this post was submitted on 11 May 2024
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ADHD Women

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[–] [email protected] 44 points 4 months ago (2 children)

While I get the point of this post, and don't mean to trivialize anyone's struggles with mental health. I think that this mentality is detrementail to the vast amount of people who suffer from undiagnosed ADHD.

If you feel like you might have ADHD and are considering getting help, don't let posts like this push you away from getting an actual diagnosis.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I'm pretty sure the post is addressing the people who do not have ADHD and who go around saying things like "that's just called being forgetful" when someone describes their symptoms. I see it often in response to people openly questioning if they might have ADHD.

I don't think it's addressing people who have ADHD but don't know it yet or are questioning.

I have been experiencing a lot more of the "ADHD is made up" mentality lately than I ever have before. Not sure why exactly, but I'm guessing OOP has been feeling it too.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

100℅ that is who and what the post addressing. And I agree with its intended message. Its also therapeutic to read a strong statement like this, that strongly asserts the damage that can be caused by this (and other stigmatized) mental disorders.

I just think that given it was posted in a niche ADHD community, its more likely to be seen by people who are questioning if they have it rather than by people who trivialize it. And given that, I feel that its likely to cause folks who have undiagnosed ADHD to wonder if they are just "lazy" or "forgetful" or any of the other self deprecating labels many of us have told ourselves before getting diagnosed. Which is why I felt it would be helpful to post a counter message to that mentality.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Yes, this is exactly what this post is addressing. I don’t know how people can possible get something else from it.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Every person I've known in real life who has said "everyone has a little ADHD" had A LOT of ADHD but never realised they could get help.

[–] rottingleaf 2 points 4 months ago

I've been that person in my childhood. Same about autism. Same about a few other things I talked about like this.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 months ago (2 children)

If considering yourself ADHD without the diagnosis and adjusting your way of living accordingly makes your life easier then what's the problem? Techniques used for controlling any kind of mental divergence kinda work for everyone regardless of their exact circumstances

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago

If All human characteristics exist on a spectrum then it makes sense that those techniques which some people need all of the time would be of value to some of the people some of the time.

No harm in that at all. My recognising my bad days doesn't stop me from recognising someone hard life.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 4 months ago

Because it trivializes a disorder in the same way that preferring to organizing things being called OCD trivializes the impact that OCD has on people.

Yes, the techniques help more than just the people with the disorder but that doesn't mean everyone has a 'little bit of the disorder'. Washing hands after using the restroom doesn't mean someone 'has a little OCD' either.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 9 points 4 months ago (2 children)

How is clarifying the difference between normal things that people do and a disorder where it happens far more frequently and impacts their lives gatekeeping?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Go have ADHD and be happy. Why would someone need to judge others about their lives to qualify their own? ADHD isn’t a relative term.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago

Guess disorder is a meaningless term then.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

How is this post judging anyone else? It’s about other people who don’t understand ADHD judging us and basically saying that we don’t have this disorder we have.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Well, you're keeping the gate in a direct sense. Not all gatekeeping is undesirable to all people.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

The usage of gatekeeping in this context is always negative.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Maybe gatekeeping isn't a positive thing to spend your energy on.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Maybe you don't know what the word gatekeeping means.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Go figure it's the adhd women posts that get bs flak 🙄

[–] [email protected] 0 points 4 months ago

The picture in the tweet is a guy.