Sam Thompson has revealed the emotional family reason behind his decision to seek an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in his adult life. The presenter and reality star, now 33, was diagnosed with the lifelong neurodevelopmental condition at the age of 30, a journey he documented in the E4 film Sam Thompson: Is This ADHD?.
Diagnosis as a Turning Point
At the time of his diagnosis, Thompson described it as a relief and referred to it as his 'superpower'. Since then, he has used his platform to raise awareness and recently released a book titled You, Me & ADHD, aimed at helping others, especially children, understand the condition better.
Book Launch and Personal Reflections
On the release day of his book, the former Made in Chelsea star shared a video on Instagram reading excerpts. He expressed his hope that the book would help at least one child understand themselves better. 'This is the book I wish I had when I was younger, and to be honest, I wish my parents could have had it as well,' he said.
Fatherhood as Motivation
In a recent appearance on The Netmums Podcast, Thompson opened up about his future plans to start a family and how that influenced his decision to seek a diagnosis. 'That's why I got my diagnosis in the first place because I want to be a dad,' he explained. 'I want all of that and I feel like if I can't even pay a bloody bill, how the hell am I going to look after a tiny little person?'
He added that understanding himself better was crucial: 'I wanted to understand myself better and understand if there was a reason I was the way I was. And it turns out there is.'
Emotional Reaction to Diagnosis
Despite initially expecting not to cry during the diagnostic process, Thompson admitted he wept when the assessor told him he was 'special' and should be 'proud' of his achievements. 'I just didn't realise the weight I had on my shoulders until I got told what it was that I had,' he said. 'It was a crazy feeling, I just didn't expect it at all.'
