5 ms·

Speaking as someone who could be diagnosed for ADHD in ten seconds if I wanted to (my father has a diagnosis and is on medication for it, and I meet most of the

Speaking as someone who could be diagnosed for ADHD in ten seconds if I wanted to (my father has a diagnosis and is on medication for it, and I meet most of the symptoms questionnaire) I'm not sure I believe ADHD "exists". I concede that I am much worse at time management, focus, follow-through, etc. than the average population, but I see myself on the left side of a bell curve, not as a person with a "disorder". Surely if we were measuring against the "average person", we'd be able to "diagnose" people with ASRB (Attention Surplus Regularactivity Bonus) and talk endlessly about how they're privileged in white collar fields that require a lot of drive and focus. For example, I was very bad at studying, most of my friends were fine at studying, and a few people I know could effortlessly balance their social life with 6-10 hours of straight studying per day. They're not normal... they have ASRB! Furthermore, there isn't any "pathology" that we know of that guarantees ADHD. You can diagnose scoliosis by looking at the spine, or COVID-19 by testing for its presence, but there is no associated brain or tissue pathology that shows "aha, you have ADHD!" I think you could arrange all humans on an "ADHD Spectrum". The 99th percentile would obviously have severe emotional regulation and focus issues, the 60th percentile would have minor issues, and the 1st percentile would be hyper-focus geniuses who outwork their competition and land high-paying, high-status jobs in competitive industries. Furthermore, in more "natural" environments, "ADHD" doesn't really show up. I wasn't that noticeably different on the soccer field or working in the community garden over the summer, but with 7 classes worth of work piled on me over a semester it showed up in blazing letters.

wahern 4y ago
> Surely if we were measuring against the "average person", we'd be able to "diagnose" people with ASRB (Attention Surplus Regularactivity Bonus) and talk endlessly about how they're privileged in white collar fields that require a lot of drive and focus. Isn't that "Type-A", a personality type literally devised for diagnostic purposes. (TIL via Wikipedia, devised by cardiologists, who hypothesized that such people were more prone to stress-related cardiovascular disease.)
ojkelly 4y ago
Your comment feels like it’s well intentioned, but questioning if ADHD exists (it does) perpetuates a myth that has harmful impacts on people. ADHD in my opinion is one of the worst named disorders. It’s name and the previous lack of accessible information about it, contributed to me not getting diagnosed for a decade after I first seriously though I may have it. You’re right that for a lot of the symptoms everyone could at some stage of their life fall along a spectrum. The key diagnostic criteria is that it’s been present since childhood and causes significant disruption to you life. If you can get by without medication that’s great. It’s also not a universal experience. I agree having a more defined pathology would be incredible, but there’s millions of us who report a similar enough set of symptoms which are greatly improved with medication that you can refute the existence of something there. > Furthermore, in more "natural" environments, "ADHD" doesn't really show up. I wasn't that noticeably different on the soccer field or working in the community garden over the summer, but with 7 classes worth of work piled on me over a semester it showed up in blazing letters. You may be surprised by how many people with ADHD find meaningful careers working outside. Two of the best non medical supports for an ADHD brain is exercise and sleep. Its generally accepted that in an ADHD brain some neurotransmitters like dopamine are retaken by the brain before it’s done with them, resulting in significantly lower levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise releases a lot of dopamine, and has a noticeable effect. Combine that with something interesting like a soccer game, and I’d be surprised if someone with ADHD wasn’t giving it everything. The first time people take medication some people experience a dramatic improvement, others it’s much more subtle initially. For me, within 40 minutes it was like my brain had put on glasses. My perpetual brain fog disappeared, so fast I was lost for words for a few hours as I came to grips with what most people felt as “normal”. How do I know that was normal, while before wasn’t? It’s a bit hard to explain, but imagine sitting in a stuffy room for 30 years and then getting fresh air.
- faeriechangling 4y ago
  There are a group of people who correlate together, who report facing distress, who tend to be treated in the same way, called people with ADHD. I acknowledge this. However I don't acknowledge that ADHD is simply a binary where you either have it or you don't, it's a heterogeneous condition when you do have it, and people who can't get a diagnosis may literally meet 5/8 criteria. The binary cutoff has absolutely nothing to do with scientific evidence and everything to do with organisational practicality.

wahern 4y ago

> Surely if we were measuring against the "average person", we'd be able to "diagnose" people with ASRB (Attention Surplus Regularactivity Bonus) and talk endlessly about how they're privileged in white collar fields that require a lot of drive and focus. Isn't that "Type-A", a personality type literally devised for diagnostic purposes. (TIL via Wikipedia, devised by cardiologists, who hypothesized that such people were more prone to stress-related cardiovascular disease.)

ojkelly 4y ago

Your comment feels like it’s well intentioned, but questioning if ADHD exists (it does) perpetuates a myth that has harmful impacts on people. ADHD in my opinion is one of the worst named disorders. It’s name and the previous lack of accessible information about it, contributed to me not getting diagnosed for a decade after I first seriously though I may have it. You’re right that for a lot of the symptoms everyone could at some stage of their life fall along a spectrum. The key diagnostic criteria is that it’s been present since childhood and causes significant disruption to you life. If you can get by without medication that’s great. It’s also not a universal experience. I agree having a more defined pathology would be incredible, but there’s millions of us who report a similar enough set of symptoms which are greatly improved with medication that you can refute the existence of something there. > Furthermore, in more "natural" environments, "ADHD" doesn't really show up. I wasn't that noticeably different on the soccer field or working in the community garden over the summer