Tommy Tiernan discussed being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Saturday night's episode of The Tommy Tiernan Show on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.
According to the HSE, ADHD is a common neuro-developmental disorder with three core symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
On his show on Saturday night, the presenter and comedian was joined by the neurologist and author Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan.
Introducing herself, Dr O'Sullivan told the host she writes "about two things in particular".
"I write a lot about psychosomatic conditions. And at the moment, I am talking a lot about overdiagnosis," she continued.
"I've written a book called The Age of Diagnosis that sort of raises the question of too much labelling, too many tests, too much turning people into patients."
"That's how strong the power of the mind is over the body"
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Tommy chats to Neurologist & Writer Dr Suzanne O'Sullivan#TommyTiernanShow | @tommedian pic.twitter.com/gVqP9SFKI5
"I was diagnosed with ADHD... recently," Tiernan told his guest as their conversation progressed.
"And it would make a lot of sense to me... and when I was in school, in the 70s and 80s, I mean, there wasn't even an awareness that it might be a thing.
"I'm not sure that being aware of the thing would've done me much good or anything like that. It would've benefitted the people that I came into contact with as an adult [to know] that I was neurodivergent!"
"I think if a child is neurodivergent, they will know with clarity that they are, or the people around them will know with clarity," offered Tiernan.
"There's this vague area, which I think is the area you're talking about, of trouble, which is not necessarily symptomatic of anything other than being a young person in the world, maybe."
You can watch Dr O'Sullivan's response and the full interview here.
The Tommy Tiernan Show, Saturday nights, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player
