ADHD awareness: Condition is increasingly being recognised among adults in Singapore
Understanding Adult ADHD in Singapore: Beyond Stereotypes, Misconceptions, and Diagnosis
Watch and read to understand how Ubrain can help children and adults with ADHD: https://www.brainsolutionz.com/articles/01KYM7DF8QCH7DE3A1B563X1EE/interview-with-a-mother-with-child-issues
October is ADHD Awareness Month, offering an essential opportunity to look past long-standing stereotypes and understand how Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) impacts daily life . In a feature broadcast by CNA, Moon Lake (Founder and Director of the charity Unlocking ADHD) and Dr. Adrian Wang (Consultant Psychiatrist treating adults with ADHD) shared comprehensive insights into living with, diagnosing, and managing adult ADHD in Singapore .
1. What ADHD Really Is: Reframing the Paradox of Focus
A common source of confusion surrounding ADHD is why someone can hyperfocus on an interest for hours yet struggle intensely to start or complete an important, routine task . This paradox is frequently mistaken for laziness or a lack of discipline .
In reality, ADHD is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition originating in childhood that affects how a person directs and controls their focus, rather than simply an inability to pay attention . When hyperfocused, external surroundings fade into the background, often causing people to lose track of time or miss appointments .
2. The Science: Dopamine Regulation & Executive Dysfunction
The underlying struggle with focus and task initiation stems from how the brain handles chemistry and organization:
Dopamine Regulation: The ADHD brain struggles to produce and regulate sufficient dopamine . Consequently, tasks that feel repetitive, complicated, or lack an immediate reward are exceptionally difficult to begin or sustain .
Executive Functions: ADHD impairs executive functions, including task initiation, planning, organizational skills, and working memory .
Daily Manifestations: Symptoms include a constant battle with distractions, misplacing everyday items, physical restlessness, fidgeting, interrupting conversations, and acting impulsively before thinking .
3. Misconceptions, Hidden Impact, and Gender Differences
Beyond Hyperactivity
The public often assumes ADHD is limited to physical hyperactivity, impulsivity, and short attention spans . However, the real impact stretches far deeper:
It severely affects emotional regulation and personal relationships .
It frequently leads to chronic underperformance in school, work, and personal life, resulting in lost potential .
Historically, individuals with undiagnosed ADHD were unfairly labeled as "lazy," "selfish," or "self-centered" .
How Symptoms Present in Men vs. Women
Traditional stereotypes picture ADHD as young boys "bouncing off the walls" . While hyperactive symptoms can affect anyone, girls and women are more likely to internalize their struggles :
While boys are often seen as "bothersome" (externalized hyperactivity), girls are frequently "bothered" (internalized distractibility, chronic feeling of being overwhelmed) .
Because these symptoms are less disruptive outwardly, women often go undiagnosed until much later in life (Moon Lake herself was diagnosed at age 50) .
4. Normal Forgetfulness vs. Clinical ADHD: The 3 Diagnostic Criteria
It is normal to lose concentration, be forgetful, or feel scattered occasionally due to stress, lack of sleep, or depression . Dr. Adrian Wang outlines three mandatory criteria required for a clinical diagnosis of ADHD :
Persistence: The condition must be persistent and present since childhood (ADHD does not suddenly develop in adulthood, though it often goes unrecognized until later years) .
Pervasiveness: The symptoms must affect multiple domains of life, including relationships, employment, and social interactions .
Impairment: It must cause significant functional impairment in daily activities .
5. Social Media, "Self-Recognition," and Proper Clinical Diagnosis
While ADHD has become a trending topic online, Dr. Wang warns against self-diagnosing from 60-second social media videos . A proper clinical evaluation requires a rigorous process conducted by psychiatrists or psychologists, including psychometric testing, detailed history tracking over time, and interviews with family members and loved ones .
However, Moon Lake draws an important distinction between self-diagnosis and self-recognition :
Social media plays a valuable role in creating self-recognition and breaking generational stigma .
Once self-recognition occurs, individuals should take the formal step to consult a healthcare professional .
6. The Genetic Link & The "Oxygen Mask" Analogy
ADHD carries a strong genetic component . Many adults only discover their own condition after one of their children is diagnosed (Moon Lake's daughter was diagnosed a year prior to her own diagnosis) .
Moon highlights the "airplane oxygen mask" analogy: caregivers must recognize their own condition and seek support first so they can consistently and effectively care for their children .
7. Holistic Treatment: Leveling the Playing Field
While treatment does not "cure" ADHD, it controls symptoms and levels the playing field—allowing individuals to stop "fighting with one hand tied behind their back" . Effective management requires a holistic approach :
Medication: A crucial component that aids in regulating emotions, improving task follow-through, increasing focus, and boosting academic or workplace performance .
Skills Training & Coaching: Learning prioritization techniques, time-management strategies, and receiving executive function coaching .
Ultimately, ADHD presents differently in everyone—"if you've met one person with ADHD, you've met one person with ADHD" .
8. Resources in Singapore
Adult ADHD Self-Test: Unlocking ADHD hosts the World Health Organization (WHO) Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale on their website (unlockingadhd.org.sg) . Individuals can complete the assessment, print their results, and bring them to a doctor or psychiatrist .
Community Awareness: To mark its 5th anniversary, Unlocking ADHD hosts community initiatives such as the "ADHD in 3D" exhibition at Temasek Shophouse to give the public insight into the ADHD experience .
Watch this video to understand how Ubrain can help children and adults with ADHD: https://www.brainsolutionz.com/articles/01KYM7DF8QCH7DE3A1B563X1EE/interview-with-a-mother-with-child-issues