Turning Distraction into Detail
Wong Siew Hong has been a practising lawyer in Singapore for almost 40 years, specialising in litigation and intellectual property. Diagnosed with ADHD in his 40s, he reframed what once felt like distraction into a condition that, when managed, can also be a source of unique strength. From saving clients from the gallows to making life-saving drugs affordable, his story shows how a differently wired mind can notice what others miss.
Quotes
“My condition has a name, and I have come with time to realise and acknowledge that it is what it is.”
“Over my career, my ADHD brain—endlessly distracted, chasing down rabbit holes—has sometimes yielded breakthroughs… These are the moments when distraction became detail, and detail became difference.”
Early Awareness
Growing up in the 60s and 70s, mental health was rarely discussed. If you succeeded academically, you were fine. If not, you were labelled “slow.” I consistently came out near the top of my class, but teachers often described me as “talkative” and “playful,” and told me I must pay more attention in class.
My pattern was clear: distracted, full of trivia, able to focus on seemingly irrelevant details, yet somehow pulling off strong results. My ‘O’ and ‘A’ level preliminaries were close to failing, but when the Cambridge exams came, I scored straight As. Even during National Service, I retook my A levels with a completely different subject combination, entirely self-studied. I was always restless, but I also knew I had the ability to hyperfocus on subjects that truly caught my interest.
Diagnosis and Turning Point
My formal diagnosis came about 20 years ago. I was going through a particularly difficult time at work and in my personal life. Things were falling apart, I was contemplating divorce, and I had suicidal ideation. A close friend, a psychiatrist, listened to me and said, “You probably have ADHD.” That moment was a revelation.
Tests confirmed the diagnosis, along with a spectrum of other conditions. Finally, I had a name for my distractedness and mood swings. My condition has a name, and I have come with time to realise and acknowledge that it is what it is. It didn’t solve everything, but it gave me clarity, acceptance, and a way forward.
Managing the Condition
ADHD has not disappeared from my life—some days are good, others not so good, and some are downright bad. But I’ve learned to manage it.
Medication helps, and so do tools like GTD (Getting Things Done), meditation, mindfulness, visual thinking, and mind maps. These practices slow down my racing mind, help me structure my thoughts, and allow me to function at my best.
I’ve also learned to build systems of external accountability. Writing things down, checking in with trusted colleagues, and allowing myself to pause before reacting all help. With age, I’ve also grown more accepting. Rather than fighting my brain, I’ve learned to work with it.
Achievements and Strengths
One of my earliest cases as a young lawyer still stays with me. I was defending a Malaysian man convicted of murder and sentenced to death. After the trial, he broke out in what looked like shingles. That small, seemingly trivial detail caught my attention. I pursued it and discovered he had a rare condition called Darier’s Disease, affecting one in three million people.
There was no Google then, but I managed to convince the Court of Appeal to order a retrial, where I demonstrated that the disease could cause diminished responsibility. His life was spared.
Over my career, my ADHD brain—endlessly distracted, chasing down rabbit holes—has sometimes yielded breakthroughs. In patent litigation, I use it to dive deep into technical areas others might find overwhelming. I’ve saved clients from the gallows, and in another case, helped break cancer drug patents, reducing treatment costs for multiple myeloma by about 90%.
These are the moments when distraction became detail, and detail became difference. They remind me why I chose law: not just to win cases, but to make a real difference in people’s lives.
Advice to My Younger Self
Slow down. Nothing is wrong,
I don’t see ADHD as something broken. It is a condition—challenging, yes, but also a source of unusual strengths. What I want most is for the world to see people with ADHD with understanding, not judgment.
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