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ADHD Chatter PodcastEurope's No.1 ADHD Doctor: Women Deserved Better! | Dr. Tony Lloyd PhD
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WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Dr. Tony Lloyd Challenges ADHD Myths, Stigma and Historic Neglect of Women
- Dr. Tony Lloyd argues ADHD is real, genetic and heritable, but that it should be understood as a natural expression of neurodiversity rather than a disorder, with its impact depending heavily on context.
- He rejects the claim that ADHD is over-diagnosed, citing about 3 million people with ADHD in the UK, roughly 250,000 using medication, and 8.5 million taking antidepressants.
- Lloyd and Alex Partridge discuss how women were historically overlooked through gender bias, leaving many misdiagnosed or told they were too emotional, and why anger after a late diagnosis is justified.
- The conversation covers the 'purgatory period' before diagnosis, addiction and self-medication, masking versus ordinary assimilation, and rejection sensitivity as both a struggle and an asset.
- Lloyd stresses that ADHD explains behaviour but never excuses it, and closes with the umbrella symbol of neurodiversity and advice on helping colleagues understand ADHD from a strengths-based view.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasADHD is real and genetic, but context determines whether it is an asset or a disadvantage.
Lloyd cites gene variants and a five-times higher likelihood if a family member has it, and says hyperactivity is seen as a strength in the workplace but a disorder in a classroom.
ADHD is not over-diagnosed in the UK.
Lloyd says about 3 million people have ADHD, only 250,000 children and adults use medication, while 8.5 million take antidepressants, so he argues depression is the condition that is over-medicated.
Medication helps but is not a cure-all.
Lloyd supports medication for those it works for and cites an effect size of 0.9 versus 0.3 for antidepressants, but says a prescription neither makes ADHD go away nor teaches people how to live with it.
Women were overlooked because of gender discrimination, not because they lacked ADHD.
Lloyd says girls were ignored at school and many women were treated for depression or anxiety for years, while half of new adult diagnoses are now women.
Late diagnosis brings a justified sense of loss and anger.
Lloyd says he looked back and wondered how different his life might have been, and describes a 'purgatory period' of isolation and lack of balanced information before diagnosis.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotesBeing given a prescription doesn't make your ADHD go away, and it certainly doesn't teach you how to live successfully with it.
— Dr. Tony Lloyd
Women didn't have ADHD. Women didn't have dyslexia. Women didn't have anything. Women were just ignored.
— Dr. Tony Lloyd
ADHD is not an excuse. It's an explanation.
— Dr. Tony Lloyd
I've met plenty of people with PhDs who couldn't boil an egg and I wouldn't entrust with the care of a rodent.
— Dr. Tony Lloyd
I don't ascribe to the idea that ADHD is a gift. That's taking it too far. But I think it can be an asset in some aspects of an individual's life, and we're all different.
— Dr. Tony Lloyd
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SPEAKERS
Dr. Tony Lloyd
guestPsychologist, academic, and ADHD specialist with over 20 years’ experience, known for work connected to the ADHD Foundation and neurodiversity advocacy.
Alex Partridge
hostHost of the podcast ADHD Chatter, interviewing ADHD experts and discussing ADHD education and lived experience.
High quality AI-generated summary created from speaker-labeled transcript.
