this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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ADHD memes
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Yeah, whenever I see ADHD memes I immediately go: Fuck, that happens to me all the time.
Like exactly half the list is applicable to me.
Then I do some more research into symptoms and when it comes to the main ones I go: Nah, I don't have that problem at all (like being tardy).
This is like asking health questions on the internet, the answer will always be cancer.
You don't have to be chronically late to be diagnosed with ADHD. I am never later for anything, but that's due to some good coping mechanisms I learned over the years (that basically amount to "do nothing before the event and leave an hour early")
It's possible to have ADHD and good coping mechanisms that mean you don't meet every single hyperspecific criteria on a list like this. Hell, you might even cope so well that you didn't get bad grades in school. The diagnostic criteria looks for focus deficiency, executive dysfunction, impulsivity, restlessness, poor working memory. There are standardized tests for this.
You said it 1/2 the list applies to you. Okay. For me 100% of the list applies. And each point have been a specific trait of my life.
Yeah I did the same, then I looked into the DSM V and read the symptoms and went... uh... yep! More attention deficit than hyperactivity for me but yeah, it started with memes
The reason places like WebMD tell you that you might have cancer is so you go see a real doctor. It's not because it thinks you probably have cancer, but because you shouldn't rely on WebMD if there's even a small chance you might.
So if lists like these create false positives, I'm okay with it. It means some people with ADHD will finally get help and live their best lives. It means people with some signs of ADHD, but not enough for a full diagnosis, might still find value in the techniques people with ADHD use to deal with those symptoms. And even in the case of people with no issue whatsoever, it's just good to take your mental health seriously.
And hey, even if none of that mattered, there's still a huge stigma around mental health and neurodiversity. If it helps people understand what ADHD people are going through ("It's like this common experience, but to a high level on a frequent basis"), that's good too.