by Jamie Gordon, the founder of Reading ADHD Group

The ADHD Boom

In 2020, the world went into lockdown. Suddenly, the support structures that people didn’t realise they were dependent on collapsed. Overnight, there was a massive influx of people seeking an ADHD diagnosis. Covid didn’t cause ADHD though; it’s always been there. It just didn’t have a name until 1902, when George Still coined the term “Moral Control Deficits.” We’ve had many flattering names since, including “Hyperkinetic Disease” and “Minimal Brain Dysfunction.” But the most well-known term is the one we use today: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Love it or hate it, I think it’s much nicer than Minimal Brain Dysfunction.

The rise of neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD, autism, AUDHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and so on has been a sticking point in the media. It appears a week can’t go by without an MP or keyboard warrior accusing us of pathologizing normal behaviours.

As frustrating as this is, a lot of it comes from a lack of understanding.

Social Media Paralysis

You can’t blame people for putting all their trust in social media for information, nor can you blame anyone for being sceptical. I’d go as far as saying you can’t even blame the ones delivering the information. The truth is, the demand for ADHD services became so large so quickly that there weren’t enough resources to accommodate it.

The Insight Program: Where it all began

Across the country, with assessment waits as long as eight years and clinics pausing referrals, people are growing increasingly frustrated. Plus, there isn’t much support to accompany the medication after all the hoops people have had to jump through. Before Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust put a temporary pause on referrals for adult ADHD assessments, there was a four-year wait for assessment, followed by a one-year wait for medication.

Meanwhile in Cheshire West, Michael Leibe, the founder of a community interest company called ND Directed, was developing Insight—a psychoeducation workshop–meets–support group that brings people together, teaching basic neuroscience and coping strategies. The Insight Programme also acts as a training package for professionals or family members. It cuts through the sea of misinformation, gives people clarity, and provides a sense of community that so many are missing.

What is Psychoeducation?

Psychoeducation is a therapeutic approach that provides individuals (and their families) with education about mental health conditions, their triggers, and coping strategies to empower them to better understand and manage their condition

Beyond Information Sharing

For people with ADHD, it explores executive functions and how they manifest as ADHD traits. It explains people’s challenges and helps to pinpoint areas of their life to work on. Furthermore, it reduces shame and removes structural barriers to education and employment. When we understand our brains and our surroundings have been appropriately adapted, it can significantly reduce stigma and shame—two key factors in the mental health challenges that often coexist with ADHD.

The ADHD Crisis

NICE guidelines recommend a holistic collaborative treatment plan that combines medication with lifestyle changes and a structured conversation about how ADHD might affect one’s life. This is echoed by the manufacturers of Elvanse (stimulant ADHD medication) who recommend a comprehensive program that accompanies medication with psychological interventions. The recommendations are evidence backed, but don’t reflect the reality of the current framework.

When educators, family members and employers can adjust, it doesn’t just support the individual. It changes the environment and has positive outcomes all round.

According to the NHS ADHD taskforce, unmanaged ADHD is costing the Economy around £17 Billion. If you ask anyone with ADHD, they will tell you how difficult it is to get a diagnosis, let alone support. Yet the misinformation still cuts through, and the services aren’t getting any better.

We are creeping towards an American system where ADHD services are becoming accessible only to those with financial resources. Our prisons are full of unmanaged ADHD; young people are more likely to end up not in education or employment. Things are looking rather bleak to say the least.

Insight so far

One of the biggest challenges people are facing at the minute, alongside limited access to services, is a sea of disinformation and a lack of clarity. Insight empowers people to live their best lives by enabling them to unpick various aspects of their life and understand their challenges through the lens of executive functions.

When we learn what’s at the root of the problem, it enables us to move forward with a bespoke framework that stays with us throughout our life. When we learn about executive functions, interoceptive awareness, and the biopsychosocial model of ADHD, it helps to contextualise our experience and gives us the momentum to move forward.

Already, Insight has been delivered to hundreds across Cheshire, and the feedback has been remarkable. Clients have reported a better understanding of their emotions, and many have seen their productivity rise.

Establishing Insight in Berkshire

At the end of last year, Reading ADHD Group delivered the first programme here in Berkshire. We wanted to test it out in the local area before bringing it forward and pitching it to partners. The feedback has been outstanding. From the very beginning, participants reported how validating it was to be in a room with so much shared experience.

Every participant reported a different yet positive outcome. For some, it was their first time learning about executive functions. Others had some base knowledge but benefited from learning coping strategies. Every single one of them rated the programme positively, and although their outcomes varied, what they all shared was a sense of validation and community.

This article was written by Jamie Gordon, the founder of Reading ADHD Group. If you want to bring insight to your organisation, please get in touch