Okay, so a "little" infodump on ADHD and a rant about the treatment of people with ADHD in the media
This post focuses on ADHD and media representation of ADHD.
Introduction
I know this isn't my usual type of content, but I need to rant to an audience. I will get back to my usual type of content after this. I got diagnosed with ADHD over two months ago, and I've started following a few ADHD accounts on YT and Instagram to find social support, but what I've seen is tons of comments filled with misinformation under every single video/post about ADHD. I also saw this type of behavior from news outlets and the comments under every single ADHD news story I found. I decided to make this post to make it clear what ADHD really is and what it is not. I attempt to be as truthful and unbiased as possible, but I am only a human being so if you notice something wrong, please let me know in the comments.
What is ADHD? (And what it isn't)
ADHD is a condition that affects a person's attention, impulsivity and activity. Some have difficulty with only their attention, some have with only their hyperactivity, some have difficulty with both. It can affect both girls and boys, both women and men. You are born with it and it doesn't disappear as you age. You can't get it from using the internet too much. It is a real condition and not manufactured by "big pharma" or whatever some say. It isn't a fake condition that drug addicts use to get meth. It's not easy to get a diagnosis and you need to pass a drug test. It has been around for a long time before internet and western medicine. It is genetic. Symptoms can be managed through therapy, medicine and the help of loved ones. What doesn't help is grit, daily grind and prayers, neither does blaming and yelling.
What are the symptoms? (Inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity, emotional dysregulation)
People with inattentive ADHD have difficulty initiating and focusing on certain tasks (such as cooking, paying bills, learning) especially those that require effort and are uninteresting or unpleasant. People with inanttentive ADHD might seem quiet, lazy or like they never listen, but really they just can't control their attention as well as many others.
Impulsivity is the tendency to act without thinking. It shows up especially in relationships and personal finance. People with this symptom might spend a lot of money on things they don't need (duplicates of a item they already have, books that they feel like they will someday read but never do, buying random stuff online) and ruin their financial situation for a while (because you need money to live, eat, pay the bills.) In relationships they might act without thinking of others, for example they may offend others without meaning to. Overall, their behavior could be characterized as risky and impatient by others. Still, they can be an empathetic person, even though their actions at times might seem insensitive.
Hyperactivity symptoms are both external (you can see it) and internal (you can't see it.) External symptoms include difficulty staying still (pacing, doodling, talking excessively.) Internal hyperactivity symptoms include having a racing mind, taking unnecessary risks, getting anxious over "nothing" and being impatient. People with hyperactive symptoms might seem to be always busy, overwhelmed or seem immature. Try to be understanding: inside they may feel very restless or extremely bored.
One symptom that I've seen discussed on various YouTube channels is emotional dysregulation. People with emotional dysregulation have difficulty with controlling their emotional response and dealing with strong emotions. They might seem dramatic or they seem to overreact, but just remember that they may feel guilt or embarrassment for acting out the way they do. But emotional dysregulation is not just an excuse to avoid responsibility, but instead it's an explanation to why they've acted the way they did.
Brain chemistry of ADHD (and are people with ADHD just lazy)
ADHD brains don't have as much dopamine as neurotypical ("normal people") brains. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that creates motivation to do stuff. Without it you wouldn't do stuff. You wouldn't play games, eat, walk or even blink.
So how can people with ADHD play games then? Are they just lazy? No, playing games doesn't make you lazy, neither does not doing laundry. Think of it as all people having a certain threshold that needs to be exceeded for a task to be doable. For neurotypicals the threshold is easier to exceed, because they have more dopamine. So for them doing laundry is easier to start, but for people with ADHD the threshold may be too high, unless they get help. The threshold for playing games is lower, because it's much more enjoyable than doing laundry (at least for the majority.) So playing games is easier to start doing and focus on, doing laundry involves discomfort, so it requires an extra push.
