What Famous People Have ADHD?

Receiving an ADHD diagnosis for their son or daughter often leads some parents to think that their child is headed towards a bleak future. Or that they may have  sacrifice their careers to take care of their child. This is often because ADHD makes people think of dependency.

Contrary to the common belief, it has been proven that adults with ADHD are capable of reaching a higher level of creativity and accomplishments. Moreover, according to Additude, some ADHD traits can benefit entrepreneurs.

In fact, some of the most prominent figures in sports, music, film, tech, and other industries are known to have been diagnosed with ADHD or ADD.

Here are the world-famous personalities who struggled with ADHD yet achieved a lot in their careers.  

WHICH FAMOUS PEOPLE HAVE ADHD

Let’s check out the list: 

➡ Michael Phelps

Who can imagine that the most decorated Olympian of his time was diagnosed with ADHD?

Michael Phelps is a swimming superstar. He holds the record of winning the most Olympic events in history – 28 medals, of which 23 are GOLD. 

Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD in the sixth grade. At kindergarten, he struggled with paying attention. Phelps turned on all gas burners during science sessions to annoy his classmates. He was a mischievous student. 

Imagining such a student becoming an Olympic winner is a real challenge.

But his mother was a constant supporter. Phelps was on medication to deal with ADHD. But later, Phelps told his mother he no longer wanted to live on medications. And after consultation with a medical professional, she supported Phelps’s decision.

How did he discover his real potential?

Phelps’ sisters used to swim at the local aquatic club. One day, his mother thought of letting him join and try the sport as well. However, the first attempt wasn’t smooth at all, but gradually with practice, Phelps became good at swimming.

Phelps found his comfort zone – a child who could hardly stay focus at one thing for more than a few minutes  at a time could somehow spend three hours swimming after school.

His mother was happy for Phelps swimming for such long hours because she wanted Phelps to drain as much energy as possible. While Phelps had been on ADHD medication since age 9, he eventually asked his mother to get off his medications after feeling stigmatized. Debbie Phelps said, “Out of the blue, he said to me: ‘I don’t want to do this anymore, Mom. My buddies don’t do it. I can do this on my own.'”

By 10, Phelps was a nationally ranked winner. And once he swam in the Olympics in 2000, there was no turning back.

What does Phelps think after struggling with ADHD?

“I think the biggest thing for me, once I found that it was okay to talk to someone and seek help, I think that’s something that has changed my life forever,” he says. “Now I’m able to live life to its fullest.”

➡ Adam Levine

The Maroon 5 frontman, Adam Levine, is an adult struggling with ADHD.

Do you still think ADHD can ruin your child’s career, or can it control the life of your child?

During his childhood, he couldn’t complete the tasks his teachers assigned. It was hard to sit still or focus. 

“I was diagnosed with ADHD by my doctor when I was a teenager,” said Adam Levine. “As I got older, I thought my ADHD had gone away. Eventually, I realized it was something that was still there. I worked with my doctor to help manage my ADHD symptoms. This campaign (Own It) is important to me because it can help young adults and adults realize that there’s a chance they may still have ADHD if they had it as a kid.”

However, his struggle continued as an adult, and his ADHD always made songwriting and recording more challenging for him. 

“I couldn’t always focus and complete everything I had to. I remember being in the studio once and having 30 ideas in my head, but I couldn’t document them.”

Therefore, he returned to the doctor and found ADHD was still with him.

As a result, he opened up about his ADHD in public and launched the “Own It” campaign to acknowledge and support the kids and adults living with ADHD. He aims to raise awareness about ADHD through his campaign. Also, the campaign helps children with ADHD manage their symptoms by educating them on the relevant issues.

➡ Justin Timberlake

He’s among the world’s best-selling music artists. He is considered to be a pop music icon, earning the nicknames “President of Pop” and “Prince of Pop,” and has been given the industry’s biggest awards, including Michael Jackson Video Vanguard, Contemporary Icon Award, Billboard Music Awards, three Brit Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and ten Grammy Awards.

In an interview with Collider, he opens up about OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and ADD (attention-deficit disorder). However, he hasn’t come up with more information about his condition.

He said he’s trying to live with both. Like every person with ADHD, Justin went through complex symptoms of ADHD, yet he was able to succeed in his life. His awards prove he’s able to manage his symptoms and continue to pursue his craft and passion. If he can, then why not others?

Many high-profile celebrities, including Simone Biles, Solange Knowles, and Emma Watson, have openly discussed or mentioned their personal experience and struggles with ADHD. These people have successfully managed their ADHD symptoms and parallelly built strong careers.

Let Your Child Thrive – A Word From Themba Tutors

Let your child explore the whole universe! Not every child is good at studies – some like playing the guitar while some like cricket. So allow them to make a choice and discover their interests. 

Be the constant support of your child. All successful people with ADHD have one thing in common: family support. Help your child find a way to manage their symptoms.

You can help your child both personally and professionally with Themba Tutors. Check out our articles on the Themba Tutors’ website on how to deal with children with ADHD. You will get expert parenting tips, plus many strategies to help your child improve their executive functioning – time management, focus regulation, organization, prioritization, etc.

You can also reach out to our expert executive functioning coaches, who regularly work with children with ADHD to make their life easier. We focus on developing and strengthening the executive functioning skills of your child to help them manage the symptoms of ADHD smoothly. We coach both parents and children to help them lead happy lives.

Check Out Our Other Blogs:

⏩ 5 Famous People With ADHD Or ADD
⏩ What Is ADHD: Everything You Need To Know
⏩ ADHD Brain Vs Normal Brain

Do you need help  with ADHD?
Chat with Themba Tutors Today! Our ADHD tutors travel to your home.
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References:

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/celebrity-spotlight-how-michael-phelps-adhd-helped-him-make-olympic-history
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.additudemag.com/michael-phelps-adhd-advice-from-the-olympians-mom/amp/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportskeeda.com/amp/swimming/i-trying-get-much-energy-i-system-when-michael-phelps-opened-growing-adhd
https://www.casapacifica.org/news/blog/adam_levine_talks_about_adhd/#:~:text=As%20a%20kid%2C%20it%20was,during%20his%20early%20teenage%20years
https://www.additudemag.com/adam-levine-adhd-is-not-a-bad-thing-and-you-are-not-alone/
https://www.takeda.com/newsroom/shire-news-releases/2011/maroon-5-lead-singer-adam-levine-raises-awareness-of-attention-deficithyperactivity-disorder-in-young-adults-and-adults-with-own-it/
https://collider.com/justin-timberlake-interview-the-love-guru/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Timberlake