Getting diagnosed with ADHD as an adult

Social media algorithms have evolved to show people not only what they search for but also what the algorithm predicts they will want to see or learn.

When the COVID-19 pandemic changed daily life for many, medically-focused videos and memes took hold of social media platforms. Since then, videos of people who have been diagnosed with adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adulthood have spread in a way that can sometimes make it seem like everyone has the disorder.

Dr. Kate Wojcik, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral services at Baylor College of Medicine, said research continues to emerge on the increased number of adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 15.5 million U.S. adults had an ADHD diagnosis in 2023, with about one-half having received their diagnosis in adulthood.

Wojcik has read about people seeking out specific ADHD content online and what that could mean for patients finding relief from new, ongoing or recurring symptoms.

“Those of us in the field see it as a trend on the internet. On TikTok, the hashtag ADHD has had millions of views this year alone,” Wojcik said. “Hypotheses in the field are that (social media habits) have changed, which has led to people getting diagnosed who were underdiagnosed.”

Social media has proliferated with video reels and images accompanied by captions that read “If you have these things, you have ADHD,” or “Here are all the possible symptoms of ADHD.” But clinicians say this type of content is likely not confirmed by a licensed healthcare professional.

There are many reasons why a person may exhibit symptoms similar to ADHD, Wojcik said, and social media moderation is best when working through a potential new health condition.

“It’s wonderful that the internet and TikTok exists and more people are getting information, community and support; the best thing to come out of the internet is people feeling less isolation,” she said. “There are times when that is being used in ways that are not helpful. These are often not clinicians posting videos saying ‘If you have XYZ, then you have ADHD.”

ADHD can develop in adults but it’s not usually spontaneous; many times, the symptoms are caused by a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that has been overlooked. Wojcik said the spectrum of ADHD symptoms can look different depending on a person’s environment, as well.

If someone has mild ADHD symptoms but they were weren’t brought up in a challenging environment then the disorder may never seem to fully develop, she said. However, the brain can shift into a high cognitive-load position in adulthood, especially if a person goes to college, graduate school or starts their first job.

At this point, the person may start to think, “Why is everything so hard all of a sudden?”

“Once people are in different environments, they shift and those symptoms that floated under the radar in the past become problematic,” Wojcik said. “These symptoms are mitigated by environmental factors, individual strengths or a really good support system.”

Other mental health concerns can mimic ADHD symptoms, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. Since any significant mental health condition comes with similar symptoms, Wojcik understands why so many Millennial and Gen Z patients feel seen by the ADHD algorithm on social media.

The tricky part is when people self-diagnose or misinterpret what they see online: reality vs. what the internet said. When a person becomes “dead-set” on a psychiatric condition, it can be difficult for a medical professional to diagnose them later.

That phenomenon, however, does not outweigh the positives of mental illness destigmatization on social media, she said. With many conditions, a person’s best practice is seeking a mental health professional for a conversation about symptoms and treatment plan.

“Go to your primary care physician with your symptoms, and they will recommend you get a formal recommendation from a psychologist or psychiatrist – get appropriate referrals,” Wojcik said. “Not all doctors are trained to diagnose ADHD, and we wouldn’t want someone to start a medication for it and other problems start.”

By Julie Garcia