4 ms·
Wow, really nice article that gives practical examples of what ADD/HD looks like. I am not officially diagnosed, but I am 99% sure ADD/HD is something I have co
by hatware 4y ago
Wow, really nice article that gives practical examples of what ADD/HD looks like. I am not officially diagnosed, but I am 99% sure ADD/HD is something I have coped with my entire life. This has come up only recently with the pandemic forcing my schedule to change, and I started to realize how much the "9-5 routine" was keeping my train on its tracks and hiding any semblance of an attention disorder.
It's really interesting how attention disorders show and hide themselves. Like the author, I had a consistently inconsistent way of losing or forgetting things. I don't tend to be late or forget appointments, but I have a hard time scheduling them in the first place. I have rejection sensitivity dysphoria, which explains why relationships, family included, have ended poorly and needed a long time from which to recover. I did not complete college and had no idea what I was doing the entire time despite breezing through high school. I have many abandoned and unfinished projects around the house. I have been fortunate to receive accommodations at work such as choosing slightly different hours as needed, but now I understand why that was something I needed.
It hits you like a ton of bricks when you realize "I've had ADHD my whole life" because it explains every negative experience you've ever had. Having authoritarian type parents was the cherry on top.
> (W)hen the world has been willing to let me what I can do in the way that I can do it, the results have been pretty good. When the world has insisted that I do things the way everyone else does them, it hasn't always gone so well.
This is such a succinct description of the main issue with attention disorders. I think the author makes a very good argument that it's the stigma, not the disorder, that is causing more problems than anything. I know stigma against disorders like this is why it never came up.
I intend to obtain an official diagnosis and potentially try medications. The thing is, it's incredibly overwhelming to choose because half of you knows you're doing pretty well right now, why change? The other part is wondering what your true potential looks like, and fighting against how much work and experimentation you think that will take.
- gfody 4y ago> wondering what your true potential looks like since adhd is treated with amphetamine which is essentially a performance enhancing drug that boosts your focus/awareness/intensity. it's probably dangerous to think of your medicated self's potential as being truer than your natural self's. seems like a trap.
- lghh 4y agoYep, just like someone who takes insulin for their diabetes should not refer to themself on insulin as "their true self".
- gfody 4y agothe trap in your example would be following the true scotsman fallacy into believing that you need your insulin to survive/thrive - which could be true in the case of diabetes, so not just like.
- lghh 4y agoConsidering people with ADHD have a much shorter lifespan, I would disagree. I encourage you to actually look into what medication for those with ADHD looks like before disparaging those who seek treatment.
- gfody 4y agonot intending to disparage anyone living a normal life on an indefinite adderall prescription, more acknowledging the risk of mistaking its effects as unlocking your true potential rather than as relief from suffering, and then inadvertently shortening your life rather than extending it (hence the "trap" comment)
- codyogden 4y agoI'd really encourage you to read up on how stimulants affect people with ADHD. It is quite the opposite of "performance enhancing" that you're implying here.
- hatware 4y agoWhen I say true potential, you must understand that this is from the perspective that my unmedicated ADHD brain is only about 30% efficient. Throwing a number out there, but I know that it's very hard for me to work efficiently if my environment isn't exactly right. I'm not interested in long term dependence on any drug and speak to true potential in a healthy, clinically medicated way.
- lghh 4y agoI recently went through the exact same process you're going through. I'd be happy to chat if you have questions or anything. Email in profile if you want.