Famous People with ADHD who found Success
ADHD is not primarily associated with childhood. Some individuals still display ADHD symptoms even after they grow up. According to a report presented by the National Institute of Mental Health, around 14 million adults in the United States have ADHD.
Research has shown that ADHD is more common among males as compared to females. Those adults who do not have proper diagnosis or treatment for ADHD self-medicate themselves with excessive alcohol, drugs, and various forms of addictions
Few people have effectively shown the world that if you have the courage and willpower ADHD cannot stand in your way to have a productive and successful life. In fact, there are few well-known people who have ADHD but still, they are highly creative, they have innovative minds, they think out of the box and their innovative ideas have the capacity to amaze the world.
Athletes with ADHD
Simone Biles
Simone Biles is also known as a Gymnastics powerhouse. She is a U.S. Olympic champion who used social media of Twitter to announce that she has ADHD. Despite being a gold medalist, she had the symptoms of ADHD since her childhood. She declared to the world that taking medications for ADHD has nothing to be ashamed of.
Michael Phelps
This renowned Olympic champion was diagnosed with ADHD when he was nine years old. His mother proved to be his biggest supporter since then. His mother knew that he found it hard to read so she used to give him a sports page from the newspaper. His mother also made him learn to swim. This exercise helped him develop self-discipline and determination.
Currently, he has 22 Olympic medals, the most of any sportsperson in history. The story of Michael Phelps shows the importance of support the parents need to provide their children who have ADHD. Parents must make the required action plan to boost the child’s concentration level and self-discipline.
Celebrities with ADHD
Adam Levine
The frontman of Maroon 5, was diagnosed with ADHD when he was young. As an ADHD child, he used to find it very difficult to focus on the classroom lectures. He used to skip his homework due to his inability to concentrate for a longer period. Even after becoming a musician, he found it difficult to write and compose songs at the start of his career. He also faced problems while recording some of his songs but he refused to give up. He soon realized he still had ADHD, being an adult, he consulted the doctor and talked about his symptoms to get the required treatment.
Howie Mandel
A famous zany comedian, Television host, and actor claimed that he had a very difficult childhood with ADHD and some part of his adulthood as well. Mandel shared that he failed to earn his high school diploma but his parents have always been very supportive. They knew what their child was going through and supported him his entire life. He even added that his wife also supports him in this regard and he feels himself truly blessed and extremely lucky. He even talked about adult ADHD in various campaigns.
Britney Spears
The iconic pop star Britney Spears is among one of the most popular celebrities having ADHD. She shared with the public in 2012 that she has ADHD while she was performing the duty of a judge in the show named X-Factor. Britney Spears was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and she even took regular breaks during her work to manage and control her ADHD symptoms.
Political Figures with ADHD
James Carville
James Carville is well known for his career as a political analyst and commentator. He was diagnosed with ADHD in his late 50s. His wife urged him to get himself checked as she noticed it is very difficult for James Carville to concentrate and to sit still. He shared that he has been very lucky as he has supportive people around him. His social structure has supported him to fight back with ADHD.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy worked as the president of the United States of America. He became the 35th president. He also served in the US Senate before becoming the president. He performed all these important duties with ADHD. He has always been popular in media even more than celebrities. He managed to secure big achievements such as the Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Entrepreneurs with ADHD
Bill Gates
With an expected net worth of $92 billion, Bill Gates admitted that he has struggled with ADHD. He shared that he has always found it very difficult to learn things. Gates is now serving as a philanthropist with a foundation named “Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation”.
Concluding Thoughts
Living with learning difficulties such as ADHD is very tough, especially for children in schools. But many successful people have shown the world that this disability is not strong enough to be a barrier in their way to success.
They have successfully overpowered their childhood challenges and outshined in their chosen careers such as sports, politics, entertainment, and education. Sometimes, in life struggle in one area brings massive advantages in the rest of the areas. It is very important to look at the brighter side. A positive mind serves as a magnet to attract more positivity.