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The Surprising Origin Of The Word ‘Awful’ Might Just Change How You Use It

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If someone called you “awful” today, you’d probably be offended. But travel back a few hundred years and that same word would have been high praise.

Awful has one of the more dramatic reversals in the English language. It began as something genuinely admiring and ended up as something quite negative in everyday use.

“The word ‘awful’ traces back to the Old English root ege, meaning dread, reverence or profound respect,” Sophie Vignoles, a linguist and head of learning content at the language learning app Babbel, told HuffPost. “That origin shows in its early use. It originally meant something that filled you with awe, describing anything that inspired wonder or terror, often tied to the power of God or nature, and it was a compliment. A mountain range or a storm could be called awful, and that was high praise.”

The word awful goes back to Old English, with experts pointing to a ninth-century citation attributed to Alfred the Great. The Oxford English Dictionary has many examples of “awful” in texts from the subsequent centuries – generally meaning things like “inspiring respect, mixed with wonder or reverential fear.”

Basically, awful was the sort of word people reached for when ordinary language failed to describe things so powerful, majestic and grand that they inspired deep reverence – like the divine.

So, how did it evolve to mean something simply negative?

“The shift happened gradually through the 19th century,” Vignoles said. “Awe itself is a mixed emotion. It carries wonder but also fear and sometimes a sense of insignificance, and over time, English speakers leaned into the fearful side rather than the reverent one. Awful stopped meaning inspiring and started meaning overwhelming in a bad way.”

“Awful” was a much more complex word than its modern “very bad” definition would suggest.

bgblue via Getty Images

“Awful” was a much more complex word than its modern “very bad” definition would suggest.

For a long time, awful captured the complexity of awe and its connection to the sacred and sublime. But language tends to simplify over time, and people gradually started emphasising the dread over the wonder. Eventually “awful” became a weaker, more casual word.

The slide was gradual enough that it drew complaints along the way. Welsh writer Hester Lynch Piozzi asserted in 1794 that the word should “be used with caution and a due sense of its importance”.

“I have heard even well-bred ladies now and then attribute that term too lightly in their common conversation, connecting it with substances beneath its dignity,” she wrote.

Over the next century, the word came into its more modern meaning of unpleasant, not desirable or just very bad.

This kind of drift where a word sheds one meaning and picks up another is known as semantic shift, and it’s one of the most reliable patterns in the history of any language. Just as “nice” shifted from something negative to something positive, awful also completely reversed course – but in the opposite direction of positive to negative.

Thus, a word that once described the sublime now describes the merely terrible. Awful’s close cousin “awesome” makes the reversal even more striking.

Interestingly, the word awful actually predates awesome by centuries, though the two had similar meanings for a stretch. As both words weakened in meaning over time, awesome shifted to a more positive connotation of “good” or “cool” while awful came to mean “very bad.”

“Awesome comes from the exact same root but took the opposite path, which shows how unpredictable this kind of drift can be,” Vignoles noted.

The awful/awesome split isn’t even unique within English. “Terrific” and “terrible” come from the same Latin root and once shared the same basic meaning: inspiring terror or dread. Today, terrible has kept that negative sense while terrific has traveled so far in the opposite direction that it’s essentially a synonym for wonderful. Thus we have another pair of sibling words that started in the same place and ended up miles apart.

“It shows that meaning is never fixed. It is negotiated by whoever is using the word at the time,” Vignoles said, pointing to Babbel’s research on the way American English has evolved in honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary this year.

“Awful is a useful reminder that English often trades one meaning for another,” she added. “This kind of reversal is not unique to English either. In Russian, the word grozny once carried a sense of majesty and awe-inspiring power. Ivan Grozny, usually translated into English as Ivan the Terrible, was not originally meant as a purely negative title. Over time, the word narrowed toward its harsher, more fearsome sense, much like awful did in English.”

So, the next time something is so bad it’s almost impressive, you should feel comfortable calling it awful, in keeping with the word’s original meaning. But if you find something so good it inspires awe, you should probably opt for a different word so as not to offend.

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‘Normal’ Means Different Things To GPs And Patients, And It May Affect Treatment

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Let’s say you go to your doctor with a documented, ongoing case of psoriasis. You might complain of itchy and flaky skin.

To your surprise, though, your GP tells you these symptoms are “normal”. You might feel dismissed or as if your problems can’t be addressed; maybe you’ll be less likely to seek treatment.

