.

Myth 5: You can't possibly have ADHD because...

• You have managed to get a degree, masters, PhD, or any other form of academic or professional qualification.

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• "You don't look like you have ADHD".

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• "It would have been spotted as a child."

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• You didn't get in trouble at school.

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• You can sit still without fidgeting.

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• You are married, have a long-term partner, are in a stable relationship or have children.

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• You have a "good job".