'It explained a lot' - Majella O'Donnell opens up on social media revealing new diagnosis

Majella said that while this diagnosis was not negative, it is at times challenging | X

placeholder image — Majella said that while this diagnosis was not negative, it is at times challenging | X

Majella O’Donnell said that ADHD is ‘not a weakness, just a different way of thinking’

Majella O’ Donnell has opened up about her Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in a very positive and candid social media post.

On Tuesday, the businesswoman and tireless charity campaigner took to Instagram to reveal that she had received her ADHD diagnosis two years ago after her sister and two nieces were diagnosed with the neurodevelopment condition.

ADHD can affect attention, concentration, organisation and impulsivity, and is increasingly being diagnosed in adults who may have gone underdiagnosed for years.

Experts say ADHD s frequently missed in women and girls because symptoms can present differently than in men. Many women are not diagnosed until adulthood, when they seek answers for lifelong struggles with focus, organisation, anxiety or feeling constantly overwhelmed.

In the post, the Thurles native said,

“I’m here this morning and I’m thinking about talking to you about something quite different that maybe not all of you will understand or know anything about or even be interested in but it is kind of partly what mental health as well so I’m going to talk about it...It is ADHD and mental health.

“I was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago, and the reason being my sister. Her two children were diagnosed with it and then she herself has been diagnosed with it, and then I said ‘do you think that’s something I might have?’ and she said ‘Majella, absolutely you have it.”

Majella went on to explain that she attended and “in depth” three hour test and was diagnosed with ADHD, adding that it “explained a lot of things for me”.

Majella continued to say that while this diagnosis was not negative, it is at times challenging as she finds it hard to focus at times and can feel constantly restless.

“That’s me, I’m always moving, my foot is always tapping, I’m always on the go, and impulsivity, which I definitely have as well, especially when it comes to spending money,” she laughs, “ I just get impulses and I’ll act on them straight away.

“I have difficulty sitting still...if I’m bored somewhere or at something, it’s just shocking, I cannot sit still. And talking excessively...I remember as a child my father saying ‘would you ever give your tongue a rest’.

Majella revealed that ADHD can also effect your self esteem, something that she has struggled with personally.

“ADHD doesn’t exist on its own and is often connected to mental health,” she said, “Probably because of the increased stress and being overwhelmed day to day.

“Having to focus on tasks and meeting deadlines can be a lot harder and that can lead to frustration and stress and low self esteem.

“When you have a parent telling you to give your tongue a rest it can affect your confidence, and it did affect my confidence big time.”

Majella, who is married to country music legend Daniel O’Donnell, admitted that while she struggles to concentrate at times, she can get very hyper-focused on a particular subject or task for hours on end.

“There’s good and bad,” she adds, “But one thing I would say is, it’s not a weakness, just a different way of thinking and processing and it can be very very beneficial.”

While there are medications available to those struggling with ADHD, Majella admits that she doesn’t take any.

“I’m on enough medication as it is,” she says as she explains she doesn’t work or study but those who do can find it very beneficial as helps “calm the mind”.

In January, Majella also opened up about her struggles with depression, revealing that she had “relinquished” herself to medical professionals in a psychiatric hospital for 10 weeks in 2024.

Suffering with depression since her late teens, Majella has been taking anti-depressants since her mid 30s and has always been a huge advocate for people speaking up about their mental health and seeking help for it.

Speaking on the Oliver Callan Show in January she said,

“Every time you feel it, you talk. That's the thing is to talk, and the talk could just be 'I'm in a bad place', even if you don't want to go into details or anything, but just to say 'I need help’”.

Majella signed off the Instagram video saying, “I hope you found it a little bit interesting. Take care of yourself. Lots of love.”

Hundreds of Majella’s followers commented on her video thanking her for her honesty and explaining ADHD in a way people can truly understand it, with one person saying,

“So down to earth Majella and you have a great way of getting your voice heard and you are helping people so much.”