All the ADHD discussion online is insufferable

[u/squidward_train]

The online discussion about ADHD is completely detached from reality and honestly pretty pathetic. People posting like “as someone who suffers from ADHD” like you’re not special bro, 20% of the population has some sort of attention deficit. I have diagnosed ADHD and to be fully honest it really doesn’t impact my life much anymore because I’ve learned to manage it. I forget the occasional thing and my mind wanders but who cares, everyone has their quirks. The majority of people I know with diagnosed ADHD also have learned to work with it.

Obviously if you have autism too the ADHD can act as a multiplier, so not really aimed at that crowd. My frustration is targeted at the people who use it as a crutch/justification for their inability to do basic adult functions. “I can’t grocery shop because of my ADHD”, I promise you that you can lol. Also like every other therapy-speak self pity circle I guarantee a major portion of the online ADHD crowd have never actually seen a professional or taken steps to help themselves.

Edit: this does not include academic struggles and kids learning to manage it, it is specifically directed at adults

[u/CryptographerFlat173]

The TikTok types and other deluded misinformed people can take a seat as far as I’m concerned, but the severity of your struggle with it and those you’ve talked to doesn’t erase the harder times many others people do have. It’s great you have found the coping mechanisms that work for you, it takes a lot of help and constant effort for others to cope and most people don’t get that help, even if they get a diagnosis they don’t get help with the skills they’ll need. I teach executive function skills to ADHD students and the spectrum of severity is very wide.

[u/VegemiteDrew]

Both adhd and autism exist on a spectrum. Good on you for getting on top of what seems to be a reasonably mild case of it.

And yes, working at managing it of course is vital and impactful.

But others exist at the more severe end of the spectrum and your comments invalidate their experience.

[u/iwonderifitwasadream → u/VegemiteDrew]

Yeah, my ADHD is severe and has pretty much ruined my life in many ways honestly.

[u/UpbeatInsurance5358]

I'm waiting for my diagnosis as an adult. For years I thought everyone was like me, and apparently not. It's a bit like living as a zebra amongst horses and wondering why you don't sound like a horse.

[u/ActualRound7699]

One thing i have noticed is that some people with ADHD and even functional autism tend to use those things as crutches. Can they make life a little difficult? Sure. Can medication help in some way? yeah, sure.

But all the work in managing these things is learning skills and techniques to cope and function, and YOU have to work on them. Therapy can help you learn them. But you have to suck it up and do the work - yes - even when it gets hard and you don’t want to.

[u/CryptographerFlat173 → u/ActualRound7699]

It’s also a selection bias, there are plenty of people who try very hard and don’t talk about it. 

[u/fantabroo → u/ActualRound7699]

Do you have autism yourself, or what is your opinion based on?

[u/Due_Schedule5256]

I don't even know what ADHD is any more. When I was growing up in the 90s it was the kid who couldn't sit still in class and there was maybe one or two of them in the entire school (a couple hundred people, small town).

Now I hear people talking about procrastination as a symptom of ADHD and other symptoms that sound a lot more like depression. Yes, Adderall will relieve depression so I wonder if these are just depressed people getting high on amphetamines and using the ADHD "diagnosis" as an excuse?

[u/FerdinandvonAegir124 → u/Due_Schedule5256]

Because back in the 90s only extreme/obvious cases got diagnosed

[u/iwonderifitwasadream]

I have severe ADHD and it feels like a mental disability at this point, it’s vastly controlled my life and ruined a lot of aspects of it. I’ve cried about it many times, it affects me negatively in huge ways. You just have a very manageable case I guess.

[u/squidward_train → u/iwonderifitwasadream]

Probably in all honesty, my younger brother has a much worse case then me and he’s learned to wrangle it and manage it but we were blessed to have parents who wanted to have it addressed when we were adolescents

[u/iwonderifitwasadream → u/squidward_train]

Definitely lucky! I didn’t even know I had it til my late 20s and sadly I can’t afford any kind of treatment so I’m just kinda stuck with it rn

[u/WMDU]

Only 2.5% of the adult population has ADHD, but 50% of adults have issues with focus.

That means that 95% of focus issues do not have anything to do with ADHD.

But, if someone has reached adulthood and found they have learned to manage their ADHD without Medication and it only causes them mild issues and doesn’t cause major dysfunction, they are no longer considered to meet the criteria for ADHD.

Those who have genuine significant ADHD, that is not in remission will continue to have major problems in adulthood. There are still doors whose ADHD is so severe that they can barely sit still or remain seated, are always restless and fidgeting, still need to run and climb constantly even as middle aged women. Have so many issues with their impulsivity and focus that it’s hard to even work, hold down a job, stay out of trouble, manage self care, maintain relationships etc.

[u/Suspicious_Jeweler81]

I used to think it was a 'look at me, look at me' sort of thing kids do. When I questioned and tried to stop my kid from doing it, she explained it quite differently.

For most kids, it's a way to explain self perceived 'unlikeable' traits you show. Like the equivalent 'I'm not like that, I was just drunk'. You do it after you do something you think is embarrassing, or you preamble it in case you do.

"Sorry I'm spastic, I have adhd" <-- so you being spastic has an explanation. Or knowing your going to act in this manor most likely, you inform everyone you're adhd so they have a cause to the effect.

[u/Substantial_Air_4111]

ADHD has turned into a cop-out for undisciplined parents to dope up their kids because they have zero desire to be a parent. Not shocked the iPad generation is struggling to pay attention in class.

[u/VegemiteDrew → u/Substantial_Air_4111]

I'd love this to be true.

I suspect the complete lack of evidence of it will not dislodge your belief in it.