Adhd

ADHD is a condition where you have lots of energy and have difficulty concentrating. You might also find it hard to control what you say and do. For example, you might speak without thinking first, or find that you do things on impulse.

Symptoms usually start very early in life, before the age of six. We don't know exactly what causes ADHD but experts think it might run in families, or it could be to do with the way the chemicals in your brain work. But you might start to experience ADHD-like symptoms if you’ve had a difficult experience.

Another condition called attention deficit disorder (ADD) has similar symptoms to ADHD, but you don’t feel as hyperactive. For people with ADD, the main problem they have is difficulty concentrating.

The symptoms of ADHD.

Symptoms include:

feeling restless or fidgety
talking a lot and interrupting others
becoming easily distracted
finding it hard to concentrate
saying or doing things without thinking

If you experience any of these symptoms above, it doesn’t mean you definitely have ADHD. But if any of them are affecting your everyday life, you should do something about it.

What to do about ADHD

If you think you might have ADHD, talk to someone you like and trust. This could be a teacher, a relative, a counsellor or one of your friends.

Talk to your GP. Tell them how you’re feeling and they can suggest ways to help.

You don’t need to do a test to find out if you have ADHD. Instead, you’ll talk to an expert such as a psychiatrist or specialist paediatrician (young person’s doctor) to find out the best way to help.