4 ms·

I had the opposite experience -- for a very, very long time I assumed that a bunch of harmful, chronic behaviors were just a result of some unspecified personal

I had the opposite experience -- for a very, very long time I assumed that a bunch of harmful, chronic behaviors were just a result of some unspecified personal or moral failing on my part. I would beat myself up about it and tell myself to "do better," without a path forward for how to do that. 2 years ago a friend who was diagnosed with ADHD started describing some of her symptoms and I realized it sounded exactly like what I experience. I started seeking treatment a few months ago (currently therapy, and undergoing screening for medication), and just reading through the list of symptoms while I was filling out a questionnaire recently was like suddenly being able to see color for the first time. Knowing that what I experience is not just "normal human traits" and is in fact an identifiable disorder with concrete causes and solutions has totally reoriented how I think about some issues I face and has enabled me to actually address them in a way that wasn't possible before.

forgotmypw17 6y ago
i don,t think it is either, but an environment way more demanding than what we previously lived in trying to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of ,,the stock,, and calling anyone who falls short disordered.
- mbgerring 6y ago
  I think that our culture definitely demands more productivity out of people than is reasonable, but that's not really the issue I'm referring to. I'm referring to things like not being able to take my focus away from, for example, reading social media posts, in order to make an appointment or social event on time. Not being able to correctly conceptualize how long it will take me to get ready, leave my house and travel to where I need to be, no matter how many times I've done it. Doing this so often that it hurts friends, family, and work. I think there is an argument that western medicine sometimes pathologizes people having normal responses to the insane demands of our society and economy. In my case, I have been struggling with my healthcare provider's bureaucracy to get a diagnosis because I really, really need help.
  - deleted 6y ago
    [deleted]
  - forgotmypw17 6y ago
    Is it reasonable to expect an individual to live by the societal clock?
  - forgotmypw17 6y ago
    > I'm referring to things like not being able to take my focus away from, for example, reading social media posts, in order to make an appointment or social event on time. Not being able to correctly conceptualize how long it will take me to get ready, leave my house and travel to where I need to be, no matter how many times I've done it. Doing this so often that it hurts friends, family, and work. I'm the same way, and once I stopped trying to "fix" this "disorder", I've become not only much happier, but also more productive. Just one anecdatapoint. Social media, I use it carefully. I keep asking myself, "am I learning something useful from this?"

forgotmypw17 6y ago

i don,t think it is either, but an environment way more demanding than what we previously lived in trying to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of ,,the stock,, and calling anyone who falls short disordered.

mbgerring 6y ago
I think that our culture definitely demands more productivity out of people than is reasonable, but that's not really the issue I'm referring to. I'm referring to things like not being able to take my focus away from, for example, reading social media posts, in order to make an appointment or social event on time. Not being able to correctly conceptualize how long it will take me to get ready, leave my house and travel to where I need to be, no matter how many times I've done it. Doing this so often that it hurts friends, family, and work. I think there is an argument that western medicine sometimes pathologizes people having normal responses to the insane demands of our society and economy. In my case, I have been struggling with my healthcare provider's bureaucracy to get a diagnosis because I really, really need help.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- forgotmypw17 6y ago
  Is it reasonable to expect an individual to live by the societal clock?
- forgotmypw17 6y ago
  > I'm referring to things like not being able to take my focus away from, for example, reading social media posts, in order to make an appointment or social event on time. Not being able to correctly conceptualize how long it will take me to get ready, leave my house and travel to where I need to be, no matter how many times I've done it. Doing this so often that it hurts friends, family, and work. I'm the same way, and once I stopped trying to "fix" this "disorder", I've become not only much happier, but also more productive. Just one anecdatapoint. Social media, I use it carefully. I keep asking myself, "am I learning something useful from this?"