At least, that’s what a recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour suggests.

It said that, while doctors might hope to reassure patients by calling well-understood symptoms “normal,” data shows it could actually make people with health issues think nothing can be done about their problems.

That might mean they don’t look for or ask about solutions like medications, even when they may be both available and useful.

Professor On Amir, the study’s senior author, told Pulse Today: “Doctors shouldn’t stop reassuring patients. But they should make their meaning unmistakable”.

So, HuffPost UK spoke to Dr Dominic Greenyer, a GP and director at The Health Suite, about what “normal” means to a doctor.

Wait – doesn’t ‘normal’ mean everything’s fine?

I’ll be honest: I always thought being told an issue is “normal” by a doctor meant everything was OK, and nothing more could be done.

But sometimes, Dr Greenyer said, that’s a miscommunication.

“When a doctor describes a symptom as ‘normal’, they will often mean that it’s common, expected in a particular situation, or consistent with a certain stage of life. It does not necessarily mean the symptom is insignificant, imaginary or something the patient simply has to tolerate,” he said.

For instance, hot flushes are “normal” during menopause and perimenopause, and pain is “normal” after surgery. However, the GP said that doesn’t mean they need to be tolerated or that they can’t be addressed with appropriate medication.

“’Common’ and ‘untreatable’ are two very different things,” he added.

And, the doctor said, doctors might say lab results or exams that fall within an expected range are normal.

“In that context, it may reassure us that we have not found evidence of a particular disease, but it does not automatically explain why someone feels unwell or mean that no further help is available,” he claimed.

“This study highlights how easily well-intentioned reassurance can be misunderstood. A doctor may be trying to say, ‘This is recognised, and you are not alone’, while the patient hears, ‘There is nothing wrong, and nothing can be done’. Clinicians need to make that distinction explicit.”

Reassurance alone might not be enough

In the Nature study, the authors tested two ways to close that communication gap: asking doctors to explain what “normal” means in a medical sense when using the word, and offering some next steps to patients after normalising their symptoms.

Both appeared to lead to better results.

Dr Greenyer said: “Ideally, reassurance should be followed by a clear plan. That might involve discussing treatment options, explaining how long the symptom is expected to last, arranging follow-up or telling the patient what changes should prompt them to seek help again.”

And if that doesn’t happen, it might be worth your while taking the lead.

“Patients should not be afraid to ask, ‘When you say normal, do you mean it is harmless, or simply that it is common?’. They can also ask whether treatment is available and what they should do if the symptom persists, worsens, or begins affecting everyday life,” the GP concluded.

“Being told something is normal should never be interpreted as an instruction to ignore a significant change in your health. If symptoms are severe, persistent, worsening or accompanied by warning signs such as unexplained weight loss, unusual bleeding, a new lump, chest pain or breathing difficulties, further medical advice may still be needed.”

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Can Andy Burnham Really Live Up To His Promise To Ease The Cost Of Living?

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Andy Burnham vowed to give Brits “some breathing space” when it comes to the cost of living during his first speech as prime minister.

That was only a month ago – and he has already unveiled a series of policies aimed at making everyday life a little easier for the general public.

But just last week, Burnham also admitted that the changes he made might not be enough.

He told the BBC: “We will do everything that is possible for us to do. But I think everyone knows I am in position with limited room for manoeuvre.”

It was a noteworthy admission considering he has made the cost of living the central mission for his government.

Burnham has implemented a £2 cap on single bus rides, scrapped VAT on household electricity bills and announced a ban on “subscription traps”.

He unveiled a 20% cut to business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues from April onwards.

His government have also promised to help the number of unemployed young people as the number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in work surpassed a million this year for the first time in more than a decade.

The incremental changes he has unveiled appear to have had some cut-through, his net favourability rating of +13 is the highest for any prime minster since Boris Johnson at the start of the Covid pandemic, according to YouGov.

Labour has finally started to take the lead in some opinion polls, ending Reform UK’s monopoly over prime position.

But, as Burnham alluded to when speaking to the BBC, there are plenty of obstacles which stop him from being able to make significant changes to the cost of living.

For instance, UK inflation rose to 2.9% in July due to rising energy costs driven by the Iran war.

Britain refused to get directly involved with this conflict but it continues to destabilise global fuel prices and therefore impacts British energy bills.

Though this is out of the government’s control, there’s a risk voters will still end up blaming the government – as they did when the Russian invasion of Ukraine caused a spike in energy prices in 2022.

