ADHD Now, in 2023, At This Very Moment
It’s hard to put a mental health crisis into perspective, but here’s a statistic: ADHD medication increased by 32% in adults versus 17% in children in 2022/23 (according to a report by NHS England).
Read that again: 32% in adults vs 17% in children. That means, for the first time since the United States’ perception-shifting memo in 1991, ADHD symptoms are more present in adults than children.
I hope you get it, now. It’s no longer about ‘boys will be boys’. And trying to get your child’s grades up, when they’re struggling at school. ADHD is a serious condition, and it affects millions of adults each day.
But we’re at an odd intersection in 2023, too, because we have more awareness, but also, less help. An increase in diagnoses and coming together of “neurodivergent” minds across social media means more attention. But drug shortages and self-, instead of professional diagnoses, are hampering those with ADHD from making real breakthroughs.
How did we end up here?
Post-pandemic surges
Perhaps it’s no surprise the rush for ADHD medication — primarily stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin — comes in the wake of a sapping, stressful COVID-19 pandemic.
As many workers were laid off, or forced out of their usual routines, life spiraled out of control creating a sea of mental health problems we’ve yet to mend. Cyberchondria, the phenomenon of health anxiety fueled by online searches, also found root in a society increasingly attached to digital activity.
Many adults were stuck at home, spending far too much time on over-stimulating social media apps, drawing their ADHD symptoms into focus. This led to an increase in prescriptions. But, perhaps wrongfully, also an increase in ADHD diagnoses, adding to the confusion around the prevalence of the mental condition.
ADHD drug shortages
A sudden increase in prescriptions means you end up with a shortage — an issue we’re currently still dealing with worldwide.
90% of individuals with ADHD are affected. What’s worse, perhaps, is the supply may only return to normal in April, 2024.
Taking away the means to cope for so many people is a dangerous proposition. As someone who uses ADHD medication daily, I can guarantee it’s near impossible to function without it. Not only does a shortage take a toll on the individual using the medication, it can cause anxiety, stress, and difficulties for family members, colleagues and anyone around them.
TikTok movements
One reason so many people are requesting medication, and waking up to the possibility of their ADHD — particularly young people — is because TikTok and other social media propagated the idea.
On the one hand, that’s great, because we need more awareness. It ensures health and safety teams, employers, and co-workers all understand to respect someone’s personal struggle with ADHD. (A channel like My ADHD Brain really takes you inside the mind of someone who’s affected by it.)
Conversely, that awareness can reach the wrong people, too, influencing them to misdiagnose themselves. Many young people simply need a group to feel part of, and in the search for an identity, might latch onto a trend.
This isn’t who ADHD awareness campaigns are for (although some of those young people may in fact have ADHD, but require a professional diagnosis — the keyword being “professional”).
Re-framing ADHD as “neurodivergent” is another TikTok pandemic success story. This positive shift in labeling prompted an entire movement, and more positive, self-affirming discussion around the condition. The term has been endorsed by institutions around the world, and refers to autism, bipolar disease, and other mental conditions, and has been adopted by influential individuals who speak publicly about ADHD, such as actress Jessica McCabe, Jesse J. Anderson (author of Extra Focus), and neuropsychologist Dr. Jen Wolkin.
ADHD misuse
Even though this positive attention does good, we must be wary of those misusing it.
We must be wary of businesses or individuals that may spring up, looking to cash in on the suffering of others, just because ADHD is gradually more widespread, the same way Pepsi’s 2017 ad starring Kendall Jenner trivialized the Black Lives Matter protests.
That’s why I’m hesitant to use marketable terms like “ADHD’ers”, even though I support others doing so. I do not wish to water down the seriousness of the condition, because I personally battle with ADHD daily. But I’m also glad if such words can create a sense of community that helps people help each other.
Now, in 2023, and beyond, it won’t be surprising to see groups try to appropriate or appeal to ADHD for their own gain, just because it‘s more common.
But if we protect those who struggle with it and support those that speak out, we’ll do better at being better with ADHD.
