This essay is the first of four parts in a series on ADHD and the modern condition of attention. Each piece explores a different dimension — from the social appeal of the diagnosis, to the pressures of contemporary life, to the deeper emotional and psychoanalytic layers beneath the symptom.
In this first part, I explore why the label “ADHD” spreads so powerfully — what needs it names, what relief it offers, and how the modern media environment amplifies its success.
Studies estimate that around 3–5% of adults (even less) meet criteria, yet ADHD seems to be everywhere. Many more people feel described by the language of inattention, restlessness, and impulsivity. For many, receiving an ADHD diagnosis and starting medication marked a clear before and after. That deserves to be taken seriously. However, my question is: Why does the diagnosis resonate so widely today? Why is this acronym so successful? What does it leave in shadow about a person’s singular history? And do we really need this label? I offer some reflections, keeping a psychoanalytic lens on what may lie beneath.
1 · The Power of a Name
Many people today present with a set of nonspecific difficulties — a kind of diffuse unease, with varied symptoms, and sometimes a weaker sense of identity. After all, we live in an era of “borderline” pathologies and “transitions” (of gender, but not only). Many feel a bit lost, adrift, confused. My impression is that the acronym ADHD often fills this void well.
The very act of naming has real value. It brings something fuzzy into focus; it makes it exist. The acronym ADHD describes a broad, varied spectrum of experiences. It’s an umbrella for phenomena that are somewhat on the “border,” more phenomenological than structural. ADHD does not necessarily explain very much (it often simply says: if you feel this way, it’s because you have ADHD), but it offers many people an answer, reassures them, relieves shame, and gives “a home” to many.
- Belonging and recognition: An ADHD diagnosis offers shared language and community; people feel less alone and less “at fault.” Its popularity has surged with social media: dedicated groups, self‑identification, peer contribution — this doesn’t happen to the same degree with other diagnoses.
- Relief from shame: It shifts the frame from moral judgment (“lazy”, or “stupid”, or “a failure”) to a recognized difficulty, which is deeply relieving.
- Knowing what to do next: A name clarifies next steps: who to speak with, what support to request, and which adjustments may be available.
Vignette:
Karina, a young marketing professional, struggled to keep up with deadlines at work. She often felt guilty for not being “productive enough” and worried she would be fired. When she received an ADHD diagnosis, she felt immense relief — it was not her fault. With this new understanding, she started requesting flexible deadlines and focusing on strategies to manage her workload. Naming reduced blame; speaking gave it meaning.
This helps explain why ADHD spreads rapidly: it names something many feel and gives it social legitimacy. But the usefulness of naming doesn’t guarantee that the label captures the whole story.
2 · Symptom Overlap: Many People See Themselves in ADHD
ADHD resonates widely because its symptoms overlap with common states. Difficulties with attention, restlessness, and impulsivity also appear in anxiety, depression, trauma, and chronic stress. On symptoms alone, many conclude they “have ADHD.”
- Anxiety: fuels restlessness, racing thoughts, and difficulty sustaining attention.
- Anger and emotional dysregulation: can look like impulsivity or “acting without thinking.”
- Depression: blunts initiation and focus.
- Stress, trauma, insomnia, chronic overwork: erode concentration and memory.
Vignette:
Pettersen, a 42‑year‑old father of two, came to therapy wondering if he had ADHD. He described himself as constantly distracted, unable to focus at work, and forgetful of important tasks at home. However, as we explored his situation, it became clear that his struggles were rooted in burnout due to a crushing sense of responsibility and little room for personal satisfaction. Juggling multiple roles without any space for himself had left him exhausted, and his symptoms reflected this overload rather than a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Because these states are widespread, the ADHD profile often fits. The diagnosis becomes a broad umbrella covering different experiences. This overlap helps explain why many identify with it — even when underlying causes differ.
3 · Culture and Platforms Amplify the Message
How we talk about attention is shaped by our environment:
- Culture: Shared narratives about productivity, neurodiversity, and self‑optimization set expectations for how a “normal” mind should work.
- Digital platforms: Social media accelerates this process: platforms like TikTok and Instagram circulate personal testimonials, self‑assessments, and tips for managing ADHD. These stories can be deeply relatable, encouraging people to see themselves in the diagnosis.
- Availability bias: The more ADHD content we see, the more we notice similar features in ourselves — even when difficulties are mild or situational. This is a well‑documented cognitive bias.
- Short‑form content: Brief, engaging posts aid recognition but compress complexity, encouraging quick self‑identification.
Vignette:
Mei, a college student, came across a TikTok video listing ADHD symptoms like forgetfulness and procrastination. She immediately saw herself in the description and began to wonder if she had ADHD. However, her struggles were linked to anxiety about failing exams and managing her workload and the high expectations she posed on herself, rather than an impairment in her cognitive skills.
Short‑form content like TikToks and Instagram posts makes ADHD feel immediate and recognizable, but it also compresses the complexity of the condition. These platforms can normalize self‑diagnosis by presenting ADHD as a digestible narrative, often without the nuance that comes from deeper exploration.
4 · The Spirit of Our Times: Attention Under Pressure
Modern life strains attention in ways that make ADHD‑like experiences common:
- Constant focus demands: notifications, multitasking, and 24/7 responsiveness push many beyond sustainable limits.
- Societal pressure: high standards and constant comparison breed inadequacy and performance anxiety. Productivity becomes a virtue; lapses feel like failure.
- Daily overload: administrative micro‑tasks, fragmented schedules, and screen saturation tax our capacity to sustain attention and maintain internal balance.
- Loss of downtime: the erosion of pause, rest, and boredom tolerance keeps attention in a state of perpetual motion. Without quiet intervals, thought cannot consolidate, and desire has no time to unfold. We also lose the capacity to be alone with ourselves and our own thoughts — a space once essential for reflection, imagination, and genuine interiority.
- Economic precarity and uncertainty: unstable work, shifting expectations, and fragile social contracts drain mental energy and undermine any sense of sustained orientation.
In such conditions, difficulty concentrating is not exceptional — it’s predictable. The diagnosis resonates because it names a struggle intensified by our era.
In short, ADHD captures something profoundly contemporary — a form of disquiet that finds shelter in a name.
Yet labels never exist in a vacuum. They arise within a particular culture and an economy of attention.
There are also broader social forces shaping how attention is lived and valued — forces I will turn to next.
→ In the Next Section
In the next section, I turn to the conditions of modern life that make ADHD‑like experiences not only visible, but increasingly common in today’s world. Context explains a lot, but it does not tell the whole story.
This essay continues in Part II — ADHD and Modern Society.