I know when I was first diagnosed with ADHD I was in my fifties. I knew there something wrong with me, but it was confirmed. I am now 70 years old and the only thing I can say is that we just don't have enough access to mental health. I shared this on Facebook because I want more people get the help they need sooner.
@@midwestpetalpusher I would love to see that myself. I only had one teacher that actually knew that there was something not quite right and made an effort. It was a Catholic Nun who spent a lot of time with me. I failed first grade and then the next year I had her and she made all the difference in the world. My parents didn't know what to do with me either. I was born in 1954, so the all the studies that proved that females have ADHD didn't really come out until late seventies. I bit late. You can't teach 30 kids in a class and to expect them to learn equally. It is pure nonsense.
I have diagnosed my dad at age 75. In the past, many children went undiagnosed for mental health issues. If you examine their family systems, where they are central figures, you will often uncover a multitude of dysfunctional problems.
The world is treating mental health as a business and not as a foundational part of our species. People lack the fundamental understanding that we have to function as a collective animal. That's how we survive. Be we treat mental health issues like character flaws and not the faulty programming it is. Rewiring someone's default mode network often requires external intervention. Beyond a point it becomes infeasible for the individual to do it alone. We have individualized personal responsibility to the point where we won't help someone up because "it's not my responsibility". What the world don't realize is that this has a serious negative effect on them. The child abandoned by the village will burn it down to feel it's warm. And people wonder why the world seems more and more chaotic.
You are the only content creator that is balanced in regards to ADHD. Everyone else puts a toxic positivity spin on it and most people delay in treating their symptoms. Im not an advocate of putting everyone on medicine. However I do think people with adhd need to take their condition seriously and create a allyship with those around whom they can trust. Together they should develop a system that helps the individual thrive.
Man this is both great info, and also hurts. When I went through the diagnosis process, people acted like I just frivolously “wanted” an ADHD diagnosis as an excuse, crutch, or cute label. THIS is why diagnosis is important. Untreated ADHD has so many consequences. Impacts all facets of life, including lifespan for gods sake. You pointing out that all these factors are changeable though- that is very appreciated
Immensly appreciated, Dr. Barkley! The list of behavioral inhibitions really hit home. I knew sleeping was important. Sleep has been one of the major issues (along with malnutrition) for a long long time. This placed my focus on getting back into trying to ammend this. Be well, Dr. Barkley! These videos are extremely helpful to me.
I think women's hormones would play an important part in the lower life expectancy. Hormones dip and cause a large increase in the impact of severity of ADHD monthly. One week of every month our symptoms increase, I would say drastically. After menopause the decline in estrogen exacerbates the lack of dopamine production permanently. It makes perfect sense to me.
Thank you for this analysis, Dr Barkley. I was diagnosed privately in the UK, but in the best of times, my NHS GPs tend to be extremely wary of that diagnosis. In the worst cases, they’re overtly derisive and dismissive. When I asked my GP if I could get on the waitlist to be assessed on the NHS because I couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket for titration and medication, she tried to talk me out of it by saying “people who think they have [ADHD] are taking resources and spaces on the waitlist from people with actually serious conditions who really need the care”. I couldn’t believe a medical professional had the nerve to say this out loud to someone seeking care, but unfortunately it illustrates an attitude many of us are experiencing in the UK. I hope this study rattles some cages and wakes up the medical community here.
Report them if you have the capacity, time and interest to do so. That may be a common perspective but it's simply in conflict with their responsibility.
Thank you Mr Barkley. Yes. The uk needs a shake up. My brother just died In November. I’ll be taking this and your review of this publication to the nhs trust he was attached to.
my sympathies. my fraternal twin with ADHD died at 56 in a car crash of his own making and his ADHD son committed suicide two years later on impulse after arguing with his girlfriend. People and especially professionals don’t realize how life threatening the poor inhibitory control can be for people with ADHD. be well.
@ thank you. Yes I know. I follow and promote your work and fully understand. I’m an adhd coach and teach people about executive functioning. Stay well and thank you for your work again.
dr. Barkley, it seems to me like one possible factor explaining the lower life expectancy in women could be the fact that women with ADHD go undiagnosed more than men. This could mean that they are less likely to receive treatment which would improve their longevity.
Thank you for this video Dr Barkley. I am South African, and I have ADHD - as do my children. We were all diagnosed in South Africa - my daughter at age 6. My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 3 - but it was very obvious that he had ADHD from an earlier age! We do live in the UK at present. If we lived in the UK back when my kids were diagnosed, none of us would be diagnosed. The wait list for ADHD diagnosis is as long as 14 years in some areas - a postcode lottery. I have some thoughts about why there is higher mortality rates in women than men in the UK when it comes to ADHD: • Women with ADHD are far less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD in the UK. All too often they are diagnosed with a personality disorder, or even bipolar. This happened to a medical doctor- who was on meds for bipolar, until she was properly diagnosed with ADHD. • Women in deprived have extremely poor access to psychiatric care. Also poorer education, worse socio economic status actually ensures that they are discriminated against by general society. Classism is a form of oppression in the country. • A lot of women who have ADHD will also access social welfare benefits, ensuring that they live in abject poverty - and they will have children with ADHD - given the genetic heritable nature of ADHD. This will mean that they are unable to work - due to children being excluded from school by an incredibly punitive education system that thrives on behaviour modification - without proper support. I know a lot of single mothers like this. They also have children from different fathers - that is quite normal. • UK women are extremely vulnerable to sexual assault and rape - rape being reported is extremely low. Also domestic abuse is significant. The UK does have a problem with alcohol that does impact the working classes disproportionately to other population groups. I definitely believe that this statistics on higher female mortality rates when it comes to ADHD needs to be better explored.
I am a male , I had to have a nervous breakdown to get my ADHD detected, early 2020, aged 41. I received a diagnosis, privately, 100 miles away . I was only really given medication. Many psychiatrists would not assess me because I have dyspraxia and / or Aspergers traits ( autistic traits). My ADHD was missed because I was well behaved in school, intelligent and driven. I got a degree without any support. I had a private diagnosis of dyspraxia, aged in 2012, if I had a later diagnosis of dyspraxia, my ADHD would have been detected. When I received my diagnosis of dyspraxia, privately, my GP, would not accept my report ( no NHS diagnosis). I had a diagnosis of “Aspergers traits”. As a result I will not be made “homeless”. I am of Middle Eastern origin . I own a property in West Yorkshire, a girl now aged 38, left school at 14, could not concentrate , no qualifications, just a gnvq . Her first kid aged 17, she had 7 kids , different fathers , by Summer 2025, she will have 9 children. She had her children taken into care , by accident, because she was drunk , she got her children back after 6 months . I told her she had ADHD, she recognised it . She researched it , 5 months before she got her kids back , she believes she has it , no diagnosis. I think her ADHD, is one of the most severe I have seen( highly impulsive).
It really is a travesty for getting care over there. Maybe this study will help change that sooner than later but given that it’s government run NHS I am doubtful. It’s like the DMV here running hospitals. Heaven help us if they do as our VA hospitals are a classic example of what happens. They are rife with inefficiencies and dated approaches of care that happens when they do.
Thank you Dr Barkley! I am especially interested in your observation that ADHD is underdiagnosed in the UK and that we are 20 years behind the USA. Recently I read an article in 'The Spectator' (by a psychiatrist no less) who showed remarkable ignorance of the facts and made some very shallow comments (eg an increase in ADHD diagnoses is driven by middle class mothers who want their children to get extra time in exams).
