What ADHD Taught Busy Philipps About Parenting

A shared ADHD diagnosis may be far from a conventional mother-daughter bonding moment, but Busy Philipps can attest to its silver lining. Her eldest daughter, Birdie, was a tween when struggles at school sparked concern and her parents brought her to be evaluated by a psychiatrist. Watching on as the doctor ran through an assessment checklist for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, Philipps was jolted by just how familiar the symptoms sounded.

“After every question, I was like, ‘Me too!’; ‘I have that as well!’” the actress recalls, laughing. She received her own diagnosis shortly thereafter, a moment she says brought a profound sense of clarity. “I think I was relieved, to be honest,” she says. “It re-contextualized a lot of my life.” (No doubt: the star’s unusual chosen nickname for ‘Elizabeth’ was given to her as a child, inspired by her inability to sit still.)

At the time of her diagnosis—aged 39—Philipps was undoubtedly best-known for her years on the Hollywood circuit, delivering lauded performances on shows like Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks and Cougar Town. Despite that high-powered showbiz career, it was her role as a mom (she shares two daughters with her ex-husband, screenwriter Marc Silverstein) that ultimately led her to reassess her mental health.

Six years later, Philipps is dedicated to using her platform to raise awareness: Among other initiatives, she recently partnered with Supernus Pharmaceuticals to launch “Ms. Represented”, a campaign that sheds light on how ADHD can affect women and girls.

ADHD has notoriously run undiagnosed and untreated among girls, but the tide has shifted visibly—the percentage of women newly diagnosed with ADHD between 23–29 and 30–49 years of age nearly doubled between 2020 and 2022. Many of them, like Philipps, were spurred to action following their child’s diagnosis. For her, it shed light on years of frustration and mental chaos. “I was in my late 30s and I had lived a very productive life, but I really did struggle with constantly feeling overwhelmed,” she reflects. “Always double booking plans; forgetting that I was supposed to be someplace; forgetting things that were important for my kids' school, like Spirit Day.”

Some might be surprised to learn that the glamorous actress who feels at home on red carpets was rattled by something like an elementary school Spirit Day, but Philipps knows other parents can relate to the mental load. “That took a toll on me, as I think it does a lot of parents, especially moms,” she says. “When you're feeling constantly behind, and you look [at other parents] and you're like, ‘Why is it so much easier for everyone else? And what is wrong with me?’”

That sense of isolation eased as Philipps sought out—and found—other women who were experiencing the same struggles. “One thing that I do think has been sort of great [about social media] is this destigmatizing of all kinds of neurodivergent ways of being,” she says. “We want our kids to live their best, most productive lives and feel good about themselves. So shake the shame and stigma off, for them and for you.”

With treatment (she takes the non-stimulant medication Qelbree from Supernus, among other supports), Philipps has come to feel more confident and capable in her parenting. “I feel like I have so many victories now in a way that I previously hadn’t,” she says. “I feel so much more able to show up and be present for my kids…that kind of thing has been the most freeing part.” After a moment, she adds: “And I think they appreciate me remembering Spirit Day.”