Denise Welch has revealed she's been diagnosed with ADHD, with the Loose Women star telling fans that experts believe she's had the condition since childhood.
An estimated 2.6 million people in the UK have ADHD, with symptoms in adults including carelessness and lack of attention to detail, poor organisational skills., inability to focus or prioritise, continually losing or misplacing things., excessive talking and interrupting conversations.
Denise, who has been open about her struggles with mental health over the years, in both her books, including bestseller The Unwelcome Visitor, on Loose Women and on social media, has now spoken about her ADHD diagnosis on her recently launched podcast Juicy Crack.
Discussing how she got her diagnosis, former Coronation Street and Waterloo Road star Denise said: "I had a diagnosis after two or three days of quite intense tests with a psychologist, and I have ADHD, and have had since childhood.
Moving onto her habit of interrupting people mid-conversation, joking that it drives her Loose Women colleagues 'mad,' the 64-year-old added:. "If I don't say what I think is important, I forget it. There's a desperation in me that I need to get out what I want to say, which is very much a symptom."
One of the biggest side effects for Denise so far has been fatigue, with her explaining: " I know energy levels fall as you get older, but I'm so tired at the moment. I'm exhausted, even things I'm looking forward to doing, I can't be bothered to do, I just want to lie in bed."
Having battled depression for over 30 years, Denise hasn't had a depressive episode in three years and, having been left relieved by that,. now doesn't ant to risk it returning, concerned the medication she's been advised to take for her ADHD might have a detrimental impact.
She continued: ""I think something hormonal has happened, because of that I've been worried about taking the medication recommended to me, because I'm frightened to put something into my system that's going to have an adverse effect."
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