How ADHD is portrayed in the media
I've seen many news outlets, tv-shows and other forms of media treat ADHD as a boys' condition that disappears in adulthood. Also, in recent years ADHD has been portrayed as a "trendy diagnosis" teens and young adults "want" to have along with autism spectrum disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and many others in order to gain "respect" or "status" or just to get a free pass on being "lazy". More often than not the medicine used to treat ADHD is presented in a negative light and it is claimed that children shouldn't be given ADHD medication because it is "literal meth" and it's a study drug that makes students geniuses without any effort. These are all misleading claims and I'll try my best to debunk these below.
Can girls have ADHD?
It is true that boys are more likely to get a diagnosis for ADHD, but it's because ADHD presents differently in boys and girls. Girls can also have ADHD. Girls typically have more inattentive symptoms and they are more likely to mask (or hide) their struggles from others in fear of judgement from parents, teachers or peers.
Can adults have ADHD?
ADHD symptoms do sometimes lessen with age, but ADHD doesn't disappear when you reach adulthood. Sometimes symptoms may even worsen in adulthood because of increased responsibility. People with ADHD may forget to pay their bills and may have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships. In childhood parents are usually the ones to take care of these kinds of things, so when a person with an undiagnosed ADHD moves out and tries to live independently it's very difficult. They find out they've had severe problems with self-regulation their whole life without even knowing.
Is ADHD just a trend?
Is ADHD actually a trend among teens and young adults? I'd say that's irrelevant, because it isn't harming anyone. People with ADHD face a lot of hate and judgement. ADHD is a very stigmatizing disorder and many have to hide their condition from others. Some have to get a diagnosis later in life because they fear their family might disown them after seeking help. So, for some it is comforting to be part of a group that understands their problems and doesn't judge them. People should have the opportunity to feel included and supported even if they didn't have ADHD but showed symptoms.
There has been growth in ADHD diagnoses in recent years, in part because of increased awareness, in part because of a change in people's lifestyles. By "change in lifestyle" I am referencing people using internet more and people having busier schedules. Both of these may make ADHD symptoms worse, so people are more likely to seek help. Remember that the number of people with ADHD hasn't changed, only the number of diagnoses. Could this be explained by by a rise in false diagnoses? Probably not, because the same trend is seen in multiple countries. There may be misdiagnoses for sure, like with every medical condition, but it's highly unlikely to explain everything. In fact, ADHD is often falsely diagnosed as depression, bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, especially in women.
Is ADHD medication dangerous?
ADHD medication has often been vilified, even to the point that medication is seen as a last resort. It has been painted as a dangerous drug that leads to people becoming addicts. So, is it justified to say that ADHD medication is "meth"? I don't think so. Even though it's true that some countries allow the use of methamphetamine in treating ADHD in both children and adults, it's not justified to label it as meth because of the negative connotations it has (and also because not every ADHD medication use methamphetamine; there is also methylphenidate, atomoxetine and more.) In controlled doses ADHD medications are safe and the risk of addiction is low. Often medication even lowers the risk of future addictions as people stop self-medicating with illegal substances. Serious side effects do exist, so the symptoms of ADHD medication (and any medication) should always be reported, monitored and taken seriously.
Are ADHD meds good study drugs?
Are ADHD meds a good study drug then? No, not if you are a neurotypical ("normal brained") person. They won't make you smarter, but they may give you a false sense of confidence and insomnia. If you have ADHD, the medication may let you finally concentrate, which possibly will help you get better grades.
How the media has affected people with ADHD
Journalists have failed in debunking these false claims and instead push these talking points even further, making it more difficult for people to seek help. People who suspect having ADHD but don't yet have a diagnosis may feel unsafe telling others they need help because society treats them as potential drug addicts, lazy students and attention seeking phone addicted teenagers.
The thank you's and all that (The end)
Thank you for reading this post. This took me a few hours to write and I'm sure it took you multiple minutes to get here (or you just skipped right to the end.) In any case, I hope you either learned something new or found a new way to debunk misinformation.
To all of you with ADHD I just want to say that you're not lazy, you're not weak, you're not annoying and you're not dramatic. You're not a burden. You deserve help and a loving, nurturing environment and you deserve to be taken seriously. If you're not diagnosed, but relate to ADHD symptoms, you should consider talking with a mental health professional. It is also okay to not want a diagnosis, and in that case it's best to find safe support groups, either online or offline.