Energy regulator Ofgem is expecting the price cap for household energy bills in Britain to rise by 4% in October.

Energy bills are forecast to hit a three-year high this winter as well, eclipsing any benefits from Burnham’s VAT cut on electricity bills.

There is a growing body of support for expanding drilling in the North Sea for oil and gas to boost the economy and reduce Britain’s dependence on international energy imports.

However, after a series of record-breaking heatwaves worsened by manmade climate change, it’s unclear if Burnham will risk upsetting environmentalists by extending existing North Sea licences.

The summer heatwaves and the subsequent droughts have rocked the agricultural sector too.

Farmers fear for their yields will be hugely impacted in the months to come – meaning groceries are likely to go up in price.

Dr Liliana Danila, chief economist at the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) said: “Supply chain disruption isn’t going away.

“Alongside geopolitical volatility, extreme weather will continue to put pressure on the price of key ingredients. This makes it increasingly difficult for food manufacturers to shield consumers from price rises and protect their our resilience.”

The Bank of England will decide whether to raise interest rates next month, which could add another layer of pressure to Burnham.

Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks during a TV interview at The Hub Cafe following a visit to Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham speaks during a TV interview at The Hub Cafe following a visit to Ilkeston, Derbyshire, England, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.

via Associated Press

The TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, said: “With inflation ticking up because of rising energy bills – and no end in sight to Trump’s illegal war in Iran – we are going to have to see more government action to support households in the coming months.”

But where will this money come from? UK debt is nearing £3 trillion, which represents 94.1% of gross domestic product (GDP).

It comes after official figures showed an unexpected hike in government borrowing to £1.8 billion.

Speculation that the government will therefore raise taxes to meet its spending commitments is therefore rising.

All eyes will be on chancellor John Healey when he unveils his Budget on Wednesday, October 28.

The prime minister has tried not to raise the public’s expectations too high when it comes to what he can do to help the cost of living – he wrote on social media this week: “We won’t fix everything overnight.

“But wherever my government can make life a little easier, fairer or more affordable, we will. “

His last two predecessors, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, tried to adopt a similar message – and neither won any plaudits from the public for doing so.

The question is whether Brits will even feel the changes Burnham intends to make.

“There’s a lot to be said for the politics of trying,” More in Common’s executive director, Luke Tryl, told the Resolution Foundation this week.

“What Burnham has is an opportunity to say to the public that we can’t do everything immediately.

“And I think they understand that international affairs are a big driver of this, but it’s sort of saying, we’ve looked at areas where we can make a difference and we’re doing that.

“It may be that he cannot meet public expectations on this and it goes the other way of other previous prime ministers.

“But I don’t think there’s an option of not being seen to do this.”

Burnham is, of course, still enjoying the honeymoon period. But will he able to live up to his own expectations?

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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2026’s ‘Unprecedented’ El Niño May Lead To UK Storms By November

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Early this year, researchers became convinced we were in for a “super El Niño”.

Speaking to HuffPost UK way back in April, Professor Bill McGuire, a professor specialising in climate hazards and author of The Fate Of The World: A History And Future Of The Climate Crisis, said: “El Niño is a climate phenomenon that develops every few years, and which involves the eastern and central equatorial Pacific Ocean becoming hotter than normal.”

The signals suggesting the power of the coming phenomenon have been so strong that the UN issued an urgent climate warning over the issue. Prof McGuire told us: “The signs are that it could even be the biggest for a century and a half”.

Now, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today, Professor Adam Scaife, the head of long-range forecasting at the Met Office, agreed, saying it looks like the next El Niño will be “the largest since the 19th century”.

Why is this El Niño such a big deal?

“During a normal El Niño, the temperature of the equatorial Pacific Ocean typically reaches 0.5°C or more above normal,” Prof McGuire shared previously,

“If this figure reaches 1.5-2°C, the event is described as a super El Niño.”

On BBC Radio 4, Prof Scaife stated: “We’re expecting the biggest El Niño for over a century, peaking at something over 3°C. That is unheard of in modern climate records… It’s up 2°C already.”

We’ve only had five super El Niños in the last 75 years, with the most extreme being the 2015-16 event. The bigger the El Niño, the stronger its effects on the world’s weather systems.

That means we could see “particularly strong [impacts] throughout the tropics, where we expect really severe droughts in places like South America and the west Pacific”, Prof Scaife explained.

