Do I Have ADHD? 10 Expert Answers On The Internet's Most Searched ADHD Questions

In this episode of Recoverable, child psychologist and ADHD expert Dr. Carrie Jackson joins us to break down five of the most searched ADHD questions on the internet. You will learn how to tell the difference between everyday distraction and ADHD, what diagnosis really involves, why ADHD is often missed in women and BIPOC communities, what actually causes it, and what to do if you suspect you or your child has ADHD.

Whether you are a parent, a partner, or someone quietly wondering about your own brain, this guide is designed to help you move from confusion to clarity, and from shame to support.

1. Do I have ADHD or am I just distracted?

ADHD is about impairment, not occasional distraction.

Everyone has trouble concentrating sometimes, but what separates ADHD from "normal" distraction is how often symptoms show up and how much they interfere with your life. With ADHD, difficulties with focus, organization, or restlessness show up again and again across situations, and they can cause real problems. It is the impairment piece that matters for diagnosis, not just recognizing yourself in a list of traits.

Hyperfocus does not rule out ADHD.

Another common myth is that if you can focus intensely on some things, you cannot have ADHD. Dr. Jackson hears this from parents all the time. They say, "My child cannot have ADHD, they can play video games for hours." In reality, that is a classic ADHD pattern, where the brain can lock onto things that are highly interesting, urgent, or rewarding, like a fast paced game that gives instant feedback.

Ask yourself where life is breaking down.

Where ADHD shows up is in the less urgent, less exciting tasks. Studying for a test that is two weeks away, filling out forms, scheduling a doctor appointment, or doing homework and then forgetting to turn it in. That gap between what you know you need to do and what you can actually bring yourself to do in the moment is a big clue that ADHD might be involved.

If you are wondering whether you "just need to try harder," Dr. Jackson suggests asking where things are going off the rails. Are you constantly losing things, running late, or getting feedback that you are not living up to your potential even though you feel like you are trying your hardest? Do these patterns go back to childhood? Those are signs it might be worth an ADHD evaluation.

2. How is ADHD diagnosed and who can diagnose it?

Determining an ADHD diagnosis is a careful detective process.

The most effective way to diagnose ADHD is a combination of a detailed interview and standardized questionnaires. A clinician will ask about your history, what school was like, how work or relationships feel now, and how symptoms show up day to day. They will look for patterns of inattentive symptoms, like forgetfulness and disorganization, and hyperactive or impulsive symptoms, like restlessness or blurting things out, and how long they have been present.

Several professionals can diagnose, but training matters most.

Depending on your age and where you live, different professionals may be able to diagnose ADHD. Dr. Jackson explains that this can include:

• Pediatricians.
• Primary care physicians.
• Psychologists who do therapy or evaluations.
• Psychiatrists.
• Some therapists, depending on state licensing rules.

The key is not the letters after their name, it is their comfort and experience with ADHD. She recommends asking questions like, "How often do you work with ADHD," and "How many of your clients have ADHD?" If a primary care doctor does not feel comfortable, a good one will refer you to a psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in it.

ADHD must show up across settings and over time.

During an evaluation, a specialist will want input from more than one place. For kids, that often means talking with parents and teachers and sometimes the child themselves. ADHD is not diagnosed based on behavior in just one environment. Symptoms should show up in more than one setting, like both home and school, or school and activities.

Because ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition, professionals will also look at when symptoms started. The diagnostic rules once required symptoms before age 7, which made it hard for adults to remember that far back. Now, the criteria allow for symptoms beginning before age 12, which better captures real life and makes diagnosis more accessible for adults who were missed in childhood.

3. What does ADHD look and feel like?

Executive functioning struggles can look like laziness.

From the outside, ADHD can be misread as laziness, lack of discipline, or not caring. A child does the homework and then forgets to submit it through a multi step online portal. An adult is smart and capable but misses deadlines or arrives late because they cannot find their keys or phone. It is easy for others to think, "If they just tried harder," or, "they must not care".

Dr. Jackson explains that ADHD is not a knowledge disorder, it is a performance disorder. People with ADHD often know exactly what they are supposed to do, and sometimes they beat themselves up for not doing it. The problem lives in executive functioning skills like planning, organization, time management, and self regulation. These skills tend to develop more slowly in people with ADHD, so they are genuinely missing steps, not intentionally blowing things off.

Internally, ADHD often feels like shame and self blame.

On the inside, ADHD can feel painful. Before diagnosis, many kids and adults conclude, "I am a bad student," "I am not smart," or "I am just a mess." They see how easy things seem for other people, and when planners and pep talks do not magically fix it, they assume something is wrong with their character.

