this post was submitted on 29 Feb 2024
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Yeah, they are almost 100% true for me. I probably have it, but I’m almost 40. Is it worth while to pursue?
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.
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.
That last sentence hits a little too hard
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.
I'm 45, yes
I never really thought about it before, but since I’ve made it this far in life, if I were diagnosed officially, what change in my life could there be?
A diagnosis isn't a solution at all, but it does open the door to a better understanding of oneself, as well as a community of people with similar struggles.
I don't know how well you've got a handle on your symptoms, so it's impossible to say.
In my case mine got worse within the last few years. A cortisol response to chronic stress, it felt like i lost all the gains of willpower and responsibility i had gained, and returned back to my struggles of my youth.
Finally accepted i needed help and am still finding my way, but i just feel more normal now. I never would have given in if i had some semblance of function, my old man's stubborn distrust of doctors of any sort rubbed off i guess.
For me, it gets rid of the worst of the 'static' running around my noggin, let's me focus without feeling like I'm flexing a muscle, and gives me a lot more oomph to complete tasks i gotta do without my brain flashing the danger sign.
Im just getting started mind you, perhaps I'll find more changes as i get further along this trail