ADHD can affect anybody regardless of age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or social class. No matter who they are, people who have been diagnosed with ADHD are likely to experience stigma at some point in their lives.
Public attitudes and beliefs, often based on fear and misunderstanding, stereotype individuals with ADHD, exposing them to prejudice and discrimination.
Stigma can impact every issue surrounding ADHD, sometimes with worse consequences than the ADHD itself. In 2001, the World Health Organization declared stigma and the associated discrimination towards persons suffering from mental and behavioural disorders to be "the single most important barrier to overcome in the community."
Individuals with mental illness and their family members may also experience "self-stigma." They sometimes view themselves with embarrassment or self-loathing as a result of internalizing the negative perceptions around them over time.
The opinions expressed by speakers are based on their personal experiences and are not necessarily representative of those of the general population nor of Janssen, Inc.
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The impact of ADHD and the stigma surrounding it can affect all areas of a person’s life, including:
Myth:I don’t have all the symptoms of ADHD, so I can’t have it.
Fact:You don’t have to display all the symptoms of ADHD in order to be diagnosed with it. For example, some people have the “inattentive” type of ADHD and may not show many signs of hyperactivity. Only a trained professional can determine whether or not you have ADHD.