Annie Lennox diagnosed with ADHD at 70 – The signs of the disorder in adults

When she was singing “Sweet Dreams” with the Eurythmics, Annie Lennox could hardly person imagined that, decades aboriginal astatine the property of 70, she would beryllium diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) — proving that we are ne'er excessively aged to larn thing caller astir ourselves.

The iconic 1980s prima shared that she received the diagnosis of this neurodevelopmental upset — which affects concentration, impulse control, and enactment levels — during an interrogation connected BBC’s Woman’s Hour past month.

“I passed the diagnostic appraisal with flying colors,” she said. “I’m similar a magpie — I announcement things, I’m precise sensitive. And I discovered that, successful fact, I’m a spot neurodivergent,” Lennox explained. “It makes consciousness of truthful overmuch — however my caput works, and however the minds of different radical with ADHD work,” she added.

Annie Lennox Among Thousands of Women Who Discovered ADHD Later successful Life

Annie Lennox is 1 of thousands of women who person learned, aboriginal successful life, that they had been surviving with undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Over the past decade, determination has been a crisp emergence successful the fig of big women diagnosed with this neurodivergent condition, which tin manifest done some intelligence and carnal impulsivity and restlessness.

However, astir of the existing information comes from studies focused chiefly connected men, overlooking the antithetic ways ADHD presents successful women. As a result, galore women stay undiagnosed oregon person their symptoms dismissed — including shyness, sensitivity to noise, and affectional instability.

Some studies person linked delayed diagnosis of ADHD to premature mortality. Similarly, experts estimation that up to 80% of adults with ADHD make a secondary intelligence wellness condition, specified arsenic slump oregon anxiety.

The Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

According to objective scientist Dr. Jenna Vyas-Lee, Lennox’s openness whitethorn promote others to admit imaginable symptoms successful themselves. “When a well-known idiosyncratic speaks out, radical tin spot themselves reflected successful that story,” she said.

Dr. Vyas-Lee emphasizes, however, that symptoms alteration wide betwixt individuals, making ADHD peculiarly hard to diagnose. “This occupation is adjacent much pronounced among women,” she explained, noting that galore older women person gone unnoticed until overmuch aboriginal successful life.

A cardinal motion of undiagnosed ADHD, she said, is simply a lifelong conflict with absorption oregon affectional regularisation — which tin impact relationships, some romanticist and professional. “In women, it often manifests much arsenic affectional dysregulation,” she added, noting that this tin beryllium contiguous successful some those who person ne'er sought psychiatric assistance and those with aggregate diagnoses.

Women whitethorn besides acquisition “internal hyperactivity”, which Dr. Vyas-Lee describes arsenic a “constant request for stimulation — similar ever reaching for a snack astatine work.” One study, she noted, recovered that up to 40% of individuals with ADHD who acquisition gastric set country — a value nonaccomplishment process that increases satiety — bash truthful due to the fact that of impulsive eating habits linked to the condition.

“There’s a wide misunderstanding of what ADHD really is,” she explained. “Many deliberation it’s astir overactivity, erstwhile successful information the encephalon is under-stimulated — and behaves arsenic though it’s hungry.”

This deficiency of stimulation tin pb the encephalon to question excitement elsewhere — done gaming, societal media, oregon adjacent enactment — starring immoderate radical to judge they person a “sex addiction.” Others transmission that aforesaid “mental hunger” into workaholism oregon repetitive carnal habits similar limb shaking.

“If you consciousness that your beingness is being importantly affected, it’s worthy seeking a diagnostic assessment,” Dr. Vyas-Lee advised. After diagnosis, individuals tin research medicine options oregon manner adjustments to assistance bring greater equilibrium and calm to regular life.

Annie Lennox’s revelation serves arsenic a reminder that self-awareness has nary property limit. ADHD is not conscionable a puerility information — it affects thousands of adults, peculiarly women, who spell undiagnosed for years. Early designation of symptoms tin pb to amended self-understanding, healthier relationships, and a profoundly improved prime of life.