Why over-diagnosis isn’t the real story, why early support matters, and why neurodivergent minds (yes, including mine) make exceptional leaders.
It seems that every few months another headline pops up claiming that ADHD is over-diagnosed or that we’re somehow in the middle of a “neurodivergence trend”. The recent BBC article touches on this again — and, as ever, it massively misses a rather important nuance.
Here’s the thing: ADHD isn’t suddenly exploding in the population. We’ve simply got better at noticing it.
As someone beautifully put it online: “There aren’t more stars in the sky since we invented telescopes. We’ve just finally found a way to see them.”
ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, OCD and all other elements of neurodivergence — they’ve always been there. Millions of people who have spent their lives masking, contorting themselves to fit a neurotypical world, or believing they were “just not good enough” are now discovering that there was a reason things felt harder. A reason that school felt like running through wet cement. A reason why their brain oscillated between overdrive and shutdown. A reason why they’ve achieved incredible things despite the challenges.
What we’re seeing isn’t over-diagnosis. It’s overdue recognition.
The real challenge? Lack of awareness of support — not lack of need
Here’s a point the article doesn’t explore enough: Most people don’t realise that support exists long before a formal diagnosis.
Right now in the UK, waiting lists for ADHD and autism assessments are years long. Some people are waiting three, four, even five years just to get an appointment. And during that time, life doesn’t politely pause and wait for clarity.
Work still happens. Stress still happens. Burnout, overwhelm, emotional dysregulation — still very much happening.
And yet most people simply don’t know that help is available today!
Enter: The Access to Work Mental Health Support Service
A fully funded, completely confidential DWP programme delivered by The Better Health Generation in partnership with Able Futures
You don’t need a diagnosis. You don’t need proof. You don’t need anything except a job and the sense that life could be easier. That support can start within days — meaning people can get strategies, coaching, workplace adjustments advice, and emotional support now, not in years time! This is life-changing for people who are struggling but stuck in a diagnostic limbo.
Let’s talk strengths: Why people with ADHD make exceptional colleagues and leaders
Yes, ADHD comes with challenges. But let’s be honest — the strengths are wildly underrated.
People with ADHD are often:
- Brilliant under pressure Our nervous systems are basically Formula 1 cars: temperamental when idling, but unstoppable at speed. Give us a crisis and we’ll stay calm, creative, and decisive while others freeze.
- Innovative thinkers We naturally explore the road less travelled — then notice a small trail off that road, and follow it just to see what’s there. That “tenth-man” mindset is what disrupts stagnation and drives innovation.
- Courageous and determined When we care, we care. Passionately. Fiercely. Give us purpose and we’re unstoppable.
- Resilient beyond measure After a lifetime of being told to “try harder”, “sit still”, “focus”, “stop overthinking”, or “stop being dramatic”, many of us develop unbelievable grit.
- And yes — dopamine-driven Which, for some of us, results in hobbies that make other people say things like: “Oh, an Ironman?… voluntarily?” Or: “You cycled how far for fun?”
But that hunger for novelty, challenge, and excitement is exactly what powered explorers, adventurers, and leaders throughout history. Shackleton, Scott, Tenzing, Boudicca, da Vinci — you can’t convince me they weren’t neurodivergent in some fabulous way.
Without ND brains, half the world’s “impossible” achievements wouldn’t exist.
The problem is not ADHD. The problem is unsupported ADHD.
Neurodivergent people don’t struggle because of who they are. They struggle because the world wasn’t designed with them in mind. That’s why compassionate leadership and psychologically safe workplaces matter so much.
Compassionate leadership transforms outcomes
People with ADHD thrive under leaders who are:
- Curious, not critical
- Flexible, not rigid
- Understanding, not dismissive
- Clear in communication, not vague in expectation
- Supportive of strengths, not obsessed with weaknesses
Workplaces that embrace neurodiversity don’t just “accommodate difference” — they unlock excellence.
And this is where our work at The Better Health Generation comes in.
Why TBHG is leading the way in neurodiversity support
At TBHG, we specialise in early, human, compassionate support that doesn’t require endless forms, diagnosis, or gatekeeping.
We bring together:
- Clinicians
- Coaches
- Neurodiversity specialists
- Lived-experience practitioners
- Trauma-informed professionals
All working together to help people understand their brains, build confidence, reduce overwhelm, and thrive at work.
Fast, expert, judgement-free support. Because people shouldn’t have to wait years to feel understood.
For many, working with TBHG is the first time in their lives that someone has said: “You’re not broken. You’re brilliant. Let’s work with your brain, not against it.”
It’s not a surge in diagnoses — it’s a surge in understanding
The growth of awareness around ADHD isn’t a crisis. It’s a liberation.
People are finally finding language for their experiences. They’re finding others who think like them. They’re finding support that helps them thrive.
And, importantly, they’re finding out that the problem was never their brain. It was the lack of a telescope.
