ADHD Collective Scotland

20/08/2026

This is a great response from the Royal Collage of Psychiatrists about the one sided documentary ADHD being a myth

President Professor Subodh Dave comments on a new documentary about ADHD.

20/08/2026

Update: 18th August. Post-Broadcast.

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

One of the things people don’t always understand about ADHD is that sometimes the things that should be easy can take an unbelievable amount of effort.

Having a shower.

Getting dressed.

Making something to eat.

Doing the dishes.

Putting the washing on.

Tidying the house.

Replying to a message.

Getting out of bed.

From the outside, these things can look so simple.

But inside your head, it can feel like you’re trying to climb a mountain. 😩

You can know you need to do something.

You can WANT to do it.

You can even be thinking about doing it for hours…

…and still not be able to actually start.

Then comes the guilt.

“Why am I being so lazy?”
“Why can’t I just get up and do it?”
“What’s wrong with me?”

But ADHD isn’t simply about attention.

It can affect executive functioning the brain processes involved in starting tasks, planning, organising, prioritising, managing time, switching between activities and following things through.

So “just have a shower” isn’t always just a shower.

It’s getting up.

Stopping whatever you’re doing.

Finding clean clothes.

Finding a towel.

Going to the bathroom.

Getting undressed.

Getting in.

Getting out.

Drying yourself.

Getting dressed.

Dealing with the wet towel and clothes afterwards.

That’s a lot of steps and transitions for a brain that may already be struggling with task initiation.

And housework can be even more overwhelming because there are often multiple decisions, repetitive tasks, distractions and very little immediate reward.

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t actually doing the task.

It’s getting started.

💡 ADHD-friendly things that might help:

Make the first step ridiculously small.
Don’t tell yourself “I need to clean the house.”
Try “I’m going to pick up 5 things.”

Use the 5-minute rule.
Set a timer for five minutes and tell yourself you can stop when it goes off. Starting is often the biggest hurdle.

Try body doubling.
Have someone sit with you, work alongside you or even stay on a video call while you tackle a task.

Make things easier to start.
Keep your laundry basket where clothes actually end up. Keep toiletries where you use them. Reduce the number of steps between thinking and doing.

Use music or podcasts. 🎧
Sometimes adding something enjoyable can make a boring or repetitive task easier to tolerate.

Break tasks into stages.
You don’t have to clean the whole kitchen.
Clear the worktop.
Then wash five dishes.
Then take a break.

Use visual reminders.
Lists, sticky notes, alarms and checklists can take some of the pressure off your brain having to remember everything.

Give yourself permission to do things differently.
There isn’t one “correct” way to manage your home or your routine.

Don’t aim for perfect.
A partially tidy room is still progress.
One load of washing is still progress.
A quick shower is still a shower.

Most importantly — stop calling yourself lazy. ❤️
Struggling with task initiation doesn’t mean you don’t care.

Sometimes you don’t need more discipline.

You need less friction, smaller steps and a little more understanding of how your brain works.

So if you’re sitting there thinking:

“Why is this so hard? It’s such a simple thing.”

Please remember…

Simple doesn’t always mean easy when you have ADHD.

And struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. ❤️

05/08/2026

“Have you ever noticed that you were completely planning to do something… and then the moment someone tells you to do it, you suddenly don’t want to anymore?

If you have ADHD, you’re definitely not alone.

Now, this isn’t because people with ADHD hate being told what to do. It’s not about being lazy, stubborn or deliberately difficult. There’s actually a lot more going on beneath the surface.

One of the biggest reasons is something called executive dysfunction. This is one of the core features of ADHD, and it affects things like planning, organising and, most importantly here, getting started on tasks.

For someone with ADHD, starting a task can already feel like trying to push a car with the handbrake on. Then, when someone else says, ‘Can you do that now?’ or ‘Don’t forget to do this,’ that task can suddenly feel even heavier. The pressure increases, and the brain puts up even more resistance.

Another reason is that the ADHD brain is largely driven by interest rather than importance.

Many people with ADHD are motivated by things that are interesting, novel, urgent, challenging or personally meaningful. So when a task changes from, ‘I’m choosing to do this,’ to, ‘I have to do this because someone told me,’ that sense of choice disappears and with it, sometimes the motivation.

There’s also something many people with ADHD describe as demand sensitivity. While this isn’t an official symptom of ADHD, it’s a very common experience.

Even a well meaning reminder can feel like pressure. And once something feels like a demand, the brain may instinctively resist it even if you genuinely wanted to do it just a few minutes earlier.

On top of that, many people with ADHD experience emotional dysregulation, meaning emotions can feel bigger and more intense.

So what was intended as a helpful reminder can accidentally trigger feelings of frustration, shame, guilt or feeling criticised. Those emotions can make starting the task even harder.

So… what actually helps?

Instead of saying, ‘You need to do this now,’ try asking, ‘When do you think would be a good time to do it?’

Instead of lots of reminders, agree on one reminder and then give them some space.

Where possible, offer choices. Giving someone a sense of autonomy can make a huge difference to motivation.

If you have ADHD yourself, try breaking tasks down into the smallest possible first step. Use a timer and commit to just five minutes. Work alongside someone else if body doubling helps.

