More than just ‘being distracted’
I want to describe two people from somewhere I used to work at (I’ll use pseudonyms for privacy). First, there’s Suzie from the admin team.
Suzie does her job well. She processes patient files, answers phones, handles the daily admin work. Shows up to meetings, follows up on tasks. Her desk works for her. Good employee, keeps things running smoothly.
That’s basically how work goes for most people.
Then there’s Jake, one of the medical assistants. Jake is brilliant—genuinely brilliant. He can recall obscure medical details and makes connections other people miss. But Jake’s daily experience is completely different from Suzie’s.
Jake shows up with three different drinks—coffee he forgot he bought, water bottle from yesterday, and an energy drink “just in case.”
Morning huddle. Jake’s taking notes but then suddenly he’s talking about a patient from last week. And yeah, he’s right, his point is good, but we’re trying to discuss today’s schedule. His phone goes off constantly—he’s got like seventeen alarms for different tasks. Ask him to room a patient? Might find him reorganizing the entire supply closet instead. Or deep in conversation with Mrs. Johnson about her grandson’s science fair. Twenty minutes later he’ll come find you with some medication detail everyone missed. And somehow it’s always important.
Documentation? Either writes a novel or forgets completely. Nothing in between. Most nights he’s still there when I leave—not because he has more work than Suzie. Same workload. Just takes him three times longer.
And he knows it. You can see it in his face. He knows this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.
I’ve never met anyone who tries harder than Jake. But the clinic ran on systems built for Suzies, not Jakes. And it’s exhausting to watch.
Okay, so Jake Has ADHD… right? Well, maybe. Let’s find out.
So the DSM—basically the manual doctors use to diagnose mental health conditions—has specific criteria for ADHD. And the big thing people miss? It’s not about symptoms. It’s about impairment.
The DSM wants six symptoms for at least 6 months. Jake? Let me count:
- Loses track of what he’s doing constantly
- Can’t focus on routine work (even when he tries)
- Starts rooming patients, somehow ends up reorganizing the entire supply closet
- Documentation? Avoids it like the plague
- Three drinks every morning because he forgets he already has one
- Everything distracts him
- Forgets basic daily stuff
But honestly, the list doesn’t capture it. What matters is that Jake stays three hours late to finish one hour of work. He gets written up for “time management” because he actually listens to patients. Those brilliant insights he has? “Disruptive.” “Off-task.”
The DSM says symptoms must cause “clinically significant impairment in occupational functioning.” You know what that means? It means Jake—who’s smart, who cares, who tries harder than anyone else in our clinic—is struggling every single day. Not because he’s bad at his job, but because his brain works differently.
Everyone loses their keys sometimes. Not everyone gets written up for it.
Yeah, Jake has ADHD. And if you’re still reading this, you’re probably wondering if you do too.
That orange slice at the top? That’s how many adults think they might have ADHD. One in four. One in four! I bet you know someone in that group. Maybe it’s you.
But here’s what gets me—three out of four adults with ADHD had no clue as kids. They struggled through school, got called lazy, spacey, unmotivated, and just… dealt with it. I’ve had hundreds of patients in my office—doctors, lawyers, teachers—who finally get diagnosed at 35, 45, even 60. You should see their faces. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
And the gender thing—boys get diagnosed left and right as kids. Girls? Not so much. But then look at adults. Suddenly it’s even. You know why? Because all those quiet girls who spent math class staring out the window, doodling in their notebooks? They’re now in my office at 38, exhausted. They’ve spent decades working twice as hard as everyone else just to keep their heads above water. Nobody noticed them as kids because they weren’t bouncing off walls. They were just… drowning quietly.
Most adults with ADHD have no idea. They just think everyone else got a handbook for adulting and they somehow missed theirs.
Come on. We both know why you’re still reading.
Look, I’m not here to diagnose you through an article. But let me guess what you’ve been told:
“You’re just lazy.”
I hear this one constantly. Your brain literally can’t start tasks. It’s not won’t. It’s can’t.
“You’re too sensitive.”
“Stop procrastinating.”
“Everyone feels this way.”
No. No they don’t. I promise you they don’t. This is the one that makes me want to shake people.
“Just use a planner.”
Right. You probably have 17 of them. All abandoned by February. Maybe one made it to March.
“You need to try harder.”
This one? This is the one that breaks my patients. They’re already working three times harder than everyone else just to keep up. But sure, try harder.