@@EcoHamletsUKSorry but that's not how statistics work. My mother is 89 and almost certainly has undiagnosed AuDHD and I was diagnosed at 52. She and I have had numerous instances of impulsive actions which could have, but didn't kill us. Now we are both hyper-vigilant and risk avoidant, which results in our openness to new experiences and enjoyment of life being significantly reduced, even if our life expectancy isn't. Our good luck/over-caution, hardly disproves a large, scientifically analysed data set of facts. Be thankful you are the exceptions but please don't knock the ones putting in the hard yards on our behalf.
Thanks for making these videos. Also, it is always a bit sad watching these and starting to reflect on my life, feeling like I'm not able to overcome my shortcomings with my own abilities. It also feels good to realize that it wasn't because I didn't try hard enough.
Doctor! I adore your commitment to helping those with this debilitating disorder-- I think that the younger generation needs to see this information, and I have to wonder if you could reach out to social media influencers to help get this to younger people via short form videos, making it slightly snappier and more digestible?
As an older undiagnosed wonan, I can give one possibility. Many ADHD folks procrastinate making and following through on Doctors appointments. I am very guilty of doing this and am now playing catch-up on critical tests and screenings I should have been doing for years. Women, I think, are especially guilty of this. Thank ypu, this has given me more motivation to follow up and make a few more appointments. : ) Don't miss check-ups and screenings. It's embarrassing when they ask you when was your last "whatever" but I have known more than one woman to die after cancer went undetected before spreading.
The finding on the effect of ADHD on life expectancy being larger in absolute terms for females than males might not be that surprising. Females live longer, so I’d expect any proportional effect to be higher, and I’d also expect that risk-taking behavior has diminishing effects on life expectancy (I.e., men already tend to engage in more risk-taking behavior, so an increase in this behavior for them would have less of an effect than it would for women who engage in risk-taking behavior less).
I wonder if the reason why ADHD women have a shorter life expectancy is due to the co-occurring disorders / symptoms that result from the suppression of emotions/behavior. It would make sense considering the fact that women have more societal expectations placed upon them to be “lady-like” etc which largely contributes to the fact that women are more likely to suffer from depression/anxiety/PTSD/autoimmune diseases/headaches/etc. It would also be a natural continuation of the research on emotional suppression/mortality since it concluded suppression poses a greater risk for all-cause mortality in women. ADHD women inherently have to suppress more than the average women - higher rates of suppression lead to higher risk of mortality which leads to shorter life expectancy. Just a thought!
And women are expected to take care of everyone. If the woman with ADHD is also heterosexual she is expected to take care of herself, her man, her children, the household, the pets her own appointments and responsibilities and everyone else’s. This is a part of why I got divorced. I couldn’t keep up, plus he was emotionally abusive. It makes sense.
Women are also less likely to be diagnosed because their symptoms tend to be less externalized. Which suggests the women who *do* get diagnosed are probably more severe.
Dr. Barkley, thanks as always for bringing this study to our attention. I'm curious for your thoughts on this potential explanation for the greater reduction in ELE among females. A 2018 NICE study in the UK reported a male-to-female ratio of ADHD diagnoses among children as 4.3:1, compared to 2.4:1 in the US according to a 2011 NIMH report. Using US as a baseline, this suggests girls in the UK may be underdiagnosed relative to boys. Consequently, girls with severe ADHD symptoms may be overrepresented in the female sample here, which could explain their greater reduction in ELE.
I'm 60 in a few months diagnosed at 57, think I've done well to get so far given all the risk taking, drug and alcohol abuse. Don't drink anymore after over 40 yrs of bingeing.
With this information, it’s frustrating and surprising, that in 2025, we still don’t have a biological and easy way to test for ADHD. Given the prevalence of those undiagnosed into late adulthood and the amount of children with ADHD, why haven’t we figured this out yet? Is it lack of money? Also, since it’s primarily hereditary, why aren’t all children tested as a routine check up? Children are tested for an array of diseases and disorders, why isn’t ADHD a part of it? ADHD testing as of now is pretty archaic and still based on self reporting. ADHD is a biological disorder yet society treats it like it’s a fad or a woke trend. It’s outrageous to me the lack of biological testing and the continued stigma of a poorly named and poorly researched neurodevelopmental disorder affecting millions of people and now potentially causing lower life expectancies. ADHD has been around long enough for us to have come up with better ways to diagnose and name the disorder. It’s without excuse, in my opinion.
Adhd is a maladaptive state to a maladapted society... what do you want me to tell you lol Or more like what do you want to test exactly if it's presented like that?
Of course we do. I'm 30 and my hair is grey. My gut and brain are leaky. my gallbladder, kidneys and liver are cooked from years of stimming for low dopamine with junk foods and malabsorption due to fight flight dominance. And my hypermobility and selective muscles contracting, makes me sprain my back and neck every other week.
Hi Dr Barkley, could you comment on the large article in the Economist Magazine this month. I took issue with some of the main points. Not a medical journal, I know but definitely a public opinion-shaper, particularly workplace and health policy
NHS might be about to make it worse for folks in the UK because they’re considering revoking shared care agreements despite NHS waiting lists that are years long in some postcodes.
ADHD is massively under diagnosed in the UK. It wasn’t properly recognised as early as it was in the US. Surely this skews results, it’s an incomplete data set. The older the age group being represented, the greater the inaccuracy
If an adult who *had* an ADHD diagnosis as a child still has a 6 year lower ELE, would that be a reason to adjust the diagnostic criteria to continue to classify those people as having ADHD as adults? Behavior leading to -6 year ELE sounds like a disorder to me.
Even a person has educated ( degree of degrees ), including the 9 malleable factors , what about income caused by lack of employment , especially if people are diagnosed with ADHD later .ADHD is often accompanied by other neurodivergent conditions and other comorbid mental health conditions . If a person, can’t get employment, it will cause financial problems and further mental health problems . The older one gets diagnosed ( especially middle aged ), it is harder to overcome .
Exactly, and important to always mention. Millennial-focused groups online, tiktok, youtube etc can't seem to recognize or think through the huge differentiation between -- getting diagnosed the "normal" way in grade school ages, or not getting diagnosed til 20's -- and how in both use cases, they GOT the intervention, diagnosis, behavioral help, meds -- and ADHD can be well managed that way, giving you your 30's, 40's, 50's -- a long significant period of time to be able to apply all the knowledge and tools to mitigate against the disaster paths that befall on those very late diagnosed. In my experience the younger groups lack complete knowledge of the huge advantage differences, and lack empathy.
Thank you, Dr. Barkley, for another sound explanation! I wonder if it has to do with the two main different expressions of ADHD. I suspect that the more "internal" kind is followed by more depression, anxieties, eating disorders. I wish they could control for that.
with my ADHD as a 30yo with: an income way higher the one showed here, no alcohol almost, no smoke, good sleep (even if with some problem), Msc degree I was thinking how much we can work on ourself to be even with the other, it's not easy, the path it will be the double or more the effort than someone else, but it worth!
Imagine them publishing what you’ve been saying for decades, Dr Barkley! But I will take anything that helps people treat ADHD as seriously as it should be taken.
