Alex Jones jokes that she ‘hates’ Lee Mack after he mocks her
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ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although usually diagnosed in childhood, the condition lasts into adulthood, with some individuals never receiving a formal diagnosis. For the ITV star, suspicions that he might have the disorder started as he revealed he hears up to nine voices in his head at the same time, and struggles to concentrate on one thing – a common symptom of ADHD.
“To me it is like eight or nine radio channels going off at once,” the comic said in a 2021 interview. “Most people can tune into one, but you tend to tune into nine.”
Although sometimes useful, especially when appearing on popular telly show Would I Lie to You, as he is able to tune into everyone’s conversations simultaneously and make jokes fast, Mack went on to say that the symptom does tend to cause problems too.
One instance, the star said that at the pub his attention is often diverted from his friends’ conversations to other groups. This became so much of a problem that the star stopped going to pubs altogether.
He added: “But the problem is you’re not listening to any one of them succinctly enough – or you have mad obsessive concentration on one thing.”
People with ADHD often seem restless, and may have trouble concentrating or acting on impulse. These symptoms can also lead to individuals having problems with sleep and anxiety disorders.
Although these behaviours are quite common in children, those with ADHD tend to never grow out of these behaviours, sometimes causing “severe” difficulty at school, home or with friends.
Despite his suspicions, Mack has never been given a formal ADHD diagnosis, even during the test – which determines if people do or not – he found himself getting distracted and doodling.
“I started joking around on it and I do get distracted easily and I drew balls and a willy, that type of things,” he explained.
“As an adult having it – and I do suspect I’ve got it having spoken to people about it – it has its positives and its negatives.
“The positives are certainly in my job on panel games I can hear several people talking, whereas some people are just focusing on the one person talking. You can tune it to what suits – what you want to talk about.
“When I used to go to pubs I would go ‘that was all kicking off, wasn’t it?’. They go ‘what was?’.
“I’d say ‘the conversation behind us where that row broke out’, and they go ‘what row?’. I’d say ‘you’re not serious, that huge argument’, and they go ‘I didn’t notice anything’.
“Am I just nosey?”
The NHS explains that the exact cause of the condition remains unknown, but it has been shown to run in families. Individuals with ADHD have also been found to have differences in the brain compared to those without the disorder.
Other factors suggested as potentially having a role in ADHD include:
- Being born prematurely (before the 37th week of pregnancy)
- Having a low birthweight
- Smoking or alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy.
Although the two main symptoms of ADHD can be categorised into either inattentiveness and hyperactivity impulsiveness, some individuals fall into both of these categories, which can cause a wide range of symptoms.
The main signs of inattentiveness are:
- Having a short attention span and being easily distracted
- Making careless mistakes – for example, in schoolwork
- Appearing forgetful or losing things
- Being unable to stick to tasks that are tedious or time-consuming
- Appearing to be unable to listen to or carry out instructions
- Constantly changing activity or task
- Having difficulty organising tasks.
Whereas the main signs of hyperactivity and impulsiveness are:
- Being unable to sit still, especially in calm or quiet surroundings
- Constantly fidgeting
- Being unable to concentrate on tasks
- Excessive physical movement
- Excessive talking
- Being unable to wait their turn
- Acting without thinking
- Interrupting conversations
- Little or no sense of danger.
For adults with ADHD, some specialists suggested that hyperactivity tends to decrease, while inattentiveness tends to remain. Adults with ADHD can also tend to be forgetful, impatient, restless and have difficulty keeping quiet.
One of the main ways to get diagnosed with ADHD is to have a medical exam, including hearing and vision tests in order to rule out any other problems that could be causing similar symptoms. The CDC says that diagnosing the disorder usually includes a checklist for rating ADHD symptoms and taking a history of the child from parents, teachers, and sometimes, the child.
For adults, who may still struggle with ADHD, the NHS provides some key advice on how best to cope and live with the disorder. This includes:
- Keeping lists and diaries to help with organisation
- Let steam off by exercising regularly
- Finding ways of relaxing
- Ask for adjustments in the workplace or educational institution
- Contact or join a local support group.
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