Hiding parts of one's self from others – a grounded theory study on teenagers diagnosed with ADHD

The aim of this study was to gain deeper knowledge of how teenagers with the diagnosis of ADHD experience their disorder, treatment and the consequences of diagnosis and treatment in their daily lives. Ten teenagers were interviewed in depth. The interviews were analyzed according to the grounded theory method. In the analysis of the data the core category hiding parts of one's self from others emerged. Four other categories were also identified: being different from others; wanting to be like everybody else; keeping the medical treatment a secret; and feeling worried about the future. The teenagers strove for normalcy and wanted to be like everyone else. They tried their utmost to conceal their diagnosis and medical treatment from others, such as schoolmates, friends and the reference group.