The Signs
Distractions | Forgetfulness
These moments of forgetfulness and distraction are all too familiar. It's like your mind is constantly on a rollercoaster, jumping from one thought to the next without any warning. Even when you try your best to concentrate, it feels like your brain is fighting against you. It can be frustrating.
Anxiety when you’re with others?
Not many people understand, why can’t you just be happy? There’s much more to this, it feels like everything you can see is blurred, wherever you turn and everything seems more and more out of focus. Let us help you gain greater clarity.
Hopeless | Worthless
“It's exhausting and often leaves me feeling isolated and alone. It’s a constant battle between wanting to be social and wanting to retreat into my own safe space. Sometimes, it’s like I’m stuck in my head.”
Slow down the emotional brain and train your rational brain to work a little faster, and the relationship with fear completely changes.
Clinical Presentation Spotlight
What is ADHD
ADHD is often seen as a problem, but in many ways, it can be a hidden strength. What some call “distractibility” or “impulsiveness” can also drive creativity, quick thinking, and visionary thinking. Many people with ADHD are highly energetic, intuitive, and able to hyperfocus on things that excite them. Not because they’re chasing the next high, but because life with ADHD often calls for a different way of living, one that doesn’t always follow the usual rules but instead uses routines and strategies that fit their style. Around 1 in 20 adults worldwide live with ADHD, showing just how common this way of thinking really is. When understood and supported, ADHD stops looking like a weakness and starts to reveal itself as a unique kind of superpower.
What does ADHD look like?
Start with a visit to your GP, who can rule out other possible causes and guide you toward the right specialist.
Share your history, including school reports, family background, and how symptoms show up in daily life.
Complete questionnaires or rating scales that help measure focus, attention, and behavior.
Sometimes cognitive testing is used to understand how you process and organize information.
A specialist—such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist, or psychologist—can then provide a clear diagnosis and recommend supports.
Diagnosing ADHD
ADHD is not an Illness
ADHD can be tricky to spot because it doesn’t always look like what people expect. What may seem like being unmotivated, overly emotional, or constantly restless can actually be signs of how an ADHD brain works.
These challenges are often seen with everyday struggles, which is why ADHD is sometimes misunderstood. Recognising that these behaviours come from differences in brain function can help make sense of them and open the way to support better.
Inattentive Symptoms
Gets easily distracted by surroundings or their own thoughts
Has trouble staying focused on tasks or play
Makes “careless” mistakes in school or work
Finds it hard to finish what they start or follow instructions
Struggles with organisation and often misplaces things
Avoids tasks that need long periods of concentration
Often forgets daily responsibilities (like chores or appointments)
Hyperactive Symptoms
Constantly fidgets or taps and struggles to sit still
Gets up when expected to stay seated
Moves around a lot, or in adults, feels restless inside
Has difficulty doing quiet activities
Feels like they’re always “on the go”
Talks excessively
Impulsive Symptoms
Blurts out answers before a question is finished
Struggles to wait their turn
Interrupts or intrudes on others’ conversations or activities
Acts quickly without thinking about consequences
ADHD isn’t an illness—it’s a neurodevelopmental condition. It’s about the way the brain develops and works, not something like depression or anxiety that mainly affects mood and thought patterns.
Because signs like being easily distracted, restless, or impulsive can look similar to other challenges, ADHD is often misunderstood or confused with mental health issues. Knowing that it’s a difference in brain wiring—not an illness—makes it easier to understand why getting the right diagnosis and support matters so much.
Check out our blog posts about ADHD
Its okay to take a breath
At fpclinic, we want to collaborate with you and do our best to assist. Have a look at some of the tools we've listed and discover some that might be helpful for you.
