Adult ADHD: why everyone is suddenly talking about it — and how not to diagnose yourself from a video
In recent years, videos titled “10 signs of ADHD” have been watched by millions — and many have recognised themselves. But an analysis of the hundred most popular ADHD videos on TikTok found that fewer than half of the claims about symptoms matched the diagnostic criteria, and the more often someone watches such videos, the more common they judge ADHD to be[1]. This wave of recognition is neither an epidemic nor a fad: the truth is subtler than either[2].
- Lyudmila Chernysheva, psychologist and hypnotherapist
- Updated: September 28, 2026
Why everyone recognises themselves
The lists of symptoms in those videos — distractibility, procrastination, lost keys, abandoned hobbies — describe the experience of almost anyone who is overloaded in the digital age[1]. Lack of sleep, anxiety, burnout and attention fragmented by notifications all produce a picture that, from the outside, looks very much like an attention deficit. The difference lies in the history: with ADHD, difficulties with attention can be traced back to childhood and show up in several important areas of life — but that difference is established by clinical diagnosis, not by self-observation against a list of signs[3]. For scale: ADHD that has persisted since childhood is found in roughly 2–3% of adults, while pronounced symptoms, without taking childhood history into account, are found in roughly 6–7%[2].
Why self-diagnosis is harmful either way
A false “I have ADHD” hides the real cause — anxiety, depression, burnout, sleep problems — and that cause is something that can be worked with. A false “I’m just lazy” in someone with real ADHD adds years of self-blame on top of the neurodivergence itself. Both are the price of diagnosing from a video.
How to find out properly
An ADHD diagnosis is made by a doctor — a psychiatrist — against clinical criteria, taking a history back to childhood and ruling out other causes[3]; a psychologist can see the picture and refer you on, but cannot make the diagnosis. Before seeing the doctor, it helps to do some homework: keep an attention diary for two weeks (noting when you can focus and when you cannot; the pattern tells you more than your own impression does), get the basics of your sleep in order, and test yourself for anxiety and burnout. Anxiety and exhaustion can affect attention and coexist with ADHD. These checklists cannot identify the cause or decide whether an ADHD assessment is needed.
What works whatever the answer
Some tools can help both with ADHD and with attention that is scattered for other reasons: external memory instead of “I’ll remember” (a single system of lists), a lower threshold into each task (from the article on procrastination), single-tasking mode and managing the stress load[4]. You can put these supports in place without waiting for a label.
Sources
- Karasavva V., Miller C., Groves N., et al. (2025). A double-edged hashtag: Evaluation of #ADHD-related TikTok content and its associations with perceptions of ADHD. PLOS ONE, DOI 10.1371/
journal.pone.0319335 - Song P., Zha M., Yang Q., et al. (2021). The prevalence of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A global systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health, DOI 10.7189/
jogh.11.04009 - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2018). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NICE guideline NG87). NICE, URL www.nice.org.uk/
guidance/ ng87 - Lopez P.L., Torrente F.M., Ciapponi A., et al. (2018). Cognitive-behavioural interventions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DOI 10.1002/
14651858.CD010840.pub2
The limits of this article
This article is for information only: it does not replace a consultation or a doctor's help.
If you feel very bad right now — in Kazakhstan call 112 or 103; free round-the-clock psychological help — 1303 (Almaty).
At a consultation we can look at what makes everyday life harder and discuss seeing a doctor for an ADHD assessment.