IN-DEPTH: Patients Struggling to Shed ADHD Label

Diagnosis in Britain often leads to long-term treatment with powerful medications

Children dance with their umbrellas at the launch of an art installation called the Umbrella Project, featuring 200 brightly coloured umbrellas suspended over Church Alley in Liverpool, England, on June 22, 2017. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

As the number of people seeking ADHD diagnoses continues to surge, some patients may face challenges in having their official diagnosis reversed if they come to believe it was incorrect or regret it at a later stage.

The number of adults seeking a diagnosis of ADHD, or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, has soared in recent years. Talking to the BBC in January, the ADHD Foundation said it had seen a 400 percent rise in adults going to them compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.