Your Guide to Support for Adults with ADHD in the UK

Adults with ADHD in the UK can get help from a GP, ADHD specialists, an employer or college, and charities and peer groups. Urgent help lines are there for a crisis. Each UK nation has its own health pages, so the route can differ by nation.

This page is general information, not medical advice.

Where to find each kind of help

• A GP. NHS pages for England, Wales and Scotland say to start here if ADHD symptoms are affecting your life. See “Getting a diagnosis”.
• An ADHD specialist. After a diagnosis, the NHS says the specialist will talk with you about ways you can be supported. See “Treatment and therapy options”.
• Your employer, college or university. You can ask them for changes, called reasonable adjustments. See “Help at work and in education”.
• Access to Work. This can help you get or stay in work. It is in the same section.
• Charities and peer groups. Charities can offer information and support, and peer groups let you share tips with others who have ADHD. See “Peer and community support”.
• Urgent help. If you feel unsafe, there are phone lines in every nation. See “Getting urgent help”.

Getting a diagnosis

In England, Wales and Scotland, the NHS pages point adults to a GP first. The GP will ask about your symptoms and how they affect your life, says the NHS website for England. The GP may then refer you to an ADHD specialist for an assessment.

Were you diagnosed as a child? If you still need help, the NHS says to talk to your GP about a referral.

Here is what each nation’s own pages say:

We searched nidirect for “ADHD” on 21 October 2026. None of the 11 results was a page on ADHD in adults.

Right to Choose is an NHS route in England. The NHS says: “You can ask for an NHS appointment at any clinic, including a private clinic, if it provides ADHD services for the NHS in England.” A referral is needed. NHS England’s patient choice guidance says: “The legal rights do not extend to self-referrals or any referral other than from or on behalf of a GP, Dentist, or Optometrist.” Our Right to Choose guide explains the steps.

What happens at the GP visit and at the assessment is set out in our guide to the NHS ADHD test.

Treatment and therapy options

The NHS says ADHD can be managed in many ways, such as lifestyle changes, changes at work, or medicines. What helps depends on your symptoms and how they affect you. Some people do not need or want to take medicine.

What NICE recommends for adults

NICE’s guidelines are for England and Wales. Its ADHD guideline is called NG87. NICE first published it in 2018 and updated it in September 2019. For adults, recommendation 1.5.15 says:

Offer medication to adults with ADHD if their ADHD symptoms are still causing a significant impairment in at least one domain after environmental modifications have been implemented and reviewed.

NICE defines environmental modifications. It says they are:

changes that are made to the physical environment in order to minimise the impact of a person’s ADHD on their day-to-day life

Its examples include changes to seating, lighting and noise. They also include written instructions alongside spoken requests.

NICE says to consider treatment without medication for adults who:

• have made an informed choice not to have medication
• find it hard to keep taking medication
• found medication did not work, or cannot tolerate it

It says to consider the same kind of treatment alongside medication too. That is for adults whose medication has helped, but whose symptoms still cause a significant impairment.

When treatment without medication is right for an adult, NICE sets out the least that should be offered:

a structured supportive psychological intervention focused on ADHD

regular follow-up either in person or by phone.

Treatment may involve elements of or a full course of CBT.

CBT stands for cognitive behavioural therapy. NICE also says each person should have a shared treatment plan. It should cover psychological and behavioural needs, plus work or education needs. You may be asked if you want a partner, close friend or carer to join talks about treatment. You should also be told that you can revisit treatment decisions.

Talking therapies and coaching

Talking therapies may be recommended for adults with ADHD, says the NHS website for England. It gives CBT and mindfulness as examples. The NHS 111 Wales page says the same.

In Scotland, NHS inform says you might be offered coaching or therapy. Its list is:

• sessions explaining your condition
• coaching to live with your condition
• behaviour therapy and social skills training
• coaching for friends and family members
• CBT

The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) has a page for adults, published in June 2023. Some psychological therapies can help you manage ADHD symptoms, it says, such as psychoeducation courses, mindfulness and CBT. Its tip for finding a therapist: ask if they know about ADHD, or are willing to learn.

On coaching, RCPsych says coaches or mentors can help with daily life skills such as time management. It also gives this warning:

coaching and mentoring are self-regulated professions without regulatory legal standards. Coaching and mentoring services vary in quality and expertise.

RCPsych also covers occupational therapy. It says occupational therapists can help people with ADHD organise their surroundings and build time management skills. You might be able to get a referral for it through the NHS or social services, depending on your circumstances.

Medication

An ADHD specialist must start ADHD medicines and keep a check on them, the NHS says. It adds that you may need to try more than one.

In Scotland, NHS inform says medication is not considered until you have tried lifestyle changes, and these have been monitored. Before you start, your health professional will check your mental and physical health. They will explain any side effects and how these will be watched. Once a medicine is working, NHS inform and RCPsych both say it should be reviewed at least once a year.

RCPsych warns that buying ADHD medication online, or getting it without a prescription, can be dangerous.

Herbal remedies and supplements are not recommended by the NHS as treatments for ADHD, says NHS inform. There is not enough evidence that they help. It advises against taking them with ADHD medication before you speak to your health professional.

A GP may be able to take over prescribing, but only with a shared care agreement, the NHS website for England says. Our guide to ADHD shared care explains it.

Things you can do yourself

The NHS lists things you can do to help yourself:

• Make time for physical activity you enjoy.
• Get enough sleep. A regular bedtime and a quiet, dark bedroom can help.
• Aim for a healthy, balanced diet and regular mealtimes.
• You may find it helps to talk to friends and family about your ADHD.

NICE (England and Wales) says health professionals should stress the value of a balanced diet, good nutrition and regular exercise. RCPsych says exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms linked to anxiety and depression in people with ADHD. But it says exercise has not been shown to help with hyperactive, impulsive or inattentive symptoms.

NHS inform has a page of practical tips. It covers acting on impulse, spending, time and organisation. It says the tips can help whether or not you have a diagnosis.