I’ve heard every single one of these. Usually from patients who’ve been telling themselves this garbage for 20, 30 years. Believing it.
The truth? If you’ve spent years buying new planners, downloading new apps, making new systems—and nothing sticks? It’s not a character flaw. You might have ADHD.
So what now? Here’s how we actually help at ADHD One.
I’ve treated thousands of patients with ADHD. Thousands. And you know what? Pills aren’t enough. You need people who actually get what you’re going through.
Look, we’re not a huge hospital system with every specialist under one roof. But we’ve built a network. We work with psychologists who actually know ADHD—not the ones who think it’s just little boys who can’t sit still. We know therapists who get that executive dysfunction is real, not laziness.
Getting the diagnosis right? That’s everything. We’ll connect you with someone who does real evaluations. Not a five-minute “do you fidget?” checklist. They’ll dig into why you’ve always felt different. Why school was torture even though you’re smart. Why you’re exhausted from trying so hard to look normal. Why you’ve been told it’s anxiety, or depression, or that you’re just not trying hard enough—when really your brain just works differently.
Here’s the thing—some people need medications and they’re life-changing. Others can’t tolerate them. Some want to try the natural route first. Exercise that actually helps (not just “go for a walk”). Eating patterns that don’t make your brain fog worse. Sleep strategies for people whose brains won’t shut off at 2 AM. We work with whatever you’re comfortable with.
And we make it stupid easy to get help. Same-day appointments because we know you’ve been putting this off for months. Online visits for when leaving the house feels impossible.
The best part? We help you explain this to your family. Because your spouse is tired of the half-finished projects. Your parents think you’re just not applying yourself. Your kids don’t understand why you forget their school events. ADHD wrecks relationships, and pretending it doesn’t is nonsense.
After all these years, here’s what I know: you’ve been swimming upstream your entire life, thinking everyone else was just stronger. They’re not. Their stream is flowing the right direction.
You’re not broken. You just need the right help.
And we’re here when you’re ready. Even if that’s today. Especially if that’s today.
Ready to stop fighting your brain?
Look, I know what you’re thinking. “Maybe I should wait.” “Maybe it’s not that bad.” “Maybe I just need to try harder.”
Stop.
You’ve been trying harder your whole life. How’s that working out?
Get evaluated today. Seriously, we have same-day appointments. Today. This afternoon. Online if you can’t drag yourself out of the house. Stop putting it off.
Already diagnosed but your treatment sucks? We see this all the time. Wrong medication. Wrong dose. Doctor who doesn’t get ADHD. We can help fix that.
I’ve watched thousands of patients finally get their lives together. The executive who stopped losing contracts because she could finally follow through. The mom who stopped crying in her car because she forgot another school event. The college kid who went from almost dropping out to dean’s list.
You know what they all say? “Why did I wait so long?”
Your brain isn’t broken. You just need the right help. And honestly? We’re really good at this.
Because you’ve waited long enough. You’ve struggled long enough.
Get help today. Right now. We’re here for you.
— Daniel Tan, MD | ADHD One Founder
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do people with ADHD have a hard time doing tasks / focusing?
Your brain’s dopamine system works differently—boring tasks don’t give you enough juice to stay motivated, but interesting stuff? You can get lost in it for hours.
Plus, the part of your brain that’s supposed to help you start things and stay organized doesn’t always show up to work. It’s like having a sports car that only runs on premium fuel.
Schedule an appointment and we can nerd out about how your brain specifically works and what might actually help.
Are there specific types of tasks that are easier/harder to concentrate on?
Your ADHD brain is selective about focus. Novel, urgent, or interesting tasks? You’re laser-focused. Routine, repetitive, or “boring” tasks? Nearly impossible. That’s why you can binge a show for 6 hours but can’t sit down to pay bills for 10 minutes. It’s not laziness—it’s how your dopamine system is wired.
Can ADHD get worse with age?
ADHD itself doesn’t worsen, but life gets more complex. More responsibilities, more demands on executive function. What worked in your 20s stops working in your 30s and 40s. That’s why many adults finally seek help when they hit a breaking point—new job, new baby, relationship stress.
How is ADHD diagnosed in adults?
A proper evaluation looks at your history—childhood patterns, current symptoms, how they impact your daily life. It’s not a quick checklist. A good clinician will rule out other conditions (anxiety, depression, sleep disorders) that can mimic ADHD. At ADHD One, we take the time to get it right.