Flooding could happen in other parts of the world, and overall, the globe will likely be left hotter.

These destabilising effects could affect everything from our international food supply to disease and fire risk. The economic burden of previous El Niños has run into the trillions of dollars.

How will this El Niño affect the UK?

Though they are linked to an overall hotter climate, the effects of El Niños vary from place to place. In the UK, for instance, they can sometimes lead to colder winters.

Prof Scaife said: “There are wave-like disturbances that come out from the tropics and affect places like the UK. So we already see signals for increased rainfall and storminess in the autumn here in the UK around November time”.

After an emergency meeting last week, meanwhile, PM Andy Burnham also said: “We might be in for a wet autumn and winter straight after this, because of El Niño and some of the issues there, which was reported to Cobra”.

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Father Of Hayden Panettiere’s Daughter Marks Late Actor’s Birthday With Emotional Post

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The former fiancé of actor Hayden Panettiere has shared a poignant message on what would have been her 37th birthday.

On Friday afternoon, the Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko – the father of Hayden’s 11-year-old daughter, with whom the actor was in an on-off relationship for the better part of a decade – shared a snapshot of the late Scream star on Instagram, thanking those who’ve shown “love and support” in the days since her death.

“Today is Hayden’s birthday,” he wrote. “Instead of celebrating the way we had planned, today we celebrate her life, her spirit, and the love she brought into this world.

“I want to thank all of Hayden’s fans, friends, and everyone who has reached out for the incredible outpouring of love and support. At a time filled with so much sadness, your kindness has reminded me that there is still so much good in humanity.”

Wladimir continued: “If you’re reading this, I ask just one thing: even if only for a moment, think about LOVE. Reach out to a friend. Forgive someone. Be kind. Love is a superpower. Use it.”

“Happy birthday, Hayden,” he concluded. “You are loved, you are missed, and you will never be forgotten.”

Earlier this week, Wladimir first paid tribute to the mother of his daughter in a lengthy X post.

“The announcement of Hayden’s tragic death saddens me deeply. She left this world far too soon,” he lamented. “Hayden was, although no longer my partner, an important part of my life and the mother of our daughter, Kaya.

“She built an incredible career through immense talent, while also facing the darker sides of a very demanding industry. Nothing will erase the times we shared or the place she had in our lives.”

“To our daughter Kaya, I will always speak of her mother with respect and make sure she remembers the person she was,” he continued.

“I extend my deepest condolences to Hayden’s parents, her friends, and her fans, who are also grieving today. Young and talented people like Hayden should not leave this world so soon.”

Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere in 2011
Wladimir Klitschko and Hayden Panettiere in 2011

Henry Lamb/Photowire/BEI/Shutterstock

Earlier this year, Hayden spoke candidly about the issues she’d faced throughout her time in the spotlight in her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

This included opening up about her past struggles with abuse, addiction and her mental health.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Hayden’s death is ongoing, with an autopsy report indicating earlier this week that there had been “no signs” of any physical trauma.

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Andy Burnham Shrugs Off Questions About Harry And Meghan’s UK Security

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Andy Burnham has shrugged off queries about how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be protected once they return to the UK.

Harry and Meghan moved to the US in 2020 after choosing to step down from their royal duties but will be relocating to a non-royal residence outside of London later this month.

The Duke of Sussex, who is fifth in line to the British throne, lost a legal challenge over how much state-funded security he and his family are entitled to while in Britain last year.

His trip to the UK last month was even put on hold briefly after his request for policy protection was rejected.

The revelation that he is now bringing his wife and two children back to the UK has therefore come as a shock.

When asked how the non-working royals will be protected while in Britain, the prime minister said their security a “private matter”.

“Well, this is a private matter,” he told reporters while on a visit to West Yorkshire. “It’s a matter for for Harry and for Megan, and we wish them well in the moves that they’re making.”

Education secretary Lucy Powell also told LBC: “I think that the vast majority of your listeners will welcome that news and – they obviously are not working royals anymore – and want to come back to this country.

“I assume because we do have great schools, great education, that’s why many people do return to this country and choose this country to bring up their children in.

“And I hope that this is all part of a bigger reconciliation for the family because you know the royal family is very important to this country and to our reputation around the world, and you know I for one think it’s great to have Harry and Meghan and their family back here.”

Harry and Meghan’s children, seven-year-old Prince Archie and five-year-old Princess Lilibet, are in the line of succession behind their father.

