What ADHD is — and isn't

ADHD is recognised in UK and international clinical guidance as a neurodevelopmental condition. Symptoms begin in childhood, although many people aren't identified until adulthood.

It's less about having 'no attention' and more about difficulty regulating where attention goes and for how long. Many people with ADHD can focus intensely on things that interest them — sometimes called hyperfocus — while struggling to start or sustain less rewarding tasks.

ADHD shows up differently from person to person. Two people with the same diagnosis can have very different days.

What it isn't: a moral failing, a sign of low intelligence, or something everyone 'has a bit of'. Everyone gets distracted; ADHD is about persistent, impairing patterns across settings.