Jermaine Pennant thought he was crazy before being diagnosed with

Jermaine Pennant thought he was ‘crazy’ before being diagnosed with ‘life-saving’ ADHD.

Jermaine Pennant has revealed he felt like a “maniac” for making a series of destructive decisions before being diagnosed with ADHD.

The former footballer, 40, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Friday to speak about his “life-changing” diagnosis and admitted it helped him understand his past choices.

While insisting he couldn’t “apologize” for his behavior, he shared his sadness at not being diagnosed until now because it would have made his relationships, work and life easier, noting that he is now “happier than ever”. ‘

Candid: Jermaine Pennant revealed on Good Morning Britain on Friday that he felt like a

Candid: Jermaine Pennant revealed on Good Morning Britain on Friday that he felt like a “maniac” for making a series of destructive decisions before being diagnosed with ADHD

ADHD is a behavioral disorder defined by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Of his diagnosis, Jermaine said: “It’s life changing because I’ve asked myself so many questions over the years. “Why do I leave destruction in my path?” Or “how did I get into certain situations?”

“I just thought it’s because I’m just crazy or I’m just not healthy and I have serious issues but don’t really realize what they are.

“I just went around in circles, made the same mistakes and said to myself, ‘I know I’m not a bad person, but why am I doing this?’

Career setbacks: He shared his sadness at not being diagnosed until now because it would have made his relationships, work and life easier, noting that he is now

Career setbacks: He shared his sadness at not being diagnosed until now because it would have made his relationships, work and life easier, noting that he is now “happier than ever” (pictured in 2011 for Stoke played).

WHAT IS ADHD?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral disorder defined by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

It affects about five percent of children in the US. About 3.6 percent of boys and 0.85 percent of girls suffer from it in the UK.

Symptoms typically appear at an early age and become more apparent as a child grows. This can also include:

  • Constant fidgeting
  • Bad concentration
  • Excessive movement or talking
  • Act without thinking
  • Little or no sense of danger
  • careless mistake
  • forgetfulness
  • Difficulty organizing tasks
  • Inability to listen or carry out instructions

Most cases are diagnosed between the ages of six and 12. Adults can also suffer from it, but there is less research on this.

The exact cause of ADHD is unclear, but it is thought to be due to genetic mutations that affect a person’s brain function and structure.

Premature babies and those with epilepsy or brain damage are at greater risk.

ADHD is also linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, Tourette’s disease and epilepsy.

There is no cure.

A combination of medication and therapy is usually recommended to relieve symptoms and make everyday life easier.

Source: NHS selection

He went on to explain that he believes his “troubled childhood” was responsible for the development of the disease.

Jermaine added, “When you start out, you develop ADHD in two ways. Either genetically from the family or as a child you develop it through trauma and your environment.

“I had a very troubled childhood, so my ADHD as a kid was a survival mode. I developed ADHD and it allowed me to survive.

“You can switch off when you get ADHD, or you can log on. My survival mode was to focus on football because that’s what I loved and that saved me.

“But as an adult, on the other hand, if you’re not diagnosed or aware of it, it becomes a negative and destructive.”

Jermaine said:

Jermaine said: “It’s life changing because I’ve asked myself so many questions over the years. “Why do I leave destruction in my path?” Or “how did I get into certain situations?”

Reflecting on how different things could have been if he’d known sooner, Jermaine added, “Now I’ve been diagnosed with everything I’ve done in my career, which I understand, all the things I’ve been through have, the mistakes that I’ve made.

“I understand why I got into fights with managers and TV bosses wouldn’t come near me because I couldn’t be trusted, I was unreliable.

“But if people knew I had ADHD, they would understand because you take risks, are ignorant of dangers, have consequences for other people, and are forgetful. When things get stressful or you can’t cope, seek validation.’

He added:

He added: “I just thought it’s up to me to just be crazy or just not being good and having serious issues but not really identifying what they were.”

Jermaine went on to reveal that it almost cost him his relationship with Ex On The Beach star Jess Impiazzi, who he has been dating for almost two years.

“If I hadn’t been diagnosed, we would have broken up because it’s so difficult to live with,” he explained.

“I have to take melatonin at night because I can’t sleep. It’s like trying to manage eight screens, it’s a very busy, active brain.

Nottingham-born Jermaine burst onto the scene as a teenager and became a £2million signing aged just 15, making his Arsenal debut aged 16.

He scored a hat-trick on his Premier League debut aged 20. He later admitted that he partied until 6am on the day of the game and won the game for his team hungover.

Despite his exceptional start, he only made five full starts for Arsenal in seven years and was loaned out to various clubs where his personal problems lingered.

Struggles: Jermaine went on to reveal that it almost cost him his relationship with Ex On The Beach star Jess Impiazzi, who he has been with for almost two years (pictured in November 2022)

Struggles: Jermaine went on to reveal that it almost cost him his relationship with Ex On The Beach star Jess Impiazzi, who he has been with for almost two years (pictured in November 2022)

In 2005, he was sentenced to three months in prison for drunk driving while he was disqualified after crashing his friend’s Mercedes into a lamppost.

After 30 days in prison he was released and his club Birmingham City stood by him. He was the first player to play in the Premier League with an electronic tag on his ankle.

His football career continued with a big money move to Liverpool, which brought him even more cash and even a Champions League winner’s medal before falling from grace.

After retiring from football, he made money from the last series of Celebrity Big Brother and media commitments including an occasion where he was accused of being drunk on Sky Sports News.

Past: Jermaine previously said his biggest regret was being jailed for three months for drunk driving in 2005 (pictured at Aylesbury Magistrates Court).

Past: Jermaine previously said his biggest regret was being jailed for three months for drunk driving in 2005 (pictured at Aylesbury Magistrates Court).