Copyright mirror
Sir Anthony Hopkins has risked the wrath of mental health charities as he has claimed that ADHD, OCD and Asperger's are "nonsense" conditions. The actor has previously said that he believes he could be neurodivergent and has been open about struggling with alcoholism, admitting that he has found himself angry for no reason but couldn't quite work it out. The Oscar winning actor told the Sunday Times : "Well, I guess I'm cynical because it's all nonsense, it's all rubbish; ADHD OCD, Asperger's, blah, blah, blah. 'Oh God, it's called living, it's just being a human being, full of tangled webs and mysteries and stuff that's in us, full of warts and grime and craziness, it’s the human condition. All these labels, I mean, who cares? But now it's fashion." But Anthony runs the risk of offending many people who suffer with those conditions. Henry Shelford, CEO and co-founder of ADHD UK told the Mirror : "It is easy for those that have found their perfect spot, where their individuality and difference helps them succeed, to forget how hard it is for those that haven't. "A diagnosis of ADHD or Autism isn't like a coat bought off a fast-fashion rack. Assessments require medical specialists and NHS waits are usually measured in years or even decades. "We know people with ADHD can have amazing success. But we also how hard having ADHD is. In particular from the statistics on suicide that show 1 in 4 women with ADHD and 1 in 10 men with ADHD will at some point try to take their own life. "Overall life expectancy is 9 years lower for a woman with ADHD and 7 years lower for a man with ADHD. Having ADHD can be extraordinarily hard and comments like this makes it harder for those struggling the most." Anthony revealed that his third wife Stella Arroyave told him she thought he had Asperger's Syndrome, which is a now-defunct term. Asperger's is no longer used as a term and the condition is instead part of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) after it was found to be hard to differentiate from ASD, and the discovery of Hans Asperger's, whom the condition was named after, ties to the Nazi regime. Anthony said he has been encouraged to see a psychiatrist as a result of his anger issues and saying he has felt he is "putting on a mask every morning". However, he has remained saying he doesn't believe in neurodiversity. Anthony has been open about struggling with alcohol in the past. He said he was drink driving in California when he realised he had a issue that he needed to sort out. Soon after he saw his ex-agent at an event and told them that he needed help. He then used a 12-step programme in Los Angeles. Last December Anthony marked five decades of being sober in a video he posted to social media. He told his 5.3 million followers that help is available for those who need it. He said: "If you do have a problem - having fun is wonderful, having a drink is fine - but if you are having a problem with the booze, there is help. "It's not a terrible deal - it's a condition if you're allergic to alcohol, get some help, there's plenty of help around. One thing I didn't realize, that I was not unique. There are thousands of people around like me - anyway, I got sober and, it sounds a dull word, but I've had a wonderful life. "They still employ me, they still give me jobs. I'm going to be 87 in two days now." The actor captioned the clip: "One day at a time. 49 years. Life is in session." Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .
