When ‘Normal’ No Longer Exists: ADHD Brains in Free Fall

In the seventh of ADDitude’s pandemic surveys, adults and parents report higher-than-ever levels of exhaustion and overwhelm. Why now? Unease about economies opening up despite rising diagnosis rates, uncertainty about the school year ahead, sadness about missed celebrations, and lost motivation from obliterated routines — these are all factors, but they are not necessarily new. What’s changed is the realization that “normal” may no longer exist in a world rocked by nearly 430,000 deaths, plus social unrest following the murders of unarmed black Americans.