The ADHD Misdiagnosis That Changed Everything | Jordan Stephens
On The Mend
High Performance
4.9 • 566 Ratings
🗓️ 22 December 2025
⏱️ 24 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week on On The Mend, I’m sitting down with Jordan Stephens, someone who knows exactly how quickly life can unravel when addiction, shame, identity, and survival all get mixed together. From the outside, things looked great. Behind the scenes, Jordan was stuck in cycles that were blowing up his relationships and pulling him further away from the person he actually wanted to be.
In this chat, Jordan takes all the armour off. He talks honestly about the chaos drugs brought into his life, what it was like growing up mixed race and constantly shape-shifting to fit in, and the moment he realised he couldn’t keep pretending he was fine. We get into ADHD, self-medication, the ego, the shame, all of it, but always with that warmth and humour that makes the hard stuff easier to hear.
If you’ve ever struggled with identity, spiralled after a relapse, or felt like you’re still looking for your real self, this conversation won’t tell you how to live your life. But it will make you feel less alone while you figure it out.
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Need Support?
Samaritans: Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org
Narcotics Anonymous: na.org
Alcoholics Anonymous: alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
Mental Health Mates: mentalhealthmates.co.uk
Shout: https: giveusashout.org
IAPT: england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/nhs-talking-therapies/
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Want to know who's coming up next? Hit follow wherever you get your podcast and you'll be the first to find out. |
| 0:06.5 | You got diagnosed as a kid. |
| 0:08.1 | So once when I was like 15 or 16 and a second time when I was 26. |
| 0:12.8 | You're going to start thinking, hold on, I can't pay attention to anything for more than 15 seconds. |
| 0:16.1 | And I remember reading the pamphler. |
| 0:17.8 | Here's how you know you've had an overdose. |
| 0:24.4 | Hey everyone, it's Matt. Welcome to On the Men, the show that looks back on life's toughest moments to learn how to move forward. |
| 0:29.5 | Listen, this time of year can be brilliant. It can also feel absolutely chaotic. So if you're here |
| 0:34.6 | because you need a bit of U-time, you're in the right place. And something really cool has been happening recently. Loads of new people are discovering on the men. They're sharing episodes, tagging us. Honestly, it bloody means the world. So because so many of you are new, we wanted to bring back one of the conversations that long-time listeners still talk about today. It's with Jordan Stevens. |
| 0:57.1 | I mean, it's one of my favorite episodes we've ever released. |
| 0:59.1 | It's honest, it's emotional. |
| 1:01.5 | It's one of those episodes that stays with you. |
| 1:02.8 | Let's get into it. |
| 1:03.8 | It's a good lad. |
| 1:07.2 | Talking about ADHD, you got diagnosed as a kid? |
| 1:08.1 | Yeah, so twice. |
| 1:45.3 | So once when I was like 15 or 16 and a second time when I was 26. That's quite ADHD to have to get diagnosed twice. Well, the first time, the first time I didn't really care. I didn't like take it that seriously. Because when was that, how old are you now? 32. 32. So this is at a time when ADHD wasn't necessarily being as talked about as it is now, right? Well, it was talked about for boys. And I think it still is most prevalent in single parent, low-income households. You've got met boys, which lends itself to more of the research that Gabon-Mate has been making it around, having the propensity for ADHD, but it's actually your environment that really kicks it into gear. |
| 1:46.3 | That makes no sense to me. |
| 1:47.4 | It makes so much sense to me. |
| 1:50.3 | I think so many things are multifaceted. |
| 1:52.5 | Like with addiction and everything, they say it's genetic, |
| 1:55.6 | but I think it's environmental as much as it is genetic. Well, actually, to your point, |
... |
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