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Home > Knowledge & support > Managing type 1 diabetes > Type 1 diabetes and neurodiversity > ADHD and type 1 diabetes
ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It’s defined by the way that people behave. For example, some people might have difficulty paying attention (inattention) or might struggle to sit still for long periods of time (hyperactivity).
Most people with ADHD have a combination of both inattention and hyperactivity difficulties, which is known as combined type ADHD. Some people have one side that is dominant, either inattentive or hyperactive type ADHD.
Studies have found that rates of ADHD in people living with type 1 diabetes are higher in both adults (Vinker-Shuster et al) and children (Xie et al 2022) than in the general population. However, current research is on small numbers of people and it’s not clear what the causes of this might be.
Many people with ADHD manage their diabetes very effectively. However, there are some ways that ADHD might cause issues if you live with type 1 diabetes.
If you have ADHD, you might find that you are easily distracted from the things you need to do to manage your type 1, or forget to do them. This is particularly an issue because type 1 care involves tasks are often repetitive, boring and don’t have any immediate pay offs.
Being organised can be difficult if you have ADHD. You may find it difficult to remember to order your diabetes supplies in good time. You might also find it hard to establish and keep to a routine. Organising your environment in a way that helps your type 1 management may be difficult too, for example keeping your diabetes kit somewhere easy to find.
Impulsivity can be a key part of living with ADHD. This can show in diabetes management as eating before taking a bolus insulin dose, guessing at a random amount of insulin for a bolus injection (sometimes called ‘rage bolusing’), snacking without injecting and overtreating hypos.
People with ADHD often find it difficult to manage stress and strong feelings at times. This means that they might be more vulnerable to experiencing issues like diabetes distress and diabetes burnout.
Many people with ADHD find that they ‘hyperfocus’ on certain activities. They become fixated on one thing, and can ignore other things they need to do, like eat or sleep. It means that you might ignore glucose alarms, forget to eat or put off other tasks related to your type 1 management.
Many people with ADHD struggle to sleep enough, or at the right times. Over time, this can cause disruptions in people’s blood glucose and make diabetes harder to manage.
People with ADHD may struggle to pay attention during diabetes clinic appointments or diabetes education sessions, which means they’re less likely to recall what they’ve been advised. Sometimes difficulties managing diabetes because of the ADHD can be misinterpreted by diabetes teams as the person being ‘unmotivated’ or deliberately ignoring their diabetes when this isn’t the case.
Talk to your Diabetes Healthcare Team if you are struggling to manage your ADHD and type 1. If you think that you may have ADHD but haven’t had a diagnosis, speak to your GP. For more information about ADHD visit ADHD UK.
This content was developed by Dr Rose Stewart, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Diabetes Psychology Lead, NHS, and Chair of UK Diabetes Psychology Network. It was reviewed by ADHD UK.
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