What is ADHD?

What it is

People with ADHD find it harder than others to control their attention, their energy or their impulses. Signs usually start before the age of 12.⁴ There are three main types:

• Mostly inattentive: being easily distracted, forgetting things, finding it hard to finish tasks. This type is often missed, especially in girls and women.^4,3
• Mostly hyperactive and impulsive: restlessness, high energy, finding it hard to wait, acting without thinking.
• Combined: signs of both. This is the most common.⁴

Signs in children, and what parents can do

ADHD in adults

Many children with ADHD still have it as adults. In adults, it can look like this:³

• being easily distracted or forgetful
• finding it hard to organise your time
• finding it hard to follow instructions or finish tasks
• often losing things like keys or a phone
• feeling restless, talking a lot or interrupting
• making quick decisions without thinking about the consequences

If these things cause problems with your studies, work or relationships, talk to a doctor. In Georgia, ADHD in adults is usually assessed by a psychiatrist.^3,5

People with ADHD are more likely to also have anxiety or depression.³ If you are having thoughts of ending your life, tell someone you trust straight away, or call emergency services on 112.

Why getting help matters

Without help, ADHD can lead to more accidents and injuries, problems at school and at work, and a higher risk of substance use. Treatment lowers several of these risks.²

How ADHD is treated

Treatment usually combines several kinds of help:⁶

• information and support for the person and their family
• changes at school or at work
• talking therapies, such as parent training and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
• medicine, when it is needed

Medicines

Stimulants

The ADHD medicines used most often, such as methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta). In the UK they are the first medicine offered to children aged 5 and over.⁶ They are not sold in Georgia.⁷

Non-stimulants

For example atomoxetine. They are usually used when stimulants are not suitable.⁶ Atomoxetine is the only ADHD medicine sold in Georgia.⁷

Common myths

"It's caused by bad parenting."

No. ADHD mostly comes from genes and brain development.²

"Children grow out of it."

Many don't. A large share of children with ADHD still have it as adults.²

"They just need to try harder."

ADHD is a difference in how the brain controls attention and behaviour. Trying harder does not make it go away.

"ADHD medicines are drugs."

They are medicines, prescribed and monitored by doctors in the EU, the UK and the US.^8,6

Where this information comes from

1. World Health Organization. ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, code 6A05: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
2. Faraone, S.V. et al. (2021). "The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder." Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 128: 789–818.
3. NHS (UK National Health Service). "ADHD in adults."
4. NHS (UK National Health Service). "Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Symptoms."
5. Radio Tavisupleba (13 June 2026). "It helps you live but causes trouble with the law: what happens if ADHD medicine is found on you?" (in Georgian; title translated). RFE/RL.
6. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK). NG87: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (2018, updated 2019).
7. "ADHD in Georgia." adhd.ge, an independent volunteer site. Includes the Ministry of Health's reply of February 2023. Last updated 9 July 2026.
8. European Medicines Agency (2009). "European Medicines Agency makes recommendations for safer use of Ritalin and other methylphenidate-containing medicines in the EU."