If you’ve ever scrolled through Busy Philipps’ Instagram or caught her lighting up a talk show, you get it. She’s a vibe. She doesn’t just ‘exist.’ She connects. She has a raw, real presence that’s impossible to ignore. But behind all that bold energy is a side you don’t always see. A woman who knows what it’s like to feel constantly overwhelmed, always on the go, and easily distracted. It wasn’t until recent years that she realized these were symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Qelbree® (viloxazine extended-release capsules) is a prescription medicine used to treat ADHD in adults and children 6 years and older. Please click here for full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, and Medication Guide.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Qelbree may increase suicidal thoughts and actions, in children and adults with ADHD, especially within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed. Tell your doctor if you or your child have (or if there is a family history of) suicidal thoughts or actions before starting Qelbree. Monitor your or your child’s moods, behaviors, thoughts, and feelings during treatment with Qelbree. Report any new or sudden changes in these symptoms right away.
Important Safety Information continued below.
ADHD is a disorder characterized by an ongoing pattern of symptoms that fall into one or more categories: inattention (like struggling to pay attention or stay organized), hyperactivity (like being restless or talking excessively), and impulsivity (like interrupting or acting without thinking).
With refreshing candor, Philipps is using her voice to shine a light on something long overlooked, especially for women: ADHD doesn’t just look one way, and it certainly doesn’t fit into a neat little box. She’s helping rewrite the narrative into something fuller, more honest, and finally reflective of real life.
For most of her life, Philipps only knew that what seemed easy for others felt constantly overwhelming for her. Growing up, school was a series of uphill battles, with Philipps constantly working overtime to stay afloat with homework assignments or not get side-tracked in class.
“I was a kid — I had no idea what it meant to have ADHD or what was going on inside my brain. It didn’t help that the only kid I knew who was actually diagnosed with ADHD was the one bouncing off the walls with energy. But for me, that wasn’t exactly relatable or a representation of the symptoms that I was experiencing,” she says.
Sitting in that room and hearing the healthcare provider discuss my daughter’s symptoms — it was like the lightbulb moment where I thought, ‘Wait, this is totally me.’
It makes sense. Not many people know that ADHD can look different person to person, especially when it comes to men and women. Boys and men with ADHD often tend to present the more well-known, stereotypical hyperactive symptoms (think: being unable to sit still and always fidgeting). But for girls and women, who often experience more inattentive symptoms, they might instead come off as disorganized, easily distracted, or constantly overwhelmed by the little things. In short, women’s ADHD experiences can be misrepresented.
Which is why Philipps, who now takes Qelbree, a non-stimulant prescription ADHD medication for people 6 years and older, has become an outspoken advocate for ADHD awareness.
For Philipps, the challenges she experienced as a child in the classroom continued as an adult in the workspace. Despite being a naturally productive person and cultivating a successful career on screen, Philipps spent years struggling with organization and staying on task in the same way everyone else seemed to. So, she did what many other women juggling work, motherhood, and everything in between do: she simply tried to… keep up.
It wasn’t until her daughter was diagnosed with ADHD that the puzzle pieces finally fell into place. As the healthcare provider explained the symptoms her daughter was experiencing, a startling realization dawned on Philipps: this was her story, too. “Sitting in that room and hearing the healthcare provider discuss my daughter’s symptoms — it was like the lightbulb moment where I thought, ‘Wait, this is totally me.’” She ended up talking to her own healthcare provider and was diagnosed with ADHD soon after.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (CONTINUED)
You should not take Qelbree if you or your child:
Take a medicine for depression called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or have stopped taking an MAOI in the past 14 days. Also, you or your child should avoid alosetron, duloxetine, ramelteon, tasimelteon, tizanidine, and theophylline.
Qelbree can increase blood pressure and heart rate. Your or your child’s doctor will monitor these vital signs.
Important Safety Information continued below.
“Once I got diagnosed with ADHD and started talking to my healthcare provider about ways to help make my symptoms manageable, all I could feel was just this sense of the weight being taken off my shoulders,” Philipps describes.
