Dr. Kieran Kennedy

progress my hobby or career in this way no matter what age you are you know I think someone can then benefit from knowing the diagnosis is there and even potentially seeking out treatment to improve those things too I think again it can be a little bit of a stigma or a stereotype that ADHD and autism and things are just things that kids get diagnosed with and that you know if you're beyond that then there's really no point but it again depends on how much someone thinks this is impacting their life in a negative way

It might be, yeah.

You know, I think a lot of people with ADHD that have more maybe hyperactive traits, they really would not feel that it's relaxing or comfortable in any way to just blob on the couch or watch a movie.

You know, I mean, I might love that, but I think for someone with hyperactive,

Activity or ADHD, for them, that would often actually feel really quite uncomfortable to relax and rest with doing nothing.

So for them, they might find themselves actually much happier and more relaxed in a way if they are active and on the go.

They're into sport or exercise or doing different jobs or diving into the backyard.

But again, I think it's important to call out as with a lot of these things, just because someone's an active relaxer doesn't necessarily mean they have ADHD.

I think personality-wise and for other reasons, a lot of people actually just prefer to be active and on the go and exercise or running or sport for them is a real mindful, relaxing thing.

So, yeah, a bit of an annoying psychiatristy answer to say it can be, but also it might not be.

Bit of a myth, yeah.

I often hear that one too.

People are like, well, if you take Ritalin and it just makes you want to party or it does nothing, then that shows you don't have ADHD.

That's not wholly true.

Unfortunately.

I mean, it might put me out of a job if that was the way we worked out how people, you know, how we sort of work out the diagnosis.

But no, you know, I think even people with ADHD, not all of the medication is helpful for all people with ADHD.

So someone with ADHD might be prescribed Ritalin, for example, as a common treatment, a common medication.

And even though they have really significant ADHD, that medication just might not actually do much for them or help them with focus or calming.

So yeah, I think doing the old trying one from a friend or something and then working out whether you have it based on that.