| > Every child I know diagnosed with ADHD had parents who didn't want to deal with them. I was diagnosed as an adult. My parents kept me consistently active and engaged. Plenty of play outdoors, fishing, camping, riding bikes. They were involved in my education until, as a teen, I wanted more independence. I’m not saying I had an ideal upbringing, but I have very loving involved parents (dad and stepmom; relevant below). I don’t know if that’s why my diagnosis came later, but I seriously doubt it. My mom, unlike my dad and stepmom, was deeply skeptical (a) that ADHD even exists and (b) that ADHD medication is safe, effective, or necessary. That kind of bias is powerful, and easy for kids to pick up on. I was mortified of these meds before my diagnosis. Now I can’t imagine how I lived without them (and I very well may not be alive today had I not sought treatment). I’m sure there’s often some truth to some of what you’re saying, to be clear. One of the most difficult parts of getting my diagnosis was that the diagnostic criteria are entirely external to the patient being diagnosed: they’re framed around how parents and other adults perceive a child’s behavior. It took a patient and understanding doctor to help me map those criteria to my internal experiences and my adult life. But I don’t think I benefitted at all from waiting decades for a diagnosis. |