Philipps’ story isn’t uncommon. Many women don’t get an ADHD diagnosis or find treatment to help manage their symptoms until their late 30s or 40s. That’s often because inattentive symptoms may go unrecognized. In fact, boys are twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, leaving many girls and women undiagnosed — and unaware of treatment options, like Qelbree, that could help manage their symptoms. And many women even share Philipps’ exact experience: finally connecting the dots once their child is diagnosed with ADHD.
There’s no reason women should have to work overtime to try and make their ADHD symptoms feel manageable.
For Philipps, finally learning that she had ADHD didn’t just give her an explanation. It gave her permission to stop blaming herself for things that weren’t her fault and learn how to help manage her ADHD symptoms. And like the symptoms themselves, when it comes to treatments, there’s no one-size-fits-all.
After discussing different options with her healthcare provider, they agreed that a non-stimulant medication — like Qelbree — would be the best fit to help manage her ADHD symptoms. Qelbree is a convenient once-a-day, non-stimulant prescription ADHD treatment for adults and children ages 6 years and older. Because Qelbree is a non-stimulant, prescriptions may be written for 90 days of treatment without needing a refill from a healthcare provider. Qelbree can also be taken each day in the morning or at night. Between balancing her own schedule alongside her two kids’, this once-a-day convenience is really important for her.
“I was super lucky to find a treatment that works for me,” says Philipps. “Even the little things, like being able to take the time to sit down and take a break without getting distracted by the next thing, has made a big difference for me. It’s like a breath of fresh air.”
I’ve heard it all — people thinking ADHD means you’re lazy, unreliable, disorganized, unmotivated, or whatever.
But while she has found a way to help manage her own symptoms, it’s not lost on her that many women still go undiagnosed and untreated. And if you ask Philipps, the fact that so many women with ADHD are overlooked is only exacerbated by the reality that many women may tend to internalize their symptoms.
“As women, we’re pros at making it seem like we’ve got it all handled. But what’s on the inside? Total chaos! It all feels completely out of control, but nobody can tell. It’s seriously exhausting, and as a result, we end up masking or overcompensating for what we’re experiencing without even realizing it. It’s like we’re working so much harder just to keep up,” she says. “There’s no reason women should have to work overtime to try and make their ADHD symptoms feel manageable.”
Studies show that women with ADHD often engage in masking behaviors in order to conform to societal expectations. Philipps herself has been victim of stigma. “Ugh, I’ve heard it all — people thinking ADHD means you’re lazy, unreliable, disorganized, unmotivated, or whatever,” she says.
But now, Philipps is on a mission to show everyone that ADHD doesn’t always look one particular way — especially for women. Symptoms can present differently based on the individual, so the key is talking to a healthcare provider to figure out what works best.
Does she have all the answers? No. Has she reached some state of perfection? Definitely not. Like all of us, she still has days when chaos takes over. But now, she has the tools to help navigate the ADHD whirlwind — and she’s passionate about encouraging other women to find what works for them and advocate for themselves. Because when you go from feeling misrepresented to being Ms. Represented, everything changes.
If there’s one thing Philipps’ story teaches us, it’s the importance of women advocating for themselves and not letting anyone else tell them what they should or shouldn’t be. Prioritizing your well-being and needs doesn’t make you less powerful — it makes you unstoppable.
Talk to a healthcare provider about your ADHD symptoms or visit Qelbree.com to see if Qelbree may be a good fit for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (CONTINUED)
Qelbree may cause manic episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. Tell your doctor if you or your child show any signs of mania.
Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Qelbree will affect you or your child. Qelbree may cause you or your child to feel sleepy or tired.
The most common side effects of Qelbree in patients 6 to 17 years are sleepiness, not feeling hungry, feeling tired, nausea, vomiting, trouble sleeping, and irritability, and in adults, insomnia, headache, sleepiness, tiredness, nausea, decreased appetite, dry mouth, and constipation. These are not all the possible side effects of Qelbree.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Medication Guide, including Boxed Warning.
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