Stay safe.
Edits
Edit 1: I want to add that some adhd medications can cause side effects such as insomnia. ADHD already by itself can affect sleep quality, so sometimes it's recommended to take melatonin or something else that helps you sleep. It's also important to practice sleep hygiene (calming down before sleep, eating something before bed, etc). I also want to add that "feeling like a zombie" while taking ADHD medication is not normal. It can be caused by the dose being too high or the medication being unsuitable, so it can be solved by lowering the dose or switching to another medication.
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I have ADHD and autism, so I stim a lot, & on days when I'm really hyperactive I stim non-stop and it's exhausting. I don't want to stop stimming cause it helps me to regulate my emotions & being hyperactive is kind of distressing for me, so I feel like stimming helps me manage emotionally. But its so tiring to stim constantly & I've actually had my hands & feet start hurting from moving them so much, and obviously that's not good for me either. Idk, do you have any suggestions? (thank you in advance!)
Sent April 27, 2023
It sounds like you may be in high-stress situations a lot of the time? I'd start there, honestly. See if you can find some ways to lower your stress levels so that you don't need to stim constantly.
One good way to help with stress AND hyperactivity is to do some cardio every day. It takes a while for effects to turn up, but once they do you should find things easier to deal with.
You may also benefit from trying different stims that won't hurt you so much. I'm not sure what you're doing now, but experiment and see what helps.
-J
Followers, do you have this problem? Have you got any tips for this anon?
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During the last days I often have like motoric tics or hard stimming (not sure what it actually is, so I just describe what I do:)
Since few days I often move my hands very abruptly - as if I am brushing something off my arms or head with my fingers. It is very fast and has a huge impulse (sorry for the physics term, I do not know any other word right now): so to speak it is sometimes so wild that it hurts a bit.
I also "knot"/entangle my fingers until it starts to get painful.
I also flicker/flip my fingers against each other so they make these *plep* noises.
While I do this I also sometimes ping/punch my neck or head with my fingers with the motion described above.
It gets a bit better when I can focus/concentrate better and when i use my hands to doodle something (If I distract my hands with complicated motion - as in drawing - it gets better)
I do not know what it is.
Is this another feature of my ADHD and autism?
... What distresses me is that it is currently very intense. Hyperactivity is worse currently as well.
... I mean, I have found what is helping me with situations when the hand stimming gets too intense (drawing), but it is still distressing me.
Has anyone of you any similar experiences and/or tips to handle such problems?
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"You don’t know how much you liked or missed something until you have it again"
That sentence hits so hard right now.
I am going to ramble a bit in here for a while, so if you are not interested just keep scrolling. Have a great day!
I’ve been dealing with depression for 4 years now and an eating disorder for a year or so. I haven't been with energy for anything and not eating properly just made my energy levels lower. I still struggle with both, but clearly I’m doing much better.
Today I had the first actual good filling meal in so long and I was filled with such an energy that I didn't know where it came from. I’ve been a hyperactive kid pretty much my whole life, but due to external input I’ve had to keep it down and mask my hyperactivity, impulses and so on. I thought that it was a “phase”, something that I only did when I was a kid, but the truth is that it isn’t. I am still hyperactive and moving my body makes me happy. Freeing that energy is liberating and makes me happier than ever.
I never knew how much I would miss that happiness, or how much I actually am hyperactive. I think that came as a strong realization, and will indeed be a reason I'll keep in mind in my recovery.
I want to get better, and I want to be able to have that energy, because it is who I am. I want to be happy. I want to feel free when I run.
I want to recover.
I am going to recover.
And for everyone who wanted to see me struggle and enjoyed when I didn't want to be around: Watch me now, if you dare. You stepped on me and I ate the dirt, but now I am coming back stronger that I ever was. You helped me realize who I truly am, and what I stand for. So sit back, and enjoy the show, because, honey, this ain't the last season of my life series.
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