Hello Dr Barkley, I am currently based in London. I got diagnosed with ADHD 4 months back. I had been trying for almost 2 years to get assessed for ADHD. I failed my masters for 3 years continually due to that. I have been academically excellent throughout my life, but I could not complete my coursework even in 3 years, although I was very passionate about it. I am very much concerned about inclusion in academia. I am very passionate about academics and yet have very inconsistent performance. I topped a competitive exam in India where I was among top 25 students out of 30-35k in total. At the same time, I could hardly pass my Higher secondary Physics exam although I was good at it. I believe there is a need for change in core academic structure, accommodations provided to meet the same academic requirements are not enough. At least, they have not worked in my case. I would appreciate if you could come up with some useful insights regarding this. I really appreciate your work. I feel so validated. Thank you ☺
I wonder whether stress and anxiety, particularly from keeping up with social standards for women, have anything to do with the counterintuitive results of ADHD women's lifespans being statistically shorter. Edit: The main upshot is that all of the ways that ADHD shortens your lifespan are behavioral and are therefore fixable.
I think Dr Barkley may have misspoken on the gender differences here. In the paper, women with ADHD have a bigger reduction in life expectancy than men with ADHD do, but men with ADHD still have a lower life expectancy than women with ADHD on average (technically not statistically different). Women: 83.79 -> 75.15, Men: 80.03 -> 73.26. My gut instinct is that the larger proportionate fall for women might represent the historic underdiagnoses of women in the UK which could mean that the women in the data represent the more severe cases - i.e. not quite like for like between genders. I'm not sure whether or not this data would cover private diagnoses which have supported the increased diagnosis rates over the past few years (of which many are women).
@jamesblack8311 Ah, good distinction, thank you for pointing that out. That was my mistake and not his. But I am still inclined to think that the factors I mentioned are at least at play for the sex-based difference in the _decrease_ in life expectancy.
@maziecat - I beg to differ re "fixable". Sure, the relationship problems, overcommunication issues, pushing people away bc of ADHDer long, branching comments or conversation, SOME help with time management systems --- but nowhere nearly fixable when you're talking about finding yourself suddenly in financial disaster, loss of job/career, inability to be rehired, friendships and other relationships gone and buried by them, due to things you didn't know until after late diagnosis. I;m not against rosy outcomes, or rosy progsnoses, but when it drifts into magical thinking that your life all can be renewed, recovered etc, a lot of people just don't have the several decades of time left to turnaround some of the very large negative disasters brought to them unknowingly by late diagnosed ADHD.
@@quicksite that's totally fair, and my heart goes out to the late diagnosed! I meant what he meant, which is that early diagnosis and education means more opportunities to identify and correct the behaviors that shorten the lifespans of those with ADHD. Hence why education and awareness - which Dr. Russell Barkley and others advance - is so important.
Thanks Russell. Am I right that this paper, and your research, explain shorter female adhd life expectancy via behaviour? I read some research a few years back, about the biochemical makeup of an ADHD brain. I wish I could find it again, but they found ADHD suffereres had low production of specific amino acids(?) that helped produce and regulate dopamine in the brain. These amino acids also produced anti oxidants that prevented brain cells from oxidising and fought free radicals etc, which of course, impacts life expectancy. Based on that, I eat loads of antioxidants and take supplements to help prevent dementia etc and other diseases. Does your research look into that aspect as a predictor and preventer of shorter life expectancy in ADHD women? I should add- I'm a 58yr old woman, diagnosed 8 years ago. Thanks
@russellbarkleyphd2023 thanks for replying! I wonder whether any researchers studying dementia have looked into rates of women with ADHD? I'm guessing it's too soon for reliable data to be available. Thanks again for sharing your expertise with us 💜
I respect Dr. Barkley immensely and appreciate that he's one of very few people to take ADHD seriously. His work is extremely important and necessary for the entire ADHD community, and he's been an enormous help to me personally over the years. I must say, though, as someone with ADHD, listening to this particular video was a bit disheartening. Even with his note that the results can change with changed behavior, let's be honest, the behaviors talked about here, that are inherent to ADHD, aren't typically behaviors that are easily changed. It's important to get treatment, nevertheless, and so I understand the point of the video. I just think that we could also walk outside our front door at any given moment, like anyone else in the general population, and get hit by a truck. Or, we could get lucky despite having ADHD and live to be 100. So being grateful for this day, this moment, and this breath is also important, as well as remembering that these studies represent real people, not just data points on a page.
I lived in UK for the first 6 years of my son life and asked my GP mulitiple times to send my son for evaluation for ADHD. Was told to young to diagnose , just a energetic litte one ( and o boy he was !!).Moved out to other EU country and the diagnosis was made within 6 months . I belive the underdiagnosis in UK might be related , apart from finantial issues , to more relaxed and accepting the differences society. I mean only severe and obvious cases are beeing treated / diagnosed. If somehow mild symptoms only ( child not jumping on the table thoughout lessons) and child somehow bearly manages then it is OK …it just the way you are , no help needed. But treatment can change significantly the quality of the child and a family life from bearly managing to going forward .
I always wonder what effect does early life stress have on life expectancy and how a stressful environment stunts brain development. Can you explain what happens to children raised this way?
Women go undiagnosed and untreated for longer and menopause with ADHD is absolute nightmare. Highest rates of unaliving themselves women aged 44-60 too. Add in lower incomes from being undiagnosed until 30s or 40s or later. It’s a bad mix.
One thing that might be impacting women is the fact that declining estrogen in perimenopause/menopause makes adhd worse. Even for women who are already being treated for adhd, they will probably need changes to meds. Without treatment for either the declining estrogen or worsening adhd, adhd women will often feel like they're losing their minds.
Diagnosed at 38. Now going through perimenopause and absolutely losing it. If I was a more impulsive person, I would absolutely be unemployed by now. This is no way to live and I can only imagine how bad menopause will be 😢
One comment, you kept stating that they found that females with ADHD have a lower life expectancy than males with ADHD but you did not present that data. The data you presented was a reduction in life expectancy. Females start with a higher life expectancy of 4 or 5 years (based off a quick internet search) That is more than the difference in the reduction of life expectancy reported here so Females with ADHD will still have a higher life expectancy than males with ADHD but that difference will be less than males and females generally.
iIn their study, it was 8.6 year reduction for females relative to the control females. I thought I mentioned it but it’s on the screen too. we had too few females in mine to compute it separately so ours is birth sexes combined.
Not sure what tone you're intending, but it comes across as sarcastic. Dr. Barkley outlines the risk factors that contribute to this reduced life expectancy, and points out that quite a few are within the individual's control, such as nutrition, drinking and smoking less, and getting a healthy amount of sleep. It isn't easy, but it's doable, so while it's not fun knowing that your ADHD can contribute to a shorter life expectancy, he gives you information to help you take control and maximize your time here on Earth.
Inattentive ADHD. I injure myself practically on a daily basis. I work with my hands so I draw blood often. These types of injuries exposes the body to the outside world so infection is much more likely. I have gotten countless proper injuries throughout my life from cuts, burns, broken bones, dislocations... You it makes complete sense that we die sooner. The part about women dying even sooner makes sense to me. Women are more vulnerable on a physical level. They also have the added factor pregnancy. Impulsive behavior would then lead to reckless sexual behavior which which also adds the factor of sexual diseases and assault. Women also are more likely to catch sexually transmitted diseases than men. I haven't looked but I would bet women with ADHD has higher amounts of STIs. Now add all that with the fact that women start to develope mentally and sexually earlier than boys. This could account for that extra time. Women only live longer than men when they are health and neurotypical. New metrics apply when you are studying a specialty group.