Parents often feel this too. Dr. Jackson hears caregivers who say, "I thought I was just a bad parent," because traditional strategies did not work. Once ADHD is on the table, there is often a huge sense of relief. It does not erase the challenges, but it shifts the story from "I am broken" to "My brain works differently, and there are specific supports that can help".

4. What really causes ADHD, and what does not?

ADHD is largely genetic, not a parenting failure.

According to Dr. Jackson, about 75 percent of ADHD is explained by genetics. It is not usually one single "ADHD gene," but a combination of genetic factors that influence how the brain develops. Twin studies and family research show that if one parent has ADHD, there is a significant chance a child will as well.

The apple really does not fall far from the tree, and sometimes a child’s evaluation is what finally helps an undiagnosed parent understand their own lifelong struggles.

Some prenatal and birth factors play a role.

There are some environmental factors that can increase ADHD risk. Most of them happen early in life, before or around birth. Low oxygen at birth, significant medical complications, and certain substances during pregnancy, like nicotine or cocaine, have all been linked with higher rates of ADHD symptoms later on.

These factors do not mean a child will definitely have ADHD, and plenty of people with ADHD had none of them. They are part of a bigger picture that includes genetics, environment, and development over time.

Sugar, screens, and red dye are not causes.

Parents are often told that sugar, screen time, or food dyes cause ADHD. Dr. Jackson is very direct here: they do not. Kids with ADHD may be especially drawn to screens because they offer fast feedback and constant novelty. Excessive screen time can also make some behaviors worse or get in the way of sleep, physical activity, and routines, but it does not create ADHD out of nowhere.

The same goes for food additives. A very small group of children may be sensitive to things like red dye, which can temporarily worsen behavior, but even in those cases, the dye is not the root cause. Blaming sugar or screens can distract families from the supports that actually help, like behavioral strategies, school accommodations, and, when appropriate, medication.

5. Is ADHD overdiagnosed, does it get worse with age, and what should I do if I think I have it?

ADHD is often underdiagnosed, especially in women and BIPOC people.

Because ADHD is getting more attention online, some people worry it is the "diagnosis of the moment." Dr. Jackson sees it differently. She believes ADHD is not overdiagnosed overall. In many groups, it is still underdiagnosed, particularly in women and in BIPOC communities, where stereotypes and access barriers can delay or prevent accurate assessment.

Part of the apparent rise in diagnoses is that our understanding has improved. The criteria have shifted to better reflect adult ADHD, the required age of onset changed from 7 to 12, and adults now need fewer symptoms than children to qualify for a diagnosis. All of this makes it easier for people who were previously overlooked to finally be recognized.

ADHD changes over time, it does not simply vanish.

With age, ADHD often looks different, not necessarily worse or better in a straight line. Hyperactivity may decrease or move inward, showing up more as racing thoughts or emotional outbursts rather than obvious physical restlessness. Inattentive symptoms like losing things, zoning out, or struggling with time management can remain very present for adults.

For women in particular, hormonal shifts can make symptoms feel worse at certain life stages, like puberty, postpartum, or during perimenopause. On the other hand, people who receive support and build effective coping strategies in childhood or adolescence may feel that ADHD affects them less as adults, even though it is still there.

Your first step is a conversation, not a self diagnosis spiral.

If you are reading this and thinking, "Oh no, this is me," it can be tempting to either panic or dismiss it. Dr. Jackson suggests a middle path. Start by making an appointment with a provider you already have access to, like a pediatrician for your child or a primary care doctor for yourself. Tell them specifically that you are concerned about ADHD and share the patterns you are noticing at home, at work, or at school.

If that provider does not feel comfortable diagnosing ADHD, ask for a referral to a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist who specializes in it. Even if an evaluation shows that you or your child do not meet full ADHD criteria, that does not mean you imagined the struggle. Something is making life harder. A good clinician can still help you find strategies, accommodations, or other diagnoses that better explain what is going on so you can get the right kind of support.

6. How can parents support executive function at home, especially in the morning?

Make time visible, reduce reliance on memory, and plan before the pressure hits.

One of the most practical parts of this episode is Dr. Jackson’s advice to “make time real.” Many people with ADHD experience time blindness, difficulty tracking how much time has passed, and misjudging how long things will take. That’s why mornings spiral.

Her tools are refreshingly concrete:

• Put clocks or timers where the action happens, especially bathrooms and kitchens.
• Use routine charts for the morning, not as punishment, but as an external brain.
• Try family calendars that show what’s coming up.
• Prep the night before when possible, outfit ready, backpack packed, essentials in the same spot.

