[photojosh]

"The clinical diagnosis for a mental illness is that it impacts your life in a negative way."

While ADHD has a large part to play in causing mental illness, and is often misdiagnosed as bipolar, BPD, anxiety, etc, ADHD in itself it is not a mental illness, but a disability. I know this is somewhat a semantic debate, but it is important.

"If someone is managing their ADHD it doesn’t mean they don’t have it."

So someone who is managing their ADHD via medication doesn't have it? What about changing their occupation to one where intricate planning is no longer required of them, so they cease to be constantly failing?

Someone can have ADHD and have it impact their life to a much greater or lesser extent based purely on the life situation they are in.