"Late breaking news, you're probably going to die way sooner than you think... Ok, take care, have a great day, bye!" 😨 I mean.... I'll TRY to have a great day... lol
The difference between male and female mailer life expectancy is not counterintuitive to me at all- we know women and girls are more under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed. That combined with the ways we are socialized make it more likely our symptoms and coping mechanisms are more likely to be harmful to ourselves (v harmful to others)
As far as I can tell, they did not code treated or untreated cases. Just diagnosed or not. So it likely incudes both. BTW, other large studiess show that medications for ADHD do reduce the risk for mortality via accidental injuries, not to mention other adversities. Be well.
As a late dx female (in my 50’s), I’d suspect a possible explanation of the greater lifespan reduction for women, that makes sense to me, is the level of dismissiveness, gaslighting and people-pleasing adhd women seem to experience at a greater intensity than men - and that has a significant affect on well-being thereby affecting physical health. Just my uneducated but experience based 2 cents.
So - would it be wrong of me to conclude that *one* reason for someone with ADHD to have a shorter lifespan would be: He / she didn't take his / her meds, was distracted by someone insignificant to said person, and, having a quick-to-anger temper, said something stupid to someone much bigger than him / her, got punched in the face for it, and went into a coma from which he / she was unable to awaken? Because, if not, and / or my conclusion is off, please help me to better understand! 😉👍
The research shows that death by accidental injury is a primary cause for early mortality, followed by the higher risk for suicide. See my earlier posts on that topic. And the study from Taiwan did find homicide was the third factor. Add to that what our studies found on the many life style and health practices issues that are more common in ADHD and shorten lifespan and that explains why even if one gets to midlife, in later years there are adverse health events becoming increasingly likely, such as cardiac and cancer risks, as I explain. So, yes, glibness aside, there are good reasons to stay on meds and get other therapies to help with lifestyle and health maintenance factors as I discussed. Be well.
It says a higher relative risk - so lifespan shorter relative to non adhd females. Not overall. If non adhd women are much less impulsive than men, and adhd women lose that advantage, couldn’t that explain the higher relative risk?
Trying to keep my drinking under control is a struggle were not talking a little drink now and then I am talking slugging a large bottle of whisky. The self medication is a problem even when I know I am doing a lot of damage too myself. Drinking is a big dopamine kick and its legal and widely available. I have it a lot more under control then I use too but I still slip up now and then. Also should be getting more exercises and activity I rather do other things so yea I get why our life tend to be shorter.
Have you found an ADHD medication that works for you? Many of us find that 'self-medication' through unhealthy methods lessen when we start using pills that directly address our ADHD.
Wouldn't risk taking be the reason for women with ADHD as well? So, it kind of levels the playing field between the sexes? Or was there still less risk taking in women with adhd vs men in general and men with ADHD. Because as a lady ADHD'er I can tell you, risks were taken. Just me? Big ones. I've made it to 49 thus far and honestly don't know how. I have left behind my wildest years, but my impulse control when it comes to nicotine (I chain vape now but chained smoked up until 10 years ago) and food (garbage. I eat hot garbage) and sleep... lolz. I can sleep. Just fine. I have no trouble falling asleep but stay up way too late anyway... my current health is bad. Don't exercise, etc. I AM working on all those things. I'm FINALLY two steps forward, one step back instead of one step forward, two step back. But it's taken my entire adult life to get to this point where I really, truly, finally WANT to fix it and am ACTING to fix it. Even if I fix it all this year, I don't know the overall effect it will have on my life span. And, even though I make a choice to be a safe driver --I still space out sometimes while driving. I've blown a red light, run a stop sign.. etc. If you looked at the factors and women with ADHD seem to be taking less risks... maybe you have a list of women who are lying. lol. Just saying. I cannot be the only one. I can't even be a minority. Most of us went undx'd and most of us have serious impulse control issues.
Thank you very much for the information. I personally think that ADHD is a kind of PTSD symptom. Too many stressors agents that are attacking human health of the population middle and poor socioeconomic, that ooh normally are noticed on minorities that are at risk. I hope the people start to get serious about mental health, what about COVID olfatory sense loss from mothers and the implications on form a normal attachment to the child's ADHD. Or mothers with postpartum..... depression what the government and leaders are going to do with the social and health care of the population.
Other (lesser) breaking news: The Canadian Armed Forces have recently stopped excluding people with ADHD from serving. The comments in the globe and mail were predictably disappointing, but at least a few people made relevant points and someone clarified that people could serve if they hid the diagnosis and weren’t medicated. Brings new meaning to don’t ask don’t tell. On the surface it’s good news, but it’s also sad that the CAF embarked upon widespread (and largely unsuccessful) diversity efforts and cultural reforms over a decade ago, but they’ve only now got around to this change.
Impulsive and unregulated emotions are not a good recipe for the armed forces. I mean people leave the armed forces with these traits because of PTSD. 🤔
@ No? I’m confused. I was highlighting that individuals that have ADHD likely already know that the disorder is of a magnitude that it can shorten their lifespan.
Why dont you use your academic skills to study more the resources , natural treatments and cure rather than spend time telling us the our children has 8 yes lesse life expected?!!
Dr. Barclay's test battery is still over all better than the flashy computer testing. I use it in my psychology practice to do evaluations and it gives a very wide ranging view of behavioral indicators.
I know when I was first diagnosed with ADHD I was in my fifties. I knew there something wrong with me, but it was confirmed. I am now 70 years old and the only thing I can say is that we just don't have enough access to mental health. I shared this on Facebook because I want more people get the help they need sooner.
@@midwestpetalpusher I would love to see that myself. I only had one teacher that actually knew that there was something not quite right and made an effort. It was a Catholic Nun who spent a lot of time with me. I failed first grade and then the next year I had her and she made all the difference in the world. My parents didn't know what to do with me either. I was born in 1954, so the all the studies that proved that females have ADHD didn't really come out until late seventies. I bit late. You can't teach 30 kids in a class and to expect them to learn equally. It is pure nonsense.
I have diagnosed my dad at age 75. In the past, many children went undiagnosed for mental health issues. If you examine their family systems, where they are central figures, you will often uncover a multitude of dysfunctional problems.
There's nothing wrong with you, there's everything wrong with this fucked up soulless society that doesn't care about our struggles.
The world is treating mental health as a business and not as a foundational part of our species. People lack the fundamental understanding that we have to function as a collective animal. That's how we survive. Be we treat mental health issues like character flaws and not the faulty programming it is. Rewiring someone's default mode network often requires external intervention. Beyond a point it becomes infeasible for the individual to do it alone. We have individualized personal responsibility to the point where we won't help someone up because "it's not my responsibility". What the world don't realize is that this has a serious negative effect on them.
The child abandoned by the village will burn it down to feel it's warm. And people wonder why the world seems more and more chaotic.
@ Oh, I agree with you. My family is riddled with mental health issues for a lot of reasons.
You are the only content creator that is balanced in regards to ADHD. Everyone else puts a toxic positivity spin on it and most people delay in treating their symptoms. Im not an advocate of putting everyone on medicine. However I do think people with adhd need to take their condition seriously and create a allyship with those around whom they can trust. Together they should develop a system that helps the individual thrive.
I agree 👍
Facts
Man this is both great info, and also hurts. When I went through the diagnosis process, people acted like I just frivolously “wanted” an ADHD diagnosis as an excuse, crutch, or cute label.
THIS is why diagnosis is important. Untreated ADHD has so many consequences. Impacts all facets of life, including lifespan for gods sake.
You pointing out that all these factors are changeable though- that is very appreciated
ADHD isn't real
Immensly appreciated, Dr. Barkley!
The list of behavioral inhibitions really hit home. I knew sleeping was important. Sleep has been one of the major issues (along with malnutrition) for a long long time. This placed my focus on getting back into trying to ammend this.
