Love Island star Dr Alex George has opened up about how his life changed after being diagnosed with ADHD, OCD and autism. The 35-year-old doctor, known for his stint on the ITV2 dating show, returned to medicine shortly after his time in the villa.
Struggling since his school days, he decided to pay for private assessments. Facing long NHS waiting lists, he spent around £3,000 and received an ADHD diagnosis in 2022, followed by an autism diagnosis a few months ago.
A 'cruel illness'
Alex explained that his OCD manifests through obsessional thoughts and rumination 'to an extreme extent'. He said: "OCD is a very cruel illness, terrible. It's awful because it hides in your darkness, so people on average - I think it's like 10-15 years it takes to be diagnosed - people think that there's fundamentally something wrong with them as a person, rather than suffering from an illness.
"If you're very low and you feel depressed, eventually you realise that you feel depressed … whereas OCD hangs onto that belief that if I just fix this, then I'll be better, or there's some flaw with me. Having everything unlocked in that way has really helped."
Grief and anger
Reflecting on his journey, Alex acknowledged the emotional impact of late diagnosis. He said: "It's tough and I think it's hard for people - what people go through is first they have a relief, they realise that they're not a fundamentally flawed, bad person. Then they experience grief, because they realise how different life could have been.
"I had so many issues at school, teachers kicked me out of class, I was told I'd never amount to anything, I had so many challenges - even with alcohol, all sorts of different things in my life and relationship. Even with friendships, issues in my life that were avoidable, and I think you feel grief.
"Then I think you feel anger. There's a period of time that you feel angry that you were let down as a child. Why didn’t anyone look at this little boy and think, ‘Oh actually, we can help this person by recognizing what they have, and let's support them?’ But it is what it is, I can't change the past. So you just hope for future children that it's better."
Personal struggles and new campaign
Alex has faced personal challenges, including the death of his younger brother Llŷr, who died by suicide at 19, and working in hospitals during the pandemic. He also stopped drinking four years ago, saying: "I need to get better and heal. But you can't really do that without all the missing pieces, and I think, now that I've been diagnosed with autism and OCD, I actually really understand myself so much better, and I'm probably happier and healthier than I've been in a long time."
He teamed up with Holland & Barrett to promote staying healthy against summer burnout, and appeared at The Wellness Tap, where electrolyte drinks were on tap. He noted that hot weather can cause fatigue and stressed the importance of hydration, saying: "I've never used electrolytes so much in my life as I have this summer."
Holland & Barrett and Dr Alex George are working together to help people back their bodies for summer. For expert advice and products, visit your local Holland & Barrett store.
