Love Island star Dr. Alex George has opened up about his life-changing medical “diagnosis” with ADHD.
The 31-year-old, who appeared on the 2017 series of the hit dating show, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share the news.
He penned: “This isn’t an easy one to write. I’m sat on my bed and not a 100% sure where to start. I have suspected for most of my teenage and adult life that I’m not the same as a lot of the others around me.”
“I struggled when others did not, and thrived where others found challenge,” Alex candidly revealed. “I have tried to hide and also conform for most of my life. Why? My fear has always been that I don’t want to be labelled and judged. Why would I want to be known as having a ‘disorder’?”
“The tipping point for me to finally see someone was my Stompcast conversation with Toddla T, who gave me the strength to stop burying my head in the sand and look for some answers. Over the last few months I have been undergoing assessment for, and have now been ‘diagnosed’ with ‘Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder’.”
“I hate that name, and I particularly hate that word disorder. I’ll tell you why another day. It’s been a weird few weeks coming to terms with this ‘diagnosis’. I’m not exactly sure why, I’m the same Alex and I shouldn’t feel different.”
Alex continued: “I think some of the reflection and even sadness comes from a realisation that I’m 31, and only now beginning to understand why I am as I am. How many other young Alex’s are out there, who are asking themselves ‘What’s wrong with me? Why am I different?’, or even worse being punished for being them.”
“I want to finish this post by saying, I still need time to reflect and gather my thoughts, but I really feel uncomfortable with the naming of this diagnosis. Am I disordered, the ‘problem’, or is it that I just don’t fit neatly into the box society expects me to? That’s the question I’d like to understand the answer to.”
“As always, thank you for your love and kindness, social media gets a bad rep at times, but I have to say, some of the most powerful moments of human kindness I have experienced have been in this space. Thank you x. Alex.”
On Wednesday morning, Alex took to Instagram once again to thank his followers for their support, following his revelation.
“I’ll be honest with you all; there have been days, particularly in the last year or so, where I have struggled to see through the darkness. The storm has felt too much, the fog never lifting.”
“There have also been days where the light shines through, often in the most unexpected moments and unexpected ways. I felt incredibly alone posting last night, to an extent I cannot explain, with the fear of being met with a deafening silence.”
“I fell asleep feeling surrounded by friends. I don’t have a better way of explaining it, thank you x. Alex x.”
View this post on Instagram