Be well, Dr. Barkley! These videos are extremely helpful to me.
Shout out to all the ADHD individuals who are listening to this at 1.25x speed 👋
PS Russell Barkleyyou're a superstar.
2x speed bruh
Normal speed for me, but I’m listening while at work working, so already multi tasking.
2x, with subtitles (audio optional)
2x or not watching
Heh! I thought norm would be more around .75 speed. OR 2x speed, depending on the context of the situation! 😝👍
I think women's hormones would play an important part in the lower life expectancy. Hormones dip and cause a large increase in the impact of severity of ADHD monthly. One week of every month our symptoms increase, I would say drastically. After menopause the decline in estrogen exacerbates the lack of dopamine production permanently. It makes perfect sense to me.
I agree.
When I had my hysterectomy my brain went bonkers and made me worse than ever before so messing with hormones does play a huge role with ADHD.
Thank you for this analysis, Dr Barkley. I was diagnosed privately in the UK, but in the best of times, my NHS GPs tend to be extremely wary of that diagnosis. In the worst cases, they’re overtly derisive and dismissive. When I asked my GP if I could get on the waitlist to be assessed on the NHS because I couldn’t afford to pay out of pocket for titration and medication, she tried to talk me out of it by saying “people who think they have [ADHD] are taking resources and spaces on the waitlist from people with actually serious conditions who really need the care”. I couldn’t believe a medical professional had the nerve to say this out loud to someone seeking care, but unfortunately it illustrates an attitude many of us are experiencing in the UK. I hope this study rattles some cages and wakes up the medical community here.
Report them if you have the capacity, time and interest to do so. That may be a common perspective but it's simply in conflict with their responsibility.
Dr. Barkley, you are a Godsend. My oldest has ADHD and you have helped us navigate these challenging life issues. Thank you so much.
my pleasure. thanks for watching n
Thank you for the news and for your elucidation of the underlying contributing factors! :)
Thank you Mr Barkley. Yes. The uk needs a shake up. My brother just died In November. I’ll be taking this and your review of this publication to the nhs trust he was attached to.
my sympathies. my fraternal twin with ADHD died at 56 in a car crash of his own making and his ADHD son committed suicide two years later on impulse after arguing with his girlfriend. People and especially professionals don’t realize how life threatening the poor inhibitory control can be for people with ADHD. be well.
@ thank you. Yes I know. I follow and promote your work and fully understand. I’m an adhd coach and teach people about executive functioning. Stay well and thank you for your work again.
dr. Barkley, it seems to me like one possible factor explaining the lower life expectancy in women could be the fact that women with ADHD go undiagnosed more than men. This could mean that they are less likely to receive treatment which would improve their longevity.
good point. F75 diagnosed twenty years ago
Thank you for this video Dr Barkley.
I am South African, and I have ADHD - as do my children. We were all diagnosed in South Africa - my daughter at age 6. My son was diagnosed with ADHD at age 3 - but it was very obvious that he had ADHD from an earlier age!
We do live in the UK at present. If we lived in the UK back when my kids were diagnosed, none of us would be diagnosed. The wait list for ADHD diagnosis is as long as 14 years in some areas - a postcode lottery.
I have some thoughts about why there is higher mortality rates in women than men in the UK when it comes to ADHD:
• Women with ADHD are far less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD in the UK. All too often they are diagnosed with a personality disorder, or even bipolar. This happened to a medical doctor- who was on meds for bipolar, until she was properly diagnosed with ADHD.
• Women in deprived have extremely poor access to psychiatric care. Also poorer education, worse socio economic status actually ensures that they are discriminated against by general society. Classism is a form of oppression in the country.
• A lot of women who have ADHD will also access social welfare benefits, ensuring that they live in abject poverty - and they will have children with ADHD - given the genetic heritable nature of ADHD. This will mean that they are unable to work - due to children being excluded from school by an incredibly punitive education system that thrives on behaviour modification - without proper support. I know a lot of single mothers like this. They also have children from different fathers - that is quite normal.
• UK women are extremely vulnerable to sexual assault and rape - rape being reported is extremely low. Also domestic abuse is significant. The UK does have a problem with alcohol that does impact the working classes disproportionately to other population groups.
I definitely believe that this statistics on higher female mortality rates when it comes to ADHD needs to be better explored.
I am a male , I had to have a nervous breakdown to get my ADHD detected, early 2020, aged 41. I received a diagnosis, privately, 100 miles away . I was only really given medication. Many psychiatrists would not assess me because I have dyspraxia and / or Aspergers traits ( autistic traits). My ADHD was missed because I was well behaved in school, intelligent and driven. I got a degree without any support. I had a private diagnosis of dyspraxia, aged in 2012, if I had a later diagnosis of dyspraxia, my ADHD would have been detected. When I received my diagnosis of dyspraxia, privately, my GP, would not accept my report ( no NHS diagnosis). I had a diagnosis of “Aspergers traits”. As a result I will not be made “homeless”.
I am of Middle Eastern origin .
I own a property in West Yorkshire, a girl now aged 38, left school at 14, could not concentrate , no qualifications, just a gnvq . Her first kid aged 17, she had 7 kids , different fathers , by Summer 2025, she will have 9 children. She had her children taken into care , by accident, because she was drunk , she got her children back after 6 months . I told her she had ADHD, she recognised it . She researched it , 5 months before she got her kids back , she believes she has it , no diagnosis.
I think her ADHD, is one of the most severe I have seen( highly impulsive).
@ ADHD is brutal in any form, but in the UK, it is an extremely difficult place to have ADHD. Sad to hear about that woman.
It really is a travesty for getting care over there. Maybe this study will help change that sooner than later but given that it’s government run NHS I am doubtful. It’s like the DMV here running hospitals. Heaven help us if they do as our VA hospitals are a classic example of what happens. They are rife with inefficiencies and dated approaches of care that happens when they do.
Thank you Dr Barkley! I am especially interested in your observation that ADHD is underdiagnosed in the UK and that we are 20 years behind the USA. Recently I read an article in 'The Spectator' (by a psychiatrist no less) who showed remarkable ignorance of the facts and made some very shallow comments (eg an increase in ADHD diagnoses is driven by middle class mothers who want their children to get extra time in exams).
My mother died of old age 17 years before my diagnosis, received when I was 68, in the UK, which rather disproves this!
@@EcoHamletsUK an outlier doesn't disprove a trend.
@@EcoHamletsUKSorry but that's not how statistics work. My mother is 89 and almost certainly has undiagnosed AuDHD and I was diagnosed at 52. She and I have had numerous instances of impulsive actions which could have, but didn't kill us. Now we are both hyper-vigilant and risk avoidant, which results in our openness to new experiences and enjoyment of life being significantly reduced, even if our life expectancy isn't. Our good luck/over-caution, hardly disproves a large, scientifically analysed data set of facts. Be thankful you are the exceptions but please don't knock the ones putting in the hard yards on our behalf.
Dear Dr Barkley, thank you for sharing this study!
I would love you to talk more about the UK and the fact that its behind
Thank you for your classification and contextualization of this topic. Always appreciate your content!
Thanks for making these videos. Also, it is always a bit sad watching these and starting to reflect on my life, feeling like I'm not able to overcome my shortcomings with my own abilities. It also feels good to realize that it wasn't because I didn't try hard enough.
Your work is the best. Thanks Dr Barkley.
Thank you for your work Dr. Barkley. You’ve made such a significantly positive impact on my life.
