Doctor and reality star Alex George revealed he has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The 31-year-old former Love Island contestant is a youth mental health ambassador for the British government and often uses his social media platforms to start conversations around mental and physical health issues.
George shared a message via his Instagram account on Wednesday evening, revealing his recent diagnosis.
He wrote: “This isn’t an easy one to write. I am sat on my bed and I’m not 100% sure where to start.
“I have suspected for most of my teenage and adult life that I’m not the same as a lot of the others around me.
“I struggled when others did not, and thrived where others found challenge. I have tried to hide and also conform for most of my life. Why? My fear has always been that I don’t want to be labelled and judged.
“Why would I want to be known as having a ‘disorder’.
“The tipping point for me to finally see someone was my Stompcast conversation with Toddla T, who gave me the strength to stop burying my head in the sand and look for some answers.
“Over the last few months I have been undergoing assessment for, and have now been ‘diagnosed’ with, ‘Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.”
ADHD is a condition that affects sufferers’ behaviour and can include symptoms such as being restless and having trouble concentrating.
According to the NHS, most cases of ADHD are diagnosed in children between three and seven years old but it can sometimes be diagnosed later in childhood or even into adulthood.
George went on to explain to his 1.9 million Instagram followers that he “hates” the name and the word “disorder” and revealed he has found it difficult to come to terms with the diagnosis as an adult.
He finished his post by telling his followers: “I still need time to reflect and gather my thoughts, but I really feel uncomfortable with the naming of this diagnosis.
“Am I disordered? The ‘problem’, or is it that I just don’t fit neatly into the box society expects me to?
“That’s the question I’d like to understand the answer to.
“As always thank you for your love and kindness, social media gets a bad rep at times, but I have to say, some of the most powerful moments of human kindness I have experienced have been in this place.”
