Published : 06 Sep 2026, 01:46 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:47 AM
Paris Hilton spent years feeling misunderstood in school, unable to focus no matter how hard she tried.
Now she knows why -- and she wants others in the same position to know they are not alone, reports Healthline.
The socialite and entrepreneur, who was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an adult, has spoken candidly about how the diagnosis transformed her understanding of herself.
"It was a huge relief," she told Healthline.
"So many things started making sense -- growing up, the way I felt, the way I was in life. It just all clicked for me."
As a child, Hilton said she was repeatedly punished at school simply because of how her brain worked, and that labels placed on her by others were deeply unfair.
"I just felt like no one understood the way I felt," she said.
Managing mornings proved particularly challenging until she began taking JORNAY PM, a prescription stimulant she takes at night that begins working around 10 hours later.
She says the medication has been transformative, helping her stay organised as both a mother and a business owner.
She has partnered with the drug's manufacturer, Collegium Pharmaceutical, to share her experience.
Justin Barterian, a psychologist and associate professor at Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center, said stimulant medications are among the most effective treatments for ADHD, improving attention and reducing hyperactivity.
He added that cognitive behavioural therapy and executive functioning skills training can also help -- particularly for managing anxiety and depression, which often accompany the condition.
Hilton is keen to reframe how ADHD is perceived.
Rather than focusing solely on its challenges, she credits the condition with fuelling her creativity and entrepreneurial drive.
"It's what gives me my creative sparkle," she said. "I really want people to embrace that rather than feel like something's wrong with them."
Her message to those struggling: be patient with yourself, connect with others in the ADHD community, and know that the condition does not define your ceiling.
"They can do whatever they want in life, and their dreams can come true," she said.