Doctor! I adore your commitment to helping those with this debilitating disorder-- I think that the younger generation needs to see this information, and I have to wonder if you could reach out to social media influencers to help get this to younger people via short form videos, making it slightly snappier and more digestible?
As an older undiagnosed wonan, I can give one possibility. Many ADHD folks procrastinate making and following through on Doctors appointments. I am very guilty of doing this and am now playing catch-up on critical tests and screenings I should have been doing for years.
Women, I think, are especially guilty of this. Thank ypu, this has given me more motivation to follow up and make a few more appointments. : )
Don't miss check-ups and screenings. It's embarrassing when they ask you when was your last "whatever" but I have known more than one woman to die after cancer went undetected before spreading.
The finding on the effect of ADHD on life expectancy being larger in absolute terms for females than males might not be that surprising. Females live longer, so I’d expect any proportional effect to be higher, and I’d also expect that risk-taking behavior has diminishing effects on life expectancy (I.e., men already tend to engage in more risk-taking behavior, so an increase in this behavior for them would have less of an effect than it would for women who engage in risk-taking behavior less).
150,000+ subscribers! Way to go, Dr. B! 💙
Woohoo! Can't thank you all enough. Stay warm and be well.
Im in the uk and am still waiting a diagnosis after repeatedly being misdiagnosed with all the wrong things. 5-8 years on the NHS Wales, im 49 😢
I gave up on the NHS in Wales after a year on the waiting list, and got a private diagnosis. I'm 69!
@@clairejohnson2818 it is brutal. And unnecessary.
@EcoHamletsUK I'm in North Wales, and I was quoted just under 3k for private assessment.
Have you tried going through Right To Choose via your GP?
@ that is not possible in many areas.
I wonder if the reason why ADHD women have a shorter life expectancy is due to the co-occurring disorders / symptoms that result from the suppression of emotions/behavior. It would make sense considering the fact that women have more societal expectations placed upon them to be “lady-like” etc which largely contributes to the fact that women are more likely to suffer from depression/anxiety/PTSD/autoimmune diseases/headaches/etc. It would also be a natural continuation of the research on emotional suppression/mortality since it concluded suppression poses a greater risk for all-cause mortality in women. ADHD women inherently have to suppress more than the average women - higher rates of suppression lead to higher risk of mortality which leads to shorter life expectancy. Just a thought!
Yeah we are more prone to depression than our male counterparts. Depression shortens your life expectancy.
Also needs to be said that we are also more often the victims of abusive relationships.
And women are expected to take care of everyone. If the woman with ADHD is also heterosexual she is expected to take care of herself, her man, her children, the household, the pets her own appointments and responsibilities and everyone else’s. This is a part of why I got divorced. I couldn’t keep up, plus he was emotionally abusive. It makes sense.
@@ams13934Absolutely ❤
Women are also less likely to be diagnosed because their symptoms tend to be less externalized.
Which suggests the women who *do* get diagnosed are probably more severe.
"very short commentary" love that.
Dr. Barkley, thanks as always for bringing this study to our attention. I'm curious for your thoughts on this potential explanation for the greater reduction in ELE among females.
A 2018 NICE study in the UK reported a male-to-female ratio of ADHD diagnoses among children as 4.3:1, compared to 2.4:1 in the US according to a 2011 NIMH report. Using US as a baseline, this suggests girls in the UK may be underdiagnosed relative to boys. Consequently, girls with severe ADHD symptoms may be overrepresented in the female sample here, which could explain their greater reduction in ELE.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge 😊
I'm 60 in a few months diagnosed at 57, think I've done well to get so far given all the risk taking, drug and alcohol abuse. Don't drink anymore after over 40 yrs of bingeing.
I'm proud of you. You are more likely the exception than the rule. That's the point of this video.
With this information, it’s frustrating and surprising, that in 2025, we still don’t have a biological and easy way to test for ADHD. Given the prevalence of those undiagnosed into late adulthood and the amount of children with ADHD, why haven’t we figured this out yet? Is it lack of money?
Also, since it’s primarily hereditary, why aren’t all children tested as a routine check up? Children are tested for an array of diseases and disorders, why isn’t ADHD a part of it?
ADHD testing as of now is pretty archaic and still based on self reporting. ADHD is a biological disorder yet society treats it like it’s a fad or a woke trend. It’s outrageous to me the lack of biological testing and the continued stigma of a poorly named and poorly researched neurodevelopmental disorder affecting millions of people and now potentially causing lower life expectancies. ADHD has been around long enough for us to have come up with better ways to diagnose and name the disorder. It’s without excuse, in my opinion.
ADHD is pretty well researched, though. It is a very common disorder.
Should be pretty easy to see on a brain activity scan.
@alexdrockhound9497 Clinically it is hard to see. Only when you make an average over multiple people, you can see the patterns.
Adhd is a maladaptive state to a maladapted society... what do you want me to tell you lol Or more like what do you want to test exactly if it's presented like that?
There is no "biological test" for any mental disorder
Of course we do. I'm 30 and my hair is grey. My gut and brain are leaky. my gallbladder, kidneys and liver are cooked from years of stimming for low dopamine with junk foods and malabsorption due to fight flight dominance. And my hypermobility and selective muscles contracting, makes me sprain my back and neck every other week.
So helpful! Esp the lifestyle factors
Hi Dr Barkley, could you comment on the large article in the Economist Magazine this month.
I took issue with some of the main points. Not a medical journal, I know but definitely a public opinion-shaper, particularly workplace and health policy
I did in a video a few weeks ago. thanks!
NHS might be about to make it worse for folks in the UK because they’re considering revoking shared care agreements despite NHS waiting lists that are years long in some postcodes.
The fact that I’m still alive is ASTONISHING to me 😂 so, this one is not surprising to me.
I feel less alive with each passing day. I will die early, for sure.
ADHD is massively under diagnosed in the UK. It wasn’t properly recognised as early as it was in the US. Surely this skews results, it’s an incomplete data set. The older the age group being represented, the greater the inaccuracy
@@Indiekid-1976 there has always been a skepticism of ADHD in the UK and is still prevalent in the NHS.
If an adult who *had* an ADHD diagnosis as a child still has a 6 year lower ELE, would that be a reason to adjust the diagnostic criteria to continue to classify those people as having ADHD as adults? Behavior leading to -6 year ELE sounds like a disorder to me.
Even a person has educated ( degree of degrees ), including the 9 malleable factors , what about income caused by lack of employment , especially if people are diagnosed with ADHD later .ADHD is often accompanied by other neurodivergent conditions and other comorbid mental health conditions . If a person, can’t get employment, it will cause financial problems and further mental health problems . The older one gets diagnosed ( especially middle aged ), it is harder to overcome .
Exactly, and important to always mention. Millennial-focused groups online, tiktok, youtube etc can't seem to recognize or think through the huge differentiation between -- getting diagnosed the "normal" way in grade school ages, or not getting diagnosed til 20's -- and how in both use cases, they GOT the intervention, diagnosis, behavioral help, meds -- and ADHD can be well managed that way, giving you your 30's, 40's, 50's -- a long significant period of time to be able to apply all the knowledge and tools to mitigate against the disaster paths that befall on those very late diagnosed. In my experience the younger groups lack complete knowledge of the huge advantage differences, and lack empathy.
Thank you, Dr. Barkley, for another sound explanation! I wonder if it has to do with the two main different expressions of ADHD. I suspect that the more "internal" kind is followed by more depression, anxieties, eating disorders. I wish they could control for that.
with my ADHD as a 30yo with: an income way higher the one showed here, no alcohol almost, no smoke, good sleep (even if with some problem), Msc degree
I was thinking how much we can work on ourself to be even with the other, it's not easy, the path it will be the double or more the effort than someone else, but it worth!
