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A lot of people using "ADD," should know that it doesn't exist anymore. Now it's all diagnosed as ADHD with three sub types: combined (the most common), hyperactive, and inactive. "ADD" aligns with the inactive type. Anyway... There's a perspective in some ADHD circles (and likely other mental health circles) that the concept of neurodiversity/neurodivergent are not the correct framing for living with ADHD. It follows this idea that when people highlight (or unmask) the parts of ADHD that make them quirky or entertaining to society, they are not revealing the _very negative_ symptoms of ADHD that are extremely debilitating. The proliferation of sound bite videos that portray ADHD in a very positive light on TikTok, ADHD memes, etc. gloss over the dark realities of ADHD. My personal belief is that while it's good to help people understand some of the more lighthearted ADHD symptoms, it's important that we share even the negative aspects. Of course, negative things don't get engagement (as the author states when he gets to mentioning a battle with depression). TikTok isn't covering things like ADHDers' propensity to lose their jobs due to poor performance, the financial ruin from overspending and money mismanagement, poor physical health and wellbeing, likelihood to have comorbid depression and anxiety, missing out academic/professional opportunities, fewer if any meaningful relationships because of social disorder symptoms attributed to ADHD. You rarely, if ever, see social media ADHDers talk about how ADHD affects something like dental health because of the "out of sight, out of mind" effects and the inability to form healthy hygiene habits because there are no immediate consequences (the "now or not now" mental modes). How getting a restful night's sleep is a rare delight because of ADHD's ability to delay sleep. You'll never hear them talk about how ADHD people have a significantly shorter life expectancy than the general population--some studies calculating it by as much as 20 years. These are all very negative, debilitating pieces of ADHD that get glossed over by modern social media movements of the quirky/neurodivergent ADHD crowd. Even this author doesn't really dive into the dirty pieces. This is a long one, but all of that said: I have ADHD. I was diagnosed at 8 years old. Finally, got on stimulants for the first time as an adult and my life's trajectory turned around in a just few months. I still struggle with all the negative things that come with ADHD. But I believe that ADHD is both a blessing and a curse; that I can personally celebrate the parts that make me quirky and bring me joy and also be aware of the negative effects it has on me and on my ability to function in modern society. I do see it as a disability, but not as a hindrance. The more I learn to accommodate it for myself the better off I'm going to be long-term. |