ADHD Awareness Month October 2021

ADHD Awareness Month is celebrated every October, with events and activities happening all across the country and now, around the world, on the ground, and on the Internet, capturing the notice of numerous national, regional, and local media outlets resulting in articles, interviews, and feature stories.

What is ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to exert age-appropriate self-control.

It is characterised by persistent patterns of inattentive, impulsive, and sometimes hyperactive behaviour, and is frequently accompanied by emotional regulation challenges.

People with ADHD have little control over these behaviours as they stem from underlying neurological differences. They arise due to an impaired ability to inhibit and regulate attention, behaviour, and emotions; to reliably recall information at the moment; to plan and problem solve; to self-reflect and self-monitor; and to self-soothe.

ADHD can cause significant functional disability throughout the lifespan and in all areas of life, and without appropriate intervention can lead to significantly unfavourable outcomes.

However, with evidence-based treatment and support, people with ADHD can embrace their strengths and interests, learn to manage their challenges, and live a full and rewarding life.

ADHD affects one in twenty-five Australians, that’s around one million people, but is frequently misunderstood and contrary to prevailing myths is under-diagnosed.

History of ADHD Awareness Month

ADHD Awareness Month began as a collaboration of multiple organizations such as CHADD, ACO, and the ADDitude magazine back in 2004. From there, the U.S Senate instated ADHD Awareness Day as a national holiday and has since increased the time from a day to a month, giving people various opportunities to learn about ADHD and find resources on how to manage it. Before this holiday existed, ADHD wasn’t known to have existed, and many people that experienced these symptoms did not know what was causing them and how they could control it.

According to the ADHD Awareness Month main website, when ADHD is undiagnosed and mistreated, it can lead to multiple problems including problems succeeding in school, problems managing relationships, work productivity, and with the law. That’s why ADHD Awareness Month operated by the coalition members aims to give resources such as informative websites, ADHD stories to read, downloads, videos, and recordings about why people should pay attention to ADHD. With over 17 million people in the United States experiencing these symptoms, treatment is optional and encouraged.

How to celebrate ADHD Awareness Month

If you believe that you or a friend of yours may have ADHD, lead them to the ADHD Awareness Month website for resources that could potentially help diagnose and treat a disorder that changes people’s lives consistently. Head on over to one of the coalition member’s websites for more resources and listen to stories about people with ADHD. Share this holiday on social media using the hashtag #adhdawarenessmonth to help spread the word about what ADHD is and what people can do to treat it.