7 January 2025
Adrian Chiles "almost [felt] guilty" about his ADHD diagnosis.
Adrian Chiles felt a sense of guilt about being diagnosed with ADHD
The 57-year-old broadcaster was told that he had the disorder in 2016 by a private psychiatrist but wishes he could give his diagnosis to someone else less fortunate because lots of people are not getting the care and medication they so desperately need.
Adrian wrote in Yours magazine: "There are loads of people who really need the care and the medication that comes with a diagnosis who aren't getting it.
"I almost feel guilty about my diagnosis, but it has helped me a lot, so I don't want to sound ungrateful ...
"I would give my diagnosis away to somebody who really needs it.
"And by that I mean the people for whom ADHD and the absence of treatment for it isn't just the difference between having a harder life and an easier life, it's the difference between having a life and having no life - getting nothing out of school, ending up in prison because you can't focus on anything, having awful addiction issues."
The former 'One Show' host is not on social media and thinks he would struggle to cope with using the different platforms.
He added: "I think I've paid the price for not being on social media as well because nowadays, you're more likely to get a job if you've got a big following.
"I just don't think that my mental health could deal with it.
"I already overthink texts from neighbours, so 500 messages from strangers would just be too much!"
The BBC Radio 5 Live presenter's father passed away in January 2024, and although nothing could prepare him to deal with such a loss, the time taken to process and write about his grief acted as a "form of therapy".
Adrian admitted: "The only thing that has helped me through the experience is time.
"It's a bit of a cliche, but you eventually sort of forget.
"I went out to Croatia recently with my mum, and I kept thinking, 'I wonder if Dad's all right at home?' because that's what I'd always felt on previous trips that he hadn't been well enough to come on.
"The grief still comes at you from time to time, of course, but it gets easier.
"Also being able to write about it was - it's another cliche - a real privilege and almost a form of therapy.
"It was nice to get it off my chest in that way."
English (US) ·