Researchers are questioning if ADHD should be seen as a disorder
It should, instead, be seen as a different way of being normal
IT IS “LIKE being inside a pinball machine with a hundred balls,” says Lucy. “Three inner monologues,” says Phillip. “Like several tracks playing at the same time,” says Sarah. This is how people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) describe what is going on in their heads at any given moment. With so many thoughts jostling for attention, it is a struggle to concentrate. Appointments fly by. Relationships founder. Feelings of inadequacy—alongside anxiety and depression—start to creep in.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Coming into focus”
From the November 2nd 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Science & technology
Can you breathe stress away?
It won’t hurt to try. But scientists are only beginning to understand the links between the breath and the mind
The Economist’s science and technology internship
We invite applications for the 2025 Richard Casement internship
A better understanding of Huntington’s disease brings hope
Previous research seems to have misinterpreted what is going on
Is obesity a disease?
It wasn’t. But it is now
Volunteers with Down’s syndrome could help find Alzheimer’s drugs
Those with the syndrome have more of a protein implicated in dementia
Should you start lifting weights?
You’ll stay healthier for longer if you’re strong