Summary
Overview
Complex with Kimberley Wilson explores ADHD in depth, separating social media myths from clinical reality. Chartered psychologist Kimberley Wilson interviews therapist Joshua Monk, who specializes in ADHD and OCD and has lived experience of both conditions. They discuss what ADHD actually is, how it presents differently in men and women, the role of shame and perfectionism, social media misinformation, and practical strategies for living with the condition. The conversation is both clinically informed and compassionately human, emphasizing that ADHD is a serious diagnosis but not a life sentence.
Understanding ADHD: Beyond the Social Media Myths
The episode opens with Kimberley Wilson addressing the explosion of ADHD content on social media, where 70% of information about symptoms is considered to be normal human experience by clinical psychologists. Joshua Monk, a therapist specializing in ADHD with lived experience, joins to separate fact from fiction. He explains that ADHD is defined by persistent difficulties in three main areas: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, requiring five or more symptoms to be diagnosed.
- 70% of ADHD symptom information on social media platforms is considered normal human experience by clinical psychologists
- ADHD is defined by persistent pattern of difficulties in inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity
- Five or more symptoms of inattention and/or impulsivity or hyperactivity needed for diagnosis
" I really want to put ADHD under the complex spotlight to help us separate fact from online fiction. So let me be your guide from the rusty bicycle of misinformation to the Formula One racing car of understanding. "
How ADHD Actually Presents: The Internal Experience
Joshua describes ADHD as having a hundred tabs open in the brain simultaneously, with an inability to shut them down. He clarifies a crucial misconception: ADHD isn't about being unable to pay attention, but rather struggling to regulate attention. People with ADHD can hyperfocus on things they enjoy but struggle to shift attention to necessary tasks. The condition manifests as exhausting mental hyperactivity, with many people masking their struggles and appearing as perfectionists while battling internal chaos.
- ADHD described as having a hundred tabs open in the brain at once, running at 100 miles per hour
- ADHD is not about inability to pay attention, but struggling to regulate attention
- People with ADHD can hyperfocus on rewarding activities but struggle to shift attention to necessary tasks
- Many mask their symptoms and present as perfectionists while exhausted underneath
" It's not that it's more so that we struggle to regulate our attention. So many people I work with can hyper focus. They can zone in on things that they enjoy, that they get reward from. However, they then struggle to shift their attention to the things that they need to do, which can become very problematic in their everyday life. "
" I have to have structure and routine in my everyday life because if I don't, my life is chaos. So people often think I'm super organized, but I'm not naturally. I have to put a lot of effort into having structures in place each day so that I can function. "
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