At 40, Lisa Ling Learns She Has ADD

Published on June 16, 2014. Updated October 15, 2014

Journalist and former talk-show host, Lisa Ling, had long felt she suffered from issues of focus and anxiety when her lack of focus was called into action through testing. While exploring attention deficit issues from a journalistic standpoint, Lisa decided to put herself to the test.

Lisa entered a series of tests to determine whether she was struggling from attention deficit disorder, and when the tests came back, she was informed what she already knew: she had Attention Deficit Disorder.

There are many different classifications of ADD. It is often classified as ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, but that was not the classification suggested to Lisa. The hyperactivity without focus doesn’t fit her symptoms, but even to this day, she struggles with staying focused on things that do not interest her.

She knew this was a problem in her youth, because she couldn’t stay focused in class, and would get stressed when test time came around, because she had done the work, or listened to the lectures which helped her prepare.

Studies have suggested that ADHD and ADD affects 3-5 percent of the population of the United States. Men are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, while women more likely diagnosed ADD.

Aside from Lisa Ling, there are several celebrities who have been diagnosed with ADHD and ADD: Richard Branson, Jim Carrey, Britney Spears, Michele Rodriguez, Woody Harrelson and Ryan Gosling are a few who have been open with their diagnosis.

Check out the video below to see the profile Lisa did for OWN, and some of her testing process.

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