Try a supportive ADHD group
Guideline advice, not formally gradedADHD evidence
Find people who get it; check the group feels safe and useful.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Write down what you'd want from a group: understanding, shared experience or practical encouragement.
5 minutes
Use the NHS resource list to identify one suitable group and check its audience and cost.
15 minutes
Check moderation and privacy arrangements, then enquire about attending once as a listener.
How sure the science is
Guideline advice, not formally graded, ADHD evidence
- Recommended by ADHD clinical guidelines, but nobody has pooled the trials and graded how sure they are.
- Guideline advice is a considered judgement, not a measured certainty.
- Measured in people with ADHD.
Explicit NICE ADHD support recommendation; no published certainty rating or symptom-reduction estimate for peer groups.
The number, drawn
Provide information about local and national ADHD support groups
Why it matters
- NICE recommends giving people with ADHD and their families information about ADHD support groups.
- Other people with the same experience can offer understanding and practical suggestions.
- The recommendation does not show that a group reduces ADHD symptoms.
- You can just listen at first and decide whether it meets your needs.
How to do it
- Find a group through a health service or an established ADHD organisation.
- Check who it's for, whether someone moderates it and how privacy works.
- Go to one meeting with no pressure to share. Keep only the advice you can verify.
- Peer support complements professional help.
- Do not follow another member's medication or diagnostic advice.
Putting it into practice
In real life
- Join an adult group as a listener before deciding whether to return.
- A parent asks an ADHD service which local carer group welcomes newcomers.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeAnecdotes are not treatment evidence, so verify medical claims with a qualified professional.
- Common mistakeA group that pressures you to disclose or buy something may not suit you, so leave or try another.
Trusted guides
How we rated it
- Evidence grade
- A Moderate or high certainty evidence in people with ADHD, or an explicit ADHD guideline recommendation.
- The number
- Provide information about local and national ADHD support groups (NICE, public HSC Northern Ireland copy, 2018)
- Benefit
- 45/100 An editorial priority for the general list, weighted by certainty. It does not predict what will happen for you.
- Effort
- Quick win
Sources
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD: diagnosis and management, NG87, information and supportNICE, public HSC Northern Ireland copy, 2018
- Tier 1 guidelineSupport Available: understanding emotional regulation in ADHDEast London NHS Foundation Trust, 2026
- Tier 1 guidelineADHD in adultsNHS, 2025
- Tier 1 guidelineEvaluating Health Information (undated)MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, 2026
- General information about ADHD, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan.
- Tailoring changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess you.
- Medication decisions belong with you and a qualified clinician.