I grew up in the ’70s and ’80s, when ADHD wasn’t recognised in UK schools. If you behaved differently, you were just a “naughty kid.” That was me.
One of my biggest challenges was zoning out in conversation—it felt like people suddenly switched to Martian. At school, that meant constant trouble for not paying attention. I learned to bluff or apologise, but too many apologies just made me seem odd. At one point I was even labelled with “selective deafness.”
Fidgeting and a racing mind added to the mix. Teachers saw it as misbehaviour, not something I couldn’t control. My thoughts still run like the Magic Roundabout through a kaleidoscope, which can lead to interrupting, or saying something off-kilter.
ADHD can derail communication and leave people seeing you as unreliable or “weird.” I’ve lost relationships and jobs because of it.
I was officially diagnosed in 2022. I don’t wear ADHD as a badge of honour, but I’m grateful to finally understand myself—and glad others are beginning to.
Dave Stav