Johnny Vegas on being diagnosed with ADHD: ‘It answers a lot of questions’
Watch: Johnny Vegas speaks about being diagnosed with ADHD just before Christmas
Johnny Vegas has revealed that being diagnosed with ADHD has “answered a lot of questions”.
The comedian, 52, was diagnosed with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder just before Christmas, and told BBC Breakfast that he is in the “early stages of working through meds”.
“Eventually I sort of bit the bullet and went in, and I've got friends who have been diagnosed,” Vegas told presenters Jon Kay and Sally Nugent.
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“So I'm in the very early stages of working through meds and things like that. It just answers a lot of questions about behavioural issues in the past.”
When Kay asked what difference the diagnosis made, Vegan replied: “I think it's just... a lot of things make sense. Just that sense of disorganisation and doing basic tasks.
“Everybody has an element of it – it's how strong your filter is, I think. And I don't have a filter at all, and things just become very time-consuming.”
An example Vegas gave was thinking that he needed to put a cup away, but then his mind was occupied by “10 other ideas” and the cup was still unmoved three weeks later.
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“Someone will go, 'Why haven't you shifted that?' and you go, 'Because it became this monumental task that built up,'” he explained.
“It's just, I suppose, how your brain organises itself. It helps make sense of a lot of things at school. But I'm only just on the verge of learning about it.”
The NHS describes ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) as a condition that affects people’s behaviour, and people who have ADHD can seem restless and may have trouble concentrating.
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The NHS site explains that it tends to be noticed at an early age in children, but that adults can be diagnosed with the condition too. It notes that the most common symptoms for an adult diagnosis of ADHD include problems with time management and organisation, following instructions, coping with stress, feeling impatient or restless, and being impulsive or taking risks.
For those with ADHD, the NHS says a combination of medication and therapy is often the best way to treat it, and it has several tips for adults living with the condition.