She also says something that sounds intense but is surprisingly freeing: if you have ADHD, you often need to “not trust yourself” in the moment. ADHD brains are present-focused, so the thought “I’ll remember” can feel true, right up until it isn’t. External systems aren’t a sign of weakness, they’re a form of support.

7. ADHD vs anxiety, how can I tell the difference, and does treating one help the other?

They overlap, but the “why” underneath your symptoms matters.

This is one of the most searched questions online for a reason. ADHD and anxiety can look similar on the outside. Both can involve difficulty concentrating, avoidance, and procrastination.

Dr. Jackson points out a key detail many people miss: difficulty concentrating is also a diagnostic symptom of anxiety. So if you’re struggling to focus, that doesn’t automatically mean ADHD.

A useful way to tease them apart is to ask: What is driving the avoidance?

• With anxiety, avoidance often comes from fear, worry, or stress about what might happen.
• With ADHD, avoidance can come from executive function barriers, task initiation struggles, or the task feeling “too big” to start.

And then there’s the messy middle where they feed each other. ADHD can create anxiety because forgetting, losing things, running late, and feeling scattered can be genuinely stressful. Dr. Jackson even describes ADHD thoughts as “pinballing,” and notes that some people feel calmer when ADHD treatment reduces that mental noise.

So does treating one help the other? Often, yes. Some people report that treating ADHD reduces anxiety because life becomes more manageable, fewer forgotten tasks, fewer last-minute scrambles, fewer “What did I miss?” moments. Dr. Jackson is careful about the research piece, but clinically, she hears it frequently.

8. Is ADHD medication safe, and what are the risks of not treating ADHD?

Medication is often the most effective ADHD treatment, and untreated ADHD can carry serious risks.

Medication can be an emotionally loaded topic, especially for parents. Dr. Jackson, a psychologist who does not prescribe, still clearly states that ADHD medication is widely considered the most effective treatment. Her explanation focuses on biology: ADHD is highly genetic and is associated with differences in neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. ADHD medications act on those systems.

Two common fears come up in this conversation:

• “If my kid is hyperactive, why would we use a stimulant?”
• “Will medication turn my child into a zombie?”

Dr. Jackson addresses both. Stimulants for ADHD don’t typically make kids “more hyper.” Often they do the opposite, they can reduce impulsivity and increase the ability to pause before reacting. And the “zombie” fear, she notes, is something many parents worry about, but many families today report that appropriate dosing does not erase personality. In some cases, it helps kids feel more like themselves, because they can finally access their strengths without constant friction.

Then she shifts to what rarely gets enough airtime: the risks of not treating ADHD. Dr. Jackson highlights serious long-term consequences, including increased risk-taking and impulsive behaviors that can lead to accidents. She also notes that untreated ADHD can make it harder to manage other chronic health conditions, because routines and follow-through are part of treatment adherence.

9. What is ADHD paralysis, and how do I break it without burning out?

ADHD paralysis is task initiation getting stuck, and the fix is often smaller than you think.

ADHD paralysis is that awful moment when you know what you need to do, but you can’t start. Not because you don’t care. Not because you’re lazy. You just feel frozen.

Dr. Jackson connects this directly to executive functioning, specifically task initiation. Then she offers tools that work because they reduce friction and increase urgency.

Here are the standout strategies:

• Change your environment. If home is where you procrastinate, try a library or coffee shop.
• Use body doubling. Being around someone else who is also working can create gentle accountability.
• Make the task tiny. Commit to 2 to 5 minutes, not the entire project. Starting is the win.

Her point is so relatable: your brain often makes the task feel bigger and worse than it really is. Once you start, you realize it’s not as terrifying as the story in your head.

10. What is body doubling, and where’s the line between support and nagging?

Body doubling is presence, not pressure.

Body doubling can be in-person or virtual, sitting beside a friend, hopping on a video call, or working quietly near someone at the kitchen table. Dr. Jackson says ADHD paralysis thrives when you’re alone, because there’s no external structure.

But she makes an important distinction for parents, you can body double without reminding. Your physical presence can be enough. That’s different from repeated “Did you do it yet?” prompts that can trigger shame or resistance.

Then she brings it back to a bigger theme, independence usually has to be taught in steps. For ADHD kids, scaffolding is not coddling. It’s skills-building.

Conclusion

Dr. Carrie Jackson’s core message is worth repeating: ADHD is not something people do on purpose. It’s not laziness, not a lack of motivation, and not proof that someone “doesn’t care.” It’s a brain difference that requires support, tools, and sometimes treatment, the same way other health conditions do.

When support matches the actual problem, people don’t just perform better, they feel better. And that can change a child’s confidence, a parent’s patience, and an adult’s entire relationship with themselves.