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October is ADHD Awareness Month, and in 2025, the theme is “The Many Faces of ADHD.” Let’s use this month to move past clichés and truly see the complexity, the struggle, and the strength in every individual’s experience.
ADHD Has Many Faces. None of Them Are “a Little ADHD.”
ADHD is not one thing. It is many lives lived at once: the high school student who can spend five hours hyper-focused on art but forgets to hand in the homework they completed; the mid-sixties professional who has built a high-powered career and still feels like they are sprinting behind deadlines while hiding struggles; the adult who spent decades believing they were “lazy,” only to discover at 45 that their brain was wired differently; the second grader whose ADHD is identified early, yet still walks a path full of twists and turns.
These faces (and there are so many other examples!) all share ADHD. They all feel the impact. And none of them are “a little ADHD.” For those who know me, you know I don’t find that phrase funny. ADHD is not a mild quirk that can be brushed off when someone does something silly. The science is clear: it is a brain wired differently, with effects that ripple across relationships, work, sleep, and emotions. That phrase dismisses the daily negotiations, the mental gymnastics of working memory, time, focus, and emotions that every person with ADHD lives with.
But here is the thing: ADHD is often flattened and simplified into a single story. You have heard them, the fidgety kid who cannot sit still, or the distracted adult who loses their keys or forgets an appointment.
What adds even more layers? Comorbidities. These are other mental health or neurodevelopmental conditions that often travel alongside ADHD, and they shift over time. They can include anxiety and depression, learning disabilities and dyslexia, executive function deficits, substance use and risk behaviors, sleep problems, emotional dysregulation, and mood swings.
Transitions also add to the mix: moving from childhood to adolescence, experiencing hormonal shifts, finishing school or changing careers, taking on new family roles, or navigating health changes. Each of these transitions can magnify both challenges and opportunities. According to Dr. José Martinez-Raga, a Spanish psychiatrist and ADHD researcher, ADHD can shift over time, influenced by co-occurring conditions, life experiences, and the support around each person.
Here is the paradox: ADHD is both universal and deeply individual. For some, it is the constant hum of unfinished tasks. For others, it is the exhilarating pull of creativity and big-picture thinking. For most, it is both, often in the same hour. And while ADHD can be disruptive, it does not have to be defining. There is something powerful about recognizing: “I have ADHD.” That shift, from being at the mercy of it to living in partnership with it, is one of the many faces too.
This month, instead of settling for “awareness,” let us practice recognition. Recognition that ADHD is complex, that it impacts people across ages, cultures, and stages of life. Recognition that it comes with both challenges and strengths. Recognition that every person’s face of ADHD deserves to be seen, respected, and understood, and that their story and their experiences are valid, even if they do not look like another person’s ADHD.
This month, let us do more than “awareness.” Let us acknowledge the shifts, the overlapping stories, the heavy moments, and the breakthroughs. ADHD is many faces: the voice that said, “you cannot do it,” the secret that felt shameful, the relief of knowing what is going on, and the power of working with what you have. It is about focusing on the 80 or 90 percent of things that are going well, rather than ruminating on the 20 or 10 percent that need improvement. It’s about building awareness every day, and if you know me, celebrating that awareness too.
This month reminds us that there is no single ADHD story. Each experience shows both the challenges and the strengths that come with it. When we stop minimizing ADHD and start recognizing its many faces, we create space for dignity, belonging, and hope. That recognition is where real change begins.
With gratitude,
Ana Isabel Sánchez
  
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