Dr. Kieran Kennedy

because of kind of biology but also because of kind of stereotypes around masculinity and femininity and what's okay to express or show as a man versus a woman.

Yeah, I mean, any one of those words you've just said, Dom, is pretty common.

I often talk to people about it feeling like a weird mixture of emotions.

Lots of patients tell me there's a sense of relief

real relief, you know, validation.

They've kind of maybe thought something's there or something's wrong or difficult for quite a long time, maybe years or decades.

So often, you know, when I tell people at the end of the assessment

Yes, I do think you have ADHD.

For a lot of people, it's quite emotional in terms of being this overwhelming relief and a sense of validation.

I think a lot of adults might have grown up being told they were lazy or they were dumb.

That's something I hear a lot is people sort of saying, well, I just always felt like maybe I was dumb because I couldn't keep up in class.

it's often really positive and validating but then there can be a mixture of sort of a little bit of grief and even anger and sadness too I think for a lot of adults getting diagnosed there's often a bit of sadness and frustration and anger around the fact that well I very clearly had these symptoms as a kid or I was really struggling in school but people just told me I was naughty or lazy or

You know, I wasn't smart.

So there can often be a bit of a weird kind of melting pot of different emotions with it.

Really good question.

I think it depends for me as a psychiatrist.

It depends on how much you think those symptoms are impacting your life.

You know, at whatever age you're at, whether you're in your 50s or you're in your 70s.

You know, I've met people in their 60s and 70s for ADHD assessments and diagnoses.

And again, whether it's work, whether it's family life, whether it's things with sports or hobbies, I think if there are things with potential focus or hyperactivity where you feel, actually, this is impacting my life, it's affecting my mood, it's affecting my family life, it's affecting my ability to...