They have been enrolled in a British school from September onwards, suggesting the Sussexes intend to be back in the UK for the long-haul.

Harry and his family went to visit his father King Charles in July in Highgrove, though it’s thought their move back to Britain was not discussed.

The monarch was reportedly only told about their decision to relocate on Sunday, though he is said to welcome the idea of seeing his family more in a personal capacity.

Harry and Meghan are expected to continue living as private individuals.

Their return to the UK comes six years after the Sussexes dramatically fell out with the Royal Family and moved across the Atlantic amid heightened press scrutiny.

While the couple’s relationship with Charles and his wife Queen Camilla appears to be on the mend after their July visit, it’s unclear if they have built bridges with the Prince and Princess of Wales.

The King had not see his grandchildren for more than four years prior to the Sussexes’ trip earlier this summer, and the Duke of Sussex previously said security fears had stopped him bringing his family to the UK.

Harry and Meghan have not been seen publicly in the UK since they attended the 2022 funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

A Home Office spokesperson said decision on the security of royals were taken by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures.

They said: “The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate.

“It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”

The Home Office, the Metropolitan Police and the royal household all sit on that executive committee.

They work together to advise the independent chair in making decisions, based on expert risk assessments and in line with government policy.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Radio Presenter Trevor Nelson Shares Brain Tumour Diagnosis

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DJ and radio presenter Trevor Nelson has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Back in June, Trevor announced he would be taking a step back from his work commitments on Radio 2 and Radio 1Xtra on medical grounds.

“After a routine check-up I was advised to have some follow up tests. As a result, I will be taking some further time off,” he said at the time. “As I’m sure you can appreciate with health issues, it’s important to deal with facts and not speculate.

“So I’m concentrating on getting better, being back to 100% me and to getting back behind the mic and the decks.”

On Thursday afternoon, Trevor shared a video on Instagram, explaining that he’d spent the last month at home recovering from brain surgery.

“A lot of you may have seen the post that I put up at the start of summer saying that I was stepping back from all my work commitments due to illness,” he began. “There’s been a lot of speculation as to what’s wrong with me, I know that much – my phone’s blown up 20 times over with people asking what’s wrong with me.

“Due to the love and positive vibes thousands of you have literally been sending me, I felt that I should at least tell you what was wrong with me, and what happened to me.”

He continued: “I’m not going to go into it all now, and I will probably deep dive into it at a later date, so you can hear the whole crazy story. But I’ll tell you this, I was minding my own business, and then it was discovered that I had a brain tumour.

“As you can imagine, I was shocked, in fact, my world was turned upside down. It was a shock to myself, my close family and friends, and you can imagine, quite literally, my head was all over the place.

“I knew I had to stop work because I couldn’t be that guy on the radio, knowing I had that going on. So affirmative action had to be taken, I was given my choices of what I could do, and a few weeks later, I had a very serious surgery. Thankfully, it went incredibly well, and in the last month, I’ve been at home, recuperating, resting and recovering, and getting some post-op treatment as well.”

Trevor insisted: “I can only tell you the truth, and the truth is, I feel great right now. I feel ready to come back, I feel energised, I feel almost back to myself. Yes, I’ve had a really serious situation, but I’ve come out the other side at this point. I feel great, I feel raring to go, and I feel in good health.

“I’m playing golf, I’m doing a bit of gym, I’m doing all the things that I normally used to do, bar being on the radio and doing gigs – so let’s get that straight, and let’s get that back to normal as soon as possible. So please, don’t worry about me. I’m on the mend, I really am.”

Trevor is currently a weekend presenter on Radio 2, and hosted a Sunday morning show on 1Xtra until his recent health issues.

Radio 2’s official Instagram account shared a message under Trevor’s post, which read: “Sending you so much love Trevor! Can’t wait to have you back.”

His former BBC colleague Clara Amfo said: “Thank God for your brilliant surgeons, you’re meant to be here UT! Love you.”

“So good to see your face Trevor and learn that you’re doing well. Huge healing love to you wonderful man,” wrote Zoe Ball, while Jack Saunders also commented: “So glad you’re feeling better [and] more like yourself mate. We need you. Sending all the love and can’t wait to have you back doing what you do best!”

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‘Dangerous And Unnecessary’: Labour Slammed For Giving Asylum Seekers Pamphlets On Sexual Consent

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The government has been slammed for giving asylum seekers pamphlets on behaviour and expectations in the UK around sexual consent.

