'I thought I was lazy and useless. I didn't realise why until I was 49'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukPatrick Bevan spent most of his life believing he was a lazy person who only ever wanted to please others. The 54-year-old struggled concentrating at school and throughout his working life but could never understand why.
That was until someone close to him was diagnosed with ADHD and Patrick recognised their neurodivergent traits in himself. Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link Suspecting he may have the condition, he approached his GP and received his diagnosis in December 2019 at the age of 49 – describing the revelation as life-changing. “As I watched my family member, I realised I had all those things and the same struggles at school,” Patrick, who was raised in Stockport but now lives in Surrey, told the Manchester Evening News. “I was really bright but I couldn’t knuckle down and focus.
I was getting bullied and I felt a bit lost. It just made me realise that’s what I went through – I just thought I was lazy and useless.” ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a condition that affects people's behaviour.
People with ADHD can seem restless, may have trouble concentrating and may act on impulse. Patrick says his neurodivergent characteristics date back to childhood when he would go “above and beyond” to make people happy.
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