Dr Russell, could you please do a video on the current research into FMT and whether it successfully treats ADHD?
Imagine them publishing what you’ve been saying for decades, Dr Barkley! But I will take anything that helps people treat ADHD as seriously as it should be taken.
Hello Dr Barkley, I am currently based in London. I got diagnosed with ADHD 4 months back. I had been trying for almost 2 years to get assessed for ADHD. I failed my masters for 3 years continually due to that. I have been academically excellent throughout my life, but I could not complete my coursework even in 3 years, although I was very passionate about it.
I am very much concerned about inclusion in academia. I am very passionate about academics and yet have very inconsistent performance. I topped a competitive exam in India where I was among top 25 students out of 30-35k in total. At the same time, I could hardly pass my Higher secondary Physics exam although I was good at it.
I believe there is a need for change in core academic structure, accommodations provided to meet the same academic requirements are not enough. At least, they have not worked in my case.
I would appreciate if you could come up with some useful insights regarding this.
I really appreciate your work. I feel so validated. Thank you ☺
I wonder whether stress and anxiety, particularly from keeping up with social standards for women, have anything to do with the counterintuitive results of ADHD women's lifespans being statistically shorter.
Edit: The main upshot is that all of the ways that ADHD shortens your lifespan are behavioral and are therefore fixable.
I think Dr Barkley may have misspoken on the gender differences here. In the paper, women with ADHD have a bigger reduction in life expectancy than men with ADHD do, but men with ADHD still have a lower life expectancy than women with ADHD on average (technically not statistically different). Women: 83.79 -> 75.15, Men: 80.03 -> 73.26.
My gut instinct is that the larger proportionate fall for women might represent the historic underdiagnoses of women in the UK which could mean that the women in the data represent the more severe cases - i.e. not quite like for like between genders. I'm not sure whether or not this data would cover private diagnoses which have supported the increased diagnosis rates over the past few years (of which many are women).
@jamesblack8311 Ah, good distinction, thank you for pointing that out. That was my mistake and not his. But I am still inclined to think that the factors I mentioned are at least at play for the sex-based difference in the _decrease_ in life expectancy.
@maziecat - I beg to differ re "fixable". Sure, the relationship problems, overcommunication issues, pushing people away bc of ADHDer long, branching comments or conversation, SOME help with time management systems --- but nowhere nearly fixable when you're talking about finding yourself suddenly in financial disaster, loss of job/career, inability to be rehired, friendships and other relationships gone and buried by them, due to things you didn't know until after late diagnosis.
I;m not against rosy outcomes, or rosy progsnoses, but when it drifts into magical thinking that your life all can be renewed, recovered etc, a lot of people just don't have the several decades of time left to turnaround some of the very large negative disasters brought to them unknowingly by late diagnosed ADHD.
@@quicksite that's totally fair, and my heart goes out to the late diagnosed! I meant what he meant, which is that early diagnosis and education means more opportunities to identify and correct the behaviors that shorten the lifespans of those with ADHD. Hence why education and awareness - which Dr. Russell Barkley and others advance - is so important.
Thanks Russell. Am I right that this paper, and your research, explain shorter female adhd life expectancy via behaviour?
I read some research a few years back, about the biochemical makeup of an ADHD brain. I wish I could find it again, but they found ADHD suffereres had low production of specific amino acids(?) that helped produce and regulate dopamine in the brain. These amino acids also produced anti oxidants that prevented brain cells from oxidising and fought free radicals etc, which of course, impacts life expectancy.
Based on that, I eat loads of antioxidants and take supplements to help prevent dementia etc and other diseases.
Does your research look into that aspect as a predictor and preventer of shorter life expectancy in ADHD women?
I should add- I'm a 58yr old woman, diagnosed 8 years ago. Thanks
we didn’t look at the types of diet foods specifically so I can’t answer this. thanks for watching.
@russellbarkleyphd2023 thanks for replying! I wonder whether any researchers studying dementia have looked into rates of women with ADHD? I'm guessing it's too soon for reliable data to be available. Thanks again for sharing your expertise with us 💜
great video, thank you :)
Glad you liked it!
1 in 15 with a diagnosis? thats wild asf
I respect Dr. Barkley immensely and appreciate that he's one of very few people to take ADHD seriously. His work is extremely important and necessary for the entire ADHD community, and he's been an enormous help to me personally over the years. I must say, though, as someone with ADHD, listening to this particular video was a bit disheartening. Even with his note that the results can change with changed behavior, let's be honest, the behaviors talked about here, that are inherent to ADHD, aren't typically behaviors that are easily changed. It's important to get treatment, nevertheless, and so I understand the point of the video. I just think that we could also walk outside our front door at any given moment, like anyone else in the general population, and get hit by a truck. Or, we could get lucky despite having ADHD and live to be 100. So being grateful for this day, this moment, and this breath is also important, as well as remembering that these studies represent real people, not just data points on a page.
Dr. Barkley, what are your thoughts on methylene blue for adhd? For teens specifically.
I lived in UK for the first 6 years of my son life and asked my GP mulitiple times to send my son for evaluation for ADHD. Was told to young to diagnose , just a energetic litte one ( and o boy he was !!).Moved out to other EU country and the diagnosis was made within 6 months .
I belive the underdiagnosis in UK might be related , apart from finantial issues , to more relaxed and accepting the differences society. I mean only severe and obvious cases are beeing treated / diagnosed.
If somehow mild symptoms only ( child not jumping on the table thoughout lessons) and child somehow bearly manages then it is OK …it just the way you are , no help needed.
But treatment can change significantly the quality of the child and a family life from bearly managing to going forward .
I always wonder what effect does early life stress have on life expectancy and how a stressful environment stunts brain development. Can you explain what happens to children raised this way?
This is amazing
Women go undiagnosed and untreated for longer and menopause with ADHD is absolute nightmare. Highest rates of unaliving themselves women aged 44-60 too. Add in lower incomes from being undiagnosed until 30s or 40s or later. It’s a bad mix.
One thing that might be impacting women is the fact that declining estrogen in perimenopause/menopause makes adhd worse. Even for women who are already being treated for adhd, they will probably need changes to meds. Without treatment for either the declining estrogen or worsening adhd, adhd women will often feel like they're losing their minds.
Diagnosed at 38. Now going through perimenopause and absolutely losing it. If I was a more impulsive person, I would absolutely be unemployed by now. This is no way to live and I can only imagine how bad menopause will be 😢
@aallen9287 I've got an appt next month to talk about HRT. I'm trying to have hope. One day at a time, my sister 😥❤️
@juliesanders9353 , I have an appointment tomorrow! Wishing us both good luck and good health!
I've always had the belief that I'm gonna die young, diagnosed only two years ago, that's +25 years just knowing I'll die young
Thank you
One comment, you kept stating that they found that females with ADHD have a lower life expectancy than males with ADHD but you did not present that data. The data you presented was a reduction in life expectancy. Females start with a higher life expectancy of 4 or 5 years (based off a quick internet search) That is more than the difference in the reduction of life expectancy reported here so Females with ADHD will still have a higher life expectancy than males with ADHD but that difference will be less than males and females generally.
iIn their study, it was 8.6 year reduction for females relative to the control females. I thought I mentioned it but it’s on the screen too. we had too few females in mine to compute it separately so ours is birth sexes combined.