The Home Office has published a guide for those arriving in Britain telling them not to rape or sexually harass people, including partners and children.

The documents also tell refugees that women are allowed to “earn their own money” and “make their own decisions about their lives”.

The guidance, which appears to be aimed at men, claims people in the UK are expected not to make sexual remarks about someone “even if you think it is a compliment”.

It also urges asylum seekers not to make “kissing sounds” at someone, follow someone around or “block their path”, make rude or offensive gestures or “verbally abuse someone because of their gender, religion or how they look”.

The pamphlets warn asylum seekers they could end up in trouble with the authorities, lose their accommodation or face issues with their asylum claim if they are found to have broken the law.

The guidance is part of a nine-page document called, “Understanding behaviours and expectations in the UK: a guide for asylum seekers”.

Green peer Jenny Jones told Sky News: “This is a dangerous and unnecessary move by the Home Office which feeds into right wing tropes, and fuels the misinformation around migrants and people seeking asylum which has resulted in violent protests outside places where migrants are being housed, and attacks on migrants themselves.

“Shabana Mahmood needs to apologise for this grave error of judgement and take responsibility for any future consequences.

“We support consent education, but it needs to be universal. There is no evidence violence against women and girls is higher amongst migrants and people seeking asylum than among the general population.

“CPS research found that 30% of people do not recognise that being married or in a relationship means consent cannot be assumed, so why are only asylum seekers being told this is wrong?”

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp also slammed the brochures, saying: “Instead of trying to train these mainly young, male illegal immigrants to behave in a civilised way towards women, they should be deported.”

Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf said the guidance was a “disgrace”.

Prime minister Andy Burnham defended the brochures on Wednesday afternoon, telling broadcasters: “As a government we have a very clear principle. If you break UK law, you will be removed from the country.

“I’m currently working to ensure that foreign national offenders who can be removed from the prison system are removed from that system.”

He added: “So it follows that if we’re taking this approach it’s made explicitly clear what the UK law is and what the societal norms of the UK are and that’s why this approach is being taken now.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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Channel 4’s Great ADHD Myth Documentary Dramatically Divides Viewers

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A documentary questioning whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a genuine condition or a social construct has aired on Channel 4 – and it’s proven predictably divisive.

The show, titled The Great ADHD Myth?, has prompted a wave of responses online from doctors, charities and people with the disorder who are concerned it will contribute to stigma surrounding the condition.

A reactionary survey by the charity ADHD UK in the wake of the documentary revealed that (at the time of writing), of 1,566 people who watched the show, 92% believe it has increased stigma surrounding ADHD, while 93% do not believe the show was fair in its representation of the condition.

ADHD UK’s CEO and co-founder, Henry Shelford, told HuffPost UK: “We are shocked by this programme. The fact it got commissioned at all speaks to the stigma around ADHD – a stigma that is now likely to get worse because of this show.”

The charity had previously penned an open letter to Channel 4 urging it to make a series of changes to the documentary before its release, including a review of the title and for the broadcaster to “make clear on screen where contributors’ views sit relative to mainstream clinical consensus”.

What was Channel 4’s ADHD documentary about?

The documentary followed NHS psychiatrist and Daily Mail columnist, Dr Max Pemberton, as he spoke to medical experts who questioned the conventional narrative around ADHD.

One such expert, Dr Iona Heath, the former president of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “It’s certainly not a medical condition as far as I’m concerned.” Another child psychiatrist said: “In 100 years’ time people are going to wonder, ‘How could we be so gullible?’”

The show posed a number of questions including whether ADHD is a disorder or social construct, how it should be treated (including whether diet and lifestyle changes could help), whether medication is the right approach and who benefits from increasing diagnoses.

Dr Pemberton – who remains certain he doesn’t have ADHD – underwent a private assessment (costing £1,200) and was diagnosed with combined ADHD and a prescription for medication.

The documentary also followed a family who wanted to see whether holistic lifestyle changes could eliminate their 10-year-old son’s use of ADHD medication. The pills “take my fun-ness away”, he said, however the programme noted at the end he did go back on them.

ADHD UK’s survey found 80% of those surveyed said it wasn’t “responsible” for a broadcaster to film a 10-year-old stopping his ADHD medication for television.

In response, Channel 4 told HuffPost UK: “The welfare of the boy and his family were of paramount importance both before, during and after the production process. An independent doctor, his GP, and a health and safety company were consulted.

