ADHD should not be diagnosed on a podcast. Even Diary of a CEO.
8 months ago, I wrote about how Gabor Mate had done the world a disservice by diagnosing Prince Harry with ADHD during a live webinar.
Oddly, he agreed with this in a recent Diary of a CEO Podcast, saying he regretted doing the interview. I say odd, because 2 weeks later, the host of this podcast, Steven Bartlett, was diagnosed with ADHD during an interview.
When I read Steven Bartlett's book, I wrote about the strong correlation between his experiences and ADHD, but this is not the same as doing an assessment with him.
We are in a world where trauma has become entertainment.
Daniel Amen has confused and condensed the important process of medical assessments into throwaway comments, confusing the integrity of his diagnosis with being famous and selling his services. Ironically, so has Steven Bartlett.
Here's how:
1) '“I’ve Scanned 250,000 Brains” You (Steven Bartlett) Have ADHD!!! Dr Daniel Amen'
The title of this podcast episode suggests ADHD can be diagnosed with a brain scan alone, and it can't. ADHD is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with no single, specific brain difference that consistently identifies it. No one can look inside your brain and point out 'depression' or 'anxiety' or 'ADHD'.
A diagnosis of ADHD involves a combination of genetic, environmental and neurobiological factors. In the almost 2 hour podcast, Daniel does go on to talk about these, but confuses the 'cause' of Steven's brain differences with mould in his house, and playing football as a child. He refuses to answer some questions from Steven about this scan, such as what the colours mean, dismissing them as 'not important'.
Daniel suggests that ADHD is conclusive only if one of his parent's has ADHD. Obviously, none of his parents have been diagnosed with ADHD, and although it's highly hereditary, it's not always.
In the UK, only qualified psychiatrists or nurses can diagnose ADHD, but after assessments involving set questions and possibly collecting further information such as speaking to friends. Daniel is an American doctor, where the diagnosis process is very different.
Ultimately, this podcast may leave vulnerable people worrying that they need to spent $3500 on a brain scan in America to 'prove' whether they have ADHD (which is pointless), and everyone else confused about what ADHD actually is and how it should be diagnosed.
As brain scans can't prove the existence of ADHD, saying they can to millions of people ironically undermines the point of this podcast.
2) An ADHD diagnosis should not be edited podcast content
No medical diagnosis is fun to experience. It can be highly traumatic and overwhelming, as seen with Steven Bartlett explaining deeply sensitive issues from his childhood such as growing up around rats and mould, never inviting his friends to his house.
There is nothing wrong with sharing these experiences, but when they are conflated with what should be a formal medical process and then published as an edited podcast, something feels uncomfortable. This is especially because Steven's deeply personal experiences are interjected with book plugs from Daniel and sponsored advertisements for the podcast, with Steven's voice suddenly changing into sales mode and talking about LinkedIn Jobs.
An ADHD diagnosis is highly individual - one person's diagnosis will be very different to another, especially when one is being diagnosed by an American 'celebrity' doctor. Their conversation suggests part of this diagnosis took place offline, but doesn't explain what this consisted of, confusing the process.
I think Steven was trying to help people by sharing this podcast and the messages underneath it, such as the damage alcohol and coffee can do to your brain, but ultimately, it undermines his own and many others' ADHD diagnosis' to turn his into a live streamed podcast episode.
3) ADHD cannot be 'healed' - and it doesn't need to be
Daniel Amen suggests that if Steven follows his advice (which is very vague, such as 'playing racquet games'), he can presumably change his brain activity as directed, whilst promoting his book 'Healing ADD'. In the same episode, he confirms that 'ADHD is not a deficit, but a difference'. So why does he think it needs 'healing'?
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition diagnosed after a person's life reaches a certain level of 'disorder'. The problems are with the environment, not the person.
We live in a 'problem -> solution' world, but this does not extend to people. Daniel shares helpful insight on medication being like 'glasses for your brain', but this is again vague and unhelpful for Steven or anybody else.
Prescribing ADHD medication is a very strongly regulated and highly individualised process - many people are unable to take it at all. Ironically, he suggests Steven should consider medication, but fails to mention that there are global shortages, which would have been far more useful to draw attention to.
Daniel suggests a variety of mildly concerning 'treatments' for ADHD, including supplements from his company that 'increase blood flow to the brain'. He says, 'you are not broken, but are you optimised? Do you have full access to your own brain?'
Here's the thing: none of us will ever be fully 'optimised'. We will never truly be able to tell what our optimal level of 'brain activity' is or whether we're reaching our 'full potential'.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition, so it's not something to be 'healed' - it's just the way our brains are wired. Yes, to be diagnosed with it we need to have problems, and yes, these can be significantly improved with the right support, but the condition itself is not something to be fixed. It's just part of who we are: ADHD is not a mental health condition.
4) No clear follow up support has been provided
I'm guessing that Steven didn't leave his podcast recording with a clear prescription of what he should do next, or with any follow up appointments booked in for the near future.
He and Daniel spoke a lot about the life changing experience of realising that having ADHD is not your fault, and with this awareness, you can do something about it, but it wasn't clearly explained what this should be.
This is why I wrote ADHD: an A to Z - because when you're diagnosed with ADHD, you're pretty much dumped and left to figure out the rest by yourself.
The irony of this conversation is that Steven Bartlett may now go through his own recent podcast episodes and feel the same stigma and frustration at having the validity of the medical condition you live with questioned in the name of attention grabbing content.
So, to Steven Bartlett, and anybody else in this position:
You are not broken. You do not need to be fixed. You do not need to question your entire life up until this point, and start the quest for 'perfection', which simply does not exist.
It doesn't matter how many tennis games you play, or supplements you take, you are simply a human being having an experience on this planet. Yes, you think differently to 'most' people, and you deserve support for this.
Steven says he would rather experience pain than take medication, but using this analogy of glasses, would you rather not be able to see when the tools that could help you are available?
You deserve to have received support for this much earlier in your life, but unfortunately, our world hasn't always accommodated for people who think differently to 'most'. UK adults have only been able to be diagnosed with ADHD since 2008.
Right now, we are in a period of transition, where hundreds of thousands of people who were previously denied this support are seeking it. There's 10 year waiting lists for NHS assessments, and global medication shortages. Our Government's response is to simply cut off support completely in certain areas like York, denying people access to the help they so desperately need.
Things might feel overwhelming, but the world is adapting, and things do not have to be so hard. You do not have to beat yourself up every day for thinking the way you do. You can become friends with your unique brain, and work with it, instead of against it.
As a first step, please sign this petition calling for a Public Inquiry into ADHD support in the UK.
As a next step, talk to someone. Not on a podcast episode, and not on a social media post. Talk to someone you trust, and process what this means for you with a foundation of psychological safety. If you're in the UK, apply for Access to Work, which can fund tailored support such as ADHD coaching.
ADHD is not something you can target with treatment like cancer. It's simply part of what makes you you, and this is not something to be wiped out or 'fixed'. Being exactly who you are is good enough - and you are not the problem.
Steven Bartlett says he's met his own brain - but this is just the beginning.