Add music, a podcast or a reward to make the task more engaging. And don’t rely on memory alone use visual reminders and checklists to take the pressure off your brain.

At the end of the day, people with ADHD usually aren’t avoiding responsibility. They’re often struggling with executive function, emotional regulation and task initiation.

Sometimes what looks like procrastination is actually a brain that’s overwhelmed not unwilling.

24/07/2026

Why Are So Many Adults Only Discovering They Have ADHD?

Many people are diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and wonder, “Why wasn’t this picked up when I was a child?”

The answer is often more complex than people realise.

Years ago, ADHD wasn’t as well understood. Many children especially girls, high achievers, or those who were quiet rather than disruptive didn’t fit the “typical” picture of ADHD, so their struggles were often overlooked.

Many adults became experts at masking. They developed coping strategies to hide difficulties with focus, organisation, time management, and emotional regulation. From the outside, they looked like they were coping, even though it often came at a significant mental and emotional cost.

Life gets more demanding. As responsibilities increase careers, university, relationships, parenting, finances the strategies that once worked may no longer be enough. This is often when ADHD symptoms become impossible to ignore.

Greater awareness is changing lives. Today, we understand ADHD much better than we did decades ago. More adults are recognising their experiences, seeking assessments, and finally getting answers that make sense of lifelong challenges.

A diagnosis doesn’t mean you’ve suddenly “developed” ADHD as an adult. It means you’ve finally found an explanation for difficulties that may have been there all along.

It’s never too late to understand yourself. Recognition can be the first step towards self-compassion, effective support, and a better quality of life.

14/07/2026

Why are people with ADHD more likely to develop PTSD after trauma?

The answer may lie in the brain’s fear response system and understanding it could change how we think about both ADHD and trauma.

Think of your brain like it has an alarm system:

🚨 The amygdala is the smoke detector. It detects danger and sounds the alarm.

🧠 The prefrontal cortex is the calming voice. It checks whether you’re actually safe and helps switch the alarm off.

📂 The hippocampus is the filing cabinet. It helps your brain recognise that something frightening happened then, not now.

For some people with ADHD, these parts of the brain don’t always communicate as efficiently. This can make emotions feel more intense, stress harder to manage, and it may take longer to feel calm after a frightening experience.

Researchers are also studying something called fear extinction your brain’s ability to learn that something is safe again after trauma.

For example:
🐶 If a dog bites you, you may become afraid of all dogs. Over time, meeting friendly dogs helps your brain learn that not every dog is dangerous. That’s fear extinction.

Some evidence suggests this process may be less efficient for some people with ADHD, meaning fear responses can linger after trauma. This may help explain why people with ADHD have a higher risk of developing PTSD following traumatic experiences.

💙 It’s important to remember:
• ADHD does not cause PTSD.
• Most people with ADHD will never develop PTSD.
• PTSD can affect anyone who experiences trauma.

Understanding these connections doesn’t label people it helps us better understand the brain, reduce stigma, and improve support for those living with ADHD, trauma, or both.

Research into ADHD, PTSD and the brain’s fear circuits is ongoing. While the evidence is growing, scientists are still working to understand exactly how these conditions interact.

11/07/2026

“The hardest part of ADHD isn’t what people see. It’s what they don’t.”

People see the missed deadline.

They don’t see the two hours spent trying to convince your brain to start.

People see the forgotten appointment.

They don’t see the dozens of reminders, the anxiety, or the mental effort it took just to keep track.

People see the unfinished task.

They don’t see a brain constantly pulled in different directions by thoughts, sounds, emotions and distractions all competing for attention at the same time.

Living with ADHD often means working twice as hard just to achieve what others assume should be easy.

It’s not because people with ADHD don’t care.

It’s because ADHD affects the brain’s ability to regulate attention, motivation and executive functioning. Tasks that seem simple can require enormous mental effort, while highly stimulating activities can capture attention so completely that hours disappear unnoticed.

Many people with ADHD become experts at masking these struggles. From the outside they can appear capable, organised and successful. On the inside, they’re often exhausted from the constant effort it takes to keep everything together.

ADHD isn’t about a lack of potential.

It’s about having to fight your own brain for access to that potential, every single day.

The more we understand ADHD, the less we judge and the more people can access the support they deserve.

06/07/2026

People often talk about ADHD as having a brain that’s always “on”. And yes, sometimes that can be a real strength. Fast thinking, creativity, spotting patterns others miss, coming up with ideas in seconds, those things can be genuinely valuable.

But that’s only half the story.

That same ceaseless mental activity can make it difficult to sleep, concentrate, switch off, follow conversations, finish tasks, or simply relax. Even when your body is exhausted, your mind can keep racing.

“Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?”

The truth is, for many people with ADHD, it’s incredibly draining. Imagine never being able to turn the volume down in your own head. Thoughts interrupt thoughts. Ideas compete for attention. Your brain is constantly demanding your focus, even when all you want is a bit of peace.

ADHD isn’t just about being distracted or energetic. It’s about living with a brain that often doesn’t have an off switch. And that can be mentally exhausting every single day.

Understanding ADHD means recognising both the strengths and the challenges not just celebrating one while overlooking the other.

02/07/2026

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