ADHD and Money Mayhem: How I Tamed My Financial Storm

Managing finances can be especially challenging for people with ADHD, as Yolanda Shirin Norfolk Bush explained. She said her impulsive spending, which is linked to her ADHD, meant that debt could build up before she even realized it. Laura Bush, who is 31 and from Norwich, described managing her money with ADHD as feeling like 'holding on to 10 helium balloons in a strong wind. ' Her financial troubles began when she took out a credit card before being diagnosed with ADHD in 2023. Soon, she found herself struggling to keep up with repayments to several lenders, which left her feeling overwhelmed and anxious. She said the anxiety and shame from her debt sometimes took over her thoughts, making it hard to focus on anything else.

According to the NHS, adults with ADHD often have trouble with organization, time management, and following through on tasks. They may also misplace items frequently. These challenges can lead to extra costs, sometimes called the 'ADHD tax. ' This can include paying late fees, replacing lost items, missing appointments, making impulsive purchases, and having trouble sticking to a budget. Barbara Sahakian, a neuropsychologist at the University of Cambridge, explained that ADHD affects the brain's frontal lobe, which is important for organization and focus. She said it's not about being lazy, but about having executive dysfunction, which makes it hard to focus and complete tasks.

Laura Bush got her first credit card in her late teens to pay for a trip to Rome in installments. When she realized she couldn't use the card for the trip, she started using it for other impulsive purchases. She said these purchases felt manageable at the time, but they added up quickly. She linked this behavior to the dopamine-seeking nature of ADHD. Laura found it difficult to keep track of online subscriptions and repayments, describing it as 'a lot of mental clutter. ' She tried budgeting, but it never seemed to work for her. Eventually, she owed thousands of pounds to different lenders and reached out to the debt advice charity StepChange for help. With their support, she has paid off more than half of her debts and feels more confident about managing her money now that she understands her condition better.

Nevaeh Denby, a 24-year-old hospital administrator from Gorleston, Norfolk, also has ADHD. She said her debt grew while she was at university because she struggled to keep up with her bank statements and budgeting. She didn't realize how much debt she had until it was too late. The irregular timing of student finance payments made it hard for her to budget, and she often relied on her overdraft and a part-time job. While many students face financial pressure, Denby said her ADHD made it even harder to manage. She also experienced rejection sensitivity, which made feelings of embarrassment or exclusion more intense. Sometimes, this led her to spend more money to keep up socially. Denby worries that her struggles with ADHD might make it difficult for her to build a stable life and start a family. She believes financial services should have better safeguards for people with ADHD.

Angela, who is also autistic, said she didn't believe in ADHD until she became a mother. She found that her ADHD made dealing with the legal system more difficult and expensive. Tasks that should have taken minutes required long meetings with legal representatives. Because she found it hard to process complex written communication, she had to arrange face-to-face meetings, which were much more expensive. The cost of reasonable adjustments for her neurodivergence added up to thousands of pounds. Angela said that some symptoms of ADHD, like executive dysfunction, make it hard to plan, organize, and act on tasks, even when you know what needs to be done. She wishes she had been diagnosed earlier, as it would have helped her understand her struggles and feelings of shame.

A survey by StepChange found that more than 60 percent of neurodivergent people had not reached out to lenders or debt advice specialists for help. Among those who did, only one in three told them about their condition. Simon Trevethick from StepChange said that neurodivergence can be a barrier to seeking help, either because people don't think they'll get extra support or because they worry it will hold them back. The charity hopes that financial systems will become more accessible for people with ADHD through clearer communication and better training for staff. UK Finance said that financial services are working to support neurodivergent customers with tailored services and more accessible communication. The Department of Health and Social Care said it understands the challenges faced by people with neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD and is reviewing how to provide better support. The Law Society of England and Wales said solicitors are required to make reasonable adjustments to ensure all clients can access justice.