“Advice was also taken from three independent psychiatrists on the medication break. This programme was produced in compliance with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.”

The Times’ review of the show called its arguments “convincing, or at least the start of a necessary discussion”, although they did note “there was no real counter-argument offered to the idea of ADHD as a ‘myth’”.

Meanwhile the Guardian said Dr Pemberton “answers his questions convincingly”, highlighting the remedies proposed at the end, such as changing diet, screen and activity levels first, adapting schools to children’s needs, and making medication the last resort “seem neither radical nor uncompassionate”.

Both publications gave the doc four stars.

The show sparked backlash from people with ADHD

The NHS says ADHD is a “complex neurodevelopmental disorder, which starts in childhood and often persists into adulthood” and “is associated with significant impairment”. It’s also recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

It is marked by a persistent pattern (at least six months) of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that has a direct negative impact in more than one setting – ie. home, school, work – on academic, occupational, or social functioning.

Shelford, who has ADHD, said the latest Channel 4 documentary “is a travesty in its missed opportunity to help slay myths around ADHD; instead, it has added to them”.

He said ADHD “can be extraordinarily tough” and pointed to UCL-led research which showed UK adults with diagnosed ADHD have a shorter life expectancy. There was a reduction in life expectancy for men with diagnosed ADHD of between 4.5 and nine years, and between 6.5 and 11 years for women.

“Our failure to support people with ADHD should be a national scandal – instead we’re getting TV shows undermining the disorder,” he said.

“We have already complained to Ofcom and will be following up with a more detailed complaint.” The charity has also encouraged others to make complaints to the regulator.

“We are worried that this will cost lives by putting people in need off getting an ADHD assessment and from getting support,” added Shelford.

Others were quick to share their thoughts on the controversial documentary on social media after it aired.

Clinical psychologist Dr Emily Compton-Smith wrote on Instagram: “We should absolutely be able to discuss diagnosis, and where things could be improved.”

That said, she was “troubled” by “how one-sided the programme felt,” she continued, adding that “what felt missing … was the voice of the people actually living it”.

She also aired concerns that “many people will watch it and come away more sceptical of ADHD, while people with ADHD will once again be left feeling like they need to justify themselves”.

Adam Dance, the Liberal Democrat MP for Yeovil, who also has ADHD, shared a cross-party letter which he’d sent to Channel 4, saying he is “deeply concerned by the framing and language used to promote the documentary and by the potential consequences for people with ADHD and their families”.

Meanwhile others praised the show as “fantastic” and “inspirational”.

One in five (20%) people who watched the show and responded to ADHD UK’s survey said the programme had caused them ‘severe’ distress, with 38% saying it caused ‘significant’ distress.

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Putin Aide Claims He ‘Feels Sorry’ For The UK After Russian Embassy’s Threats

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A top aide to Vladimir Putin has bizarrely declared he “feels sorry” for the UK after Britain was threatened by the Russian Embassy in London over its support for Ukraine.

Moscow’s representatives in the UK warned of the “consequences” following confirmation that British-made drones had been used in recent Ukrainian attacks in Russia.

The embassy claimed Britain was “deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine crisis,” and said the “deeper its involvement in the conflict… the higher the price it will pay”.

UK prime minister Andy Burnham remained unperturbed by the threats on Tuesday, telling reporters that the UK was “providing support so that Ukraine can defend itself and that’s been the British position all the way through this conflict, by previous prime ministers – it remains the case with me”.

Asked about the spat with the UK on Wednesday, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov tried to deliver yet another threat as he again suggested Britain is directly involved in the war.

He told the media: “I feel sorry for the United Kingdom, if it is going to stand with Ukraine until the very end.

“As for the substance of our Embassy’s comment, it means only one thing: President Vladimir Putin has warned of our right to act in any area of the world’s oceans, should anyone encroach on our interests or our property.

“We have exactly the same right to regard the proudly announced direct involvement of British missile forces in strikes against the Russian Federation as participation in the war. With all the consequences that entails.”

His remarks come after a former deputy foreign minister of Russia told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that many in Moscow interpret the recent strikes from Ukraine as proof the UK is “part of the war”.

“The situation now is very dangerous, because the tension of conflict in Ukraine really is increasing,” Andrei Federov added. “The coming couple of months will face this tension, this escalation which can bring us to totally different situation unlike ever before.”

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

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