New National Campaign Focuses On How ADHD May Continue Into Young Adulthood
Adam Levine, lead singer of Maroon 5, is helping to raise awareness among young adults and adults about Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) through a new national education campaign called “Own It” that launched today. The campaign, supported by two patient advocacy groups and made possible by Shire, aims to motivate young adults and adults who were previously diagnosed with ADHD to take charge of their health by speaking with their doctor and getting reassessed if their symptoms – inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity – are still impacting them. “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 was able to work with my doctor to help manage my ADHD symptoms. This campaign 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.” This educational campaign is further supported by online and print awareness raising efforts. Levine shares his personal experience with ADHD and encourages young adults and adults to take a quiz at www.OwnYourADHD.com to help recognize the ADHD symptoms – inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity – and then talk with their doctor. The “Own It” campaign is endorsed by the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA) and Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD), two organizations committed to raising awareness of ADHD. The leaders of CHADD and ADDA released the following joint statement: “There is a common perception among many young adults and adults that you can outgrow the ADHD you were diagnosed with as a child or adolescent. However, it is important for them to understand that this is not always the case and that the disorder can continue into adulthood. The symptoms may even present differently. We commend Adam Levine for sharing his personal story and hope it will inspire others previously diagnosed with ADHD as a kid to take an online quiz and talk with their doctor about how ADHD symptoms may be affecting them as a young adult or adult.”