Most everyone in our town recognizes Perry Mandanis’s  voice. From his strong rendition of the National Anthem during our Memorial Day ceremonies, to his soulful performances with local bands on area stages, including our own Community Center where he has also directed holiday radio plays with Hampton thespians at Christmas time.  Many residents didn’t realize that Dr. Perry Mandanis is also a Child and Adult Psychiatrist until he contributed “prescriptions” to the Gazette during the pandemic to help people of all ages through that first year of fear and isolation.

Recently it’s come to our attention that Perry is also a respected expert in the assessment and treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A relatively common condition, approximately eight percent of children are diagnosed with ADHD which presents as inattentiveness and/or hyperactivity.  Dr. Mandanis first started working with children who were referred by schools, but mothers answering questions about their children’s behavior would frequently come to recognize something in themselves. Dr. Mandanis describes this realization as a “light bulb moment”, parents’ sudden understanding that they, too, had ADHD as children. As a result, he is now treating as many adults as children.

It is not a rare circumstance for mothers to discover later in life that their childhoods were also impacted by ADHD. The rate of adults with ADHD having children with ADHD is statistically significant, and females continue to be under-diagnosed in schools. According to Dr. Mandanis, the symptoms girls experience with ADHD appear less disruptive in the classroom environment than those of their male classmates. Consequently, the average age of diagnosis for women with ADHD is, disturbingly, 37. At this stage in their lives, women initially experience a sense of regret, recalling struggles which were untreated, a feeling later replaced with relief as the disorder is addressed.

With this broadening awareness in women, Dr. Mandanis has started to use social media platforms to disseminate information on ADHD. The goal of these posts is to provide skills for people dealing with ADHD, to increase awareness of neurodiversity, and to promote “the importance of self-compassion in understanding one’s past to create a more vibrant future.” In a year’s time, Dr. Mandanis has become a well-known national figure on the subject, and frequently receives messages of gratitude from women who, as a result of listening to the information on his channel, have obtained formal assessment and started treatment for themselves.

Thank you, Perry, for continuing to share your expertise, your wisdom, and your compassion with us, for using your “voice” in so many wonderful ways.

Dr. Mandanis can be followed on Instagram @perry.mandanis.md and on FaceBook at Perry Mandanis.