Well, you might? Relating to memes doesn't really mean anything but if you find that you relate to most of them then it might be worth digging deeper.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Yeah, they are almost 100% true for me. I probably have it, but I’m almost 40. Is it worth while to pursue?

[–] Betch 13 points 11 months ago

Well, I'm closer to 40 than I am to 30 and only kinda figured out I had it like 2 years ago.

If you can function fine without meds then an official diagnosis might not be worth the costs and trouble. Self-discovery is a good thing though and there are many ways to do that, all are valid.

Another thing though is that the symptoms tend to get worse as you get older because managing the traits/symptoms associated with ADHD takes a lot of energy and after a while burnout becomes a very real possibility.

The only reason I noticed my own symptoms and ADHD traits is because of that. Had somebody suggested I had ADHD a couple years before that I would've said that there was no way. Looking back now though, it was there all along but back when I was younger it was easy to find and maintain coping mechanisms.

It gets tiring.

[–] cynar 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I was diagnosed in my mid 30s. I even managed a good grade on a physics degree, without assistance.

By my 30s I began to burn out. I got diagnosed mostly since I thought the meds would help. In practice, the CBT helped even more. For the first time I was talking to a professional who both could keep up with my thought process, and offer useful advice and methods. It's helped me unpick a good number of maladaptations I had, and so free up a lot of mental resources.

It also helps to know that I am not a failed horse, but a highly effective zebra.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That last sentence hits a little too hard

[–] cynar 2 points 11 months ago

It definitely does.

I normally use a tank analogy. A tank is a shit vehicle for commuting, or distance driving. If you never even know you can go off-road, you'll never see the benefits, only the costs.

The zebra analogy is the more traditional one however, and tends to ring with more people than my variant.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's mostly that almost all of these memes apply to everyone.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Because it’s a spectrum everyone is on. Clinical diagnosis asks “how many,” “how often,” and “is it causing problems” to locate a patient on the spectrum. So yes, ADHD patients’ experiences are indeed mostly common; it’s the rate of recurrence and their control of it that is not.

Edit: Also it’s notoriously underdiagnosed, so when I see comments saying “but that’s what it’s like for everyone” or “almost all of these memes apply to me,” honestly I’m compelled to ask how many apply, how often, and is it causing problems.

[–] noughtnaut -1 points 11 months ago

"Oh, but everyone has a little adhd" 😬🙄🤬