Is it helpful to talk to others about my ADHD?

If you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, it may help to involve your family and friends so they can help you. Think carefully before you talk to someone about your ADHD, as you can’t ‘untell’ them.

If you have one particular friend or loved one that you can really trust, maybe tell them first, so you can get their thoughts. Try to talk to people face to face rather than by text or social media. Not everyone understands what ADHD is so think how you can explain it to them. Maybe you could use some of the information on this website or download the booklet to share with them.

You may need to talk to your tutor or employer, so they can help you at college or work (please see What about work or college). Is there a tutor or colleague that you trust that could help you?

Remember you don’t have to tell everyone. Think about the arguments for and against, for example:

For

• It will help friends, family, colleagues or teachers to understand you better
• They can support and help you
• You will be in control of the situation and what is said
• They may be able to help you avoid situations where you could become anxious or upset

Against

• People may not know much about ADHD, or what they know could be outdated or wrong
• People may tell others who you don’t want to know
• What if someone puts it on social media – are you ok with this?
• People might treat you differently