The construction of adult ADHD: Anna’s story

Abstract

The diagnostic category of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has only recently included criteria relevant to adults. Consequently, qualitative studies about the personal experience of adults who have a diagnosis, or believe they have ADHD, are uncommon. This chapter briefly introduces adult ADHD, identifying common issues arising from the literature. We apply discursive psychology to examine the construction of adult ADHD in the personal narrative of one mother. Anna’s narrative about her two adult sons who have a diagnosis of ADHD is multilayered and open to interpretation. We show how she constructs the meaning of ADHD and the identities of herself and her sons as examples of ADHD life stories. Our discursive psychology approach examines how her narrative is embedded in the socio-cultural context.