Busy Philipps talks ADHD diagnosis, being labeled as 'ditzy' as a teen: 'I'm actually not at all'

Busy Philipps lives a – well, busy – life. She’s raising two kids, Birdie and Cricket; her new late night talk show premieres next week on QVC+, not to mention her show “Girls 5Eva” is streaming now on Netflix; and she’s figuring out how to manage her ADHD. And she encourages others – especially parents – to do the same.

You may think it’s just part of being a parent, thinking you’re overwhelmed constantly. But If you’re struggling and feeling bad about yourself because you’re constantly forgetting things, "it's worth taking two hours for yourself to invest in your own mental health, and figure out what's actually going on,” Philipps, 44, tells USA TODAY over a Zoom call from New York.

When Philipps' daughter Birdie, now 15, was having issues in school, a doctor in Los Angeles started talking to her and ex-husband Marc Silverstein about Birdie and ADHD. The symptoms sounded too familiar.

"My ex-husband and I just started looking at each other because I checked every single box at the highest level,” she says.

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'I'm actually not at all ditzy'

For years, Philipps thought there was something wrong with her. That she didn’t have follow-through, was lazy or forgetful. Hollywood labeled her “ditzy.”

"I allowed that, especially in my teen years, to be a word that was used to describe me,” she says, “I'm actually not at all ditzy, I'm super focused, and I'm really highly productive and I have great ideas. I just had a struggle my whole life with follow-through with making sure I could prioritize them."

It manifested as low self-esteem; she’d grow jealous of people who seemed to be productive and keep dates and times straight when she couldn’t even write things down correctly. In her 20s and 30s she used to show up 40 minutes early and hang out in her car – just to make sure she wasn’t late.

"I could not figure out how to be on time, because I would get distracted,” she says.

ADHD shows up differently for girls and women, with symptoms like Philipps’: trouble focusing and keeping organized and maintaining interest. For boys and men, hyperactive and impulsive symptoms are more common. That’s why many girls and women may be underdiagnosed, therefore untreated. Treatments can range from medication to behavior and lifestyle management, according to Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

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'We all have to be critical thinkers'

After Birdie’s diagnosis Philipps found a doctor of her own and tried out different treatments, ultimately improving both her productivity and how she felt about herself. She currently takes Qelbree, a non-stimulant ADHD treatment approved for adults in 2022; she’s now a paid spokesperson for the brand.

Beyond the medication, though, she has other coping mechanisms: She always writes things down in a notebook and maintains a big calendar in her house with important dates and times.

While she appreciates people are discussing mental health all over TikTok and Instagram – and she learned details about ADHD symptoms she didn’t know before – she reminds fans that her ADHD diagnosis and treatment plan came from a doctor, not an influencer.

"We all have to be critical thinkers,” she says, “and we all have to be able to understand that the internet is not the be-all, end-all of everything and sometimes not even the most truthful information."