Gee, thanks
Not sure what tone you're intending, but it comes across as sarcastic. Dr. Barkley outlines the risk factors that contribute to this reduced life expectancy, and points out that quite a few are within the individual's control, such as nutrition, drinking and smoking less, and getting a healthy amount of sleep. It isn't easy, but it's doable, so while it's not fun knowing that your ADHD can contribute to a shorter life expectancy, he gives you information to help you take control and maximize your time here on Earth.
I agree.
Inattentive ADHD. I injure myself practically on a daily basis. I work with my hands so I draw blood often. These types of injuries exposes the body to the outside world so infection is much more likely. I have gotten countless proper injuries throughout my life from cuts, burns, broken bones, dislocations... You it makes complete sense that we die sooner.
The part about women dying even sooner makes sense to me. Women are more vulnerable on a physical level. They also have the added factor pregnancy. Impulsive behavior would then lead to reckless sexual behavior which which also adds the factor of sexual diseases and assault. Women also are more likely to catch sexually transmitted diseases than men. I haven't looked but I would bet women with ADHD has higher amounts of STIs.
Now add all that with the fact that women start to develope mentally and sexually earlier than boys. This could account for that extra time.
Women only live longer than men when they are health and neurotypical. New metrics apply when you are studying a specialty group.
"Late breaking news, you're probably going to die way sooner than you think...
Ok, take care, have a great day, bye!"
😨 I mean.... I'll TRY to have a great day... lol
The difference between male and female mailer life expectancy is not counterintuitive to me at all- we know women and girls are more under-diagnosed and misdiagnosed. That combined with the ways we are socialized make it more likely our symptoms and coping mechanisms are more likely to be harmful to ourselves (v harmful to others)
💜💜💜
This researches are "adhd on pills vs normi", or "adhds without pills vs normi"?
As far as I can tell, they did not code treated or untreated cases. Just diagnosed or not. So it likely incudes both. BTW, other large studiess show that medications for ADHD do reduce the risk for mortality via accidental injuries, not to mention other adversities. Be well.
❤❤❤
Great.
As a late dx female (in my 50’s), I’d suspect a possible explanation of the greater lifespan reduction for women, that makes sense to me, is the level of dismissiveness, gaslighting and people-pleasing adhd women seem to experience at a greater intensity than men - and that has a significant affect on well-being thereby affecting physical health. Just my uneducated but experience based 2 cents.
So - would it be wrong of me to conclude that *one* reason for someone with ADHD to have a shorter lifespan would be: He / she didn't take his / her meds, was distracted by someone insignificant to said person, and, having a quick-to-anger temper, said something stupid to someone much bigger than him / her, got punched in the face for it, and went into a coma from which he / she was unable to awaken? Because, if not, and / or my conclusion is off, please help me to better understand! 😉👍
The research shows that death by accidental injury is a primary cause for early mortality, followed by the higher risk for suicide. See my earlier posts on that topic. And the study from Taiwan did find homicide was the third factor. Add to that what our studies found on the many life style and health practices issues that are more common in ADHD and shorten lifespan and that explains why even if one gets to midlife, in later years there are adverse health events becoming increasingly likely, such as cardiac and cancer risks, as I explain. So, yes, glibness aside, there are good reasons to stay on meds and get other therapies to help with lifestyle and health maintenance factors as I discussed. Be well.
So you tell me if you bully and descriminate people all the time they are more sick and die earlier? How surprising!
this is the realest comment here so far
It says a higher relative risk - so lifespan shorter relative to non adhd females. Not overall. If non adhd women are much less impulsive than men, and adhd women lose that advantage, couldn’t that explain the higher relative risk?
Elizabeth O'Nions❌
Elizabeth Onions✅
Trying to keep my drinking under control is a struggle were not talking a little drink now and then I am talking slugging a large bottle of whisky. The self medication is a problem even when I know I am doing a lot of damage too myself. Drinking is a big dopamine kick and its legal and widely available. I have it a lot more under control then I use too but I still slip up now and then. Also should be getting more exercises and activity I rather do other things so yea I get why our life tend to be shorter.
Have you found an ADHD medication that works for you? Many of us find that 'self-medication' through unhealthy methods lessen when we start using pills that directly address our ADHD.
Wouldn't risk taking be the reason for women with ADHD as well? So, it kind of levels the playing field between the sexes? Or was there still less risk taking in women with adhd vs men in general and men with ADHD. Because as a lady ADHD'er I can tell you, risks were taken. Just me?
Big ones. I've made it to 49 thus far and honestly don't know how. I have left behind my wildest years, but my impulse control when it comes to nicotine (I chain vape now but chained smoked up until 10 years ago) and food (garbage. I eat hot garbage) and sleep... lolz. I can sleep. Just fine. I have no trouble falling asleep but stay up way too late anyway... my current health is bad. Don't exercise, etc. I AM working on all those things. I'm FINALLY two steps forward, one step back instead of one step forward, two step back. But it's taken my entire adult life to get to this point where I really, truly, finally WANT to fix it and am ACTING to fix it. Even if I fix it all this year, I don't know the overall effect it will have on my life span.
And, even though I make a choice to be a safe driver --I still space out sometimes while driving. I've blown a red light, run a stop sign.. etc.
If you looked at the factors and women with ADHD seem to be taking less risks... maybe you have a list of women who are lying. lol. Just saying. I cannot be the only one. I can't even be a minority. Most of us went undx'd and most of us have serious impulse control issues.
Thank you very much for the information. I personally think that ADHD is a kind of PTSD symptom. Too many stressors agents that are attacking human health of the population middle and poor socioeconomic, that ooh normally are noticed on minorities that are at risk. I hope the people start to get serious about mental health, what about COVID olfatory sense loss from mothers and the implications on form a normal attachment to the child's ADHD. Or mothers with postpartum..... depression what the government and leaders are going to do with the social and health care of the population.
Other (lesser) breaking news: The Canadian Armed Forces have recently stopped excluding people with ADHD from serving. The comments in the globe and mail were predictably disappointing, but at least a few people made relevant points and someone clarified that people could serve if they hid the diagnosis and weren’t medicated. Brings new meaning to don’t ask don’t tell.
On the surface it’s good news, but it’s also sad that the CAF embarked upon widespread (and largely unsuccessful) diversity efforts and cultural reforms over a decade ago, but they’ve only now got around to this change.
Impulsive and unregulated emotions are not a good recipe for the armed forces. I mean people leave the armed forces with these traits because of PTSD. 🤔
I don't see yeeting off a motorcycle so I'm good???
You sound remarkably chipper about us dying young! 😂
(don't worry, I understand excitement over new research on a pet topic)
His ADHD brother died young
As did my nephew with ADHD by suicide. Sorry if it came across as uncaring.
Say no to 3D charts that convey 2D information.
Comment boost
And water is wet. 😂
@ No? I’m confused.
I was highlighting that individuals that have ADHD likely already know that the disorder is of a magnitude that it can shorten their lifespan.
@@GordonSan'Knowing' is not the same as doing proper scientific research.
@ it was never my intention to devalue the scientific work shown here, only highlight the lived experience of individuals with ADHD.
@@GordonSan Strange way of doing that
@ nobody’s perfect. 🤷♂️
Well, shit.
NEEDS MORE DAD JOKES!!!
Why dont you use your academic skills to study more the resources , natural treatments and cure rather than spend time telling us the our children has 8 yes lesse life expected?!!
Lol not a big news honnestly... It's a well known fact!
Dr. Barclay's test battery is still over all better than the flashy computer testing. I use it in my psychology practice to do evaluations and it gives a very wide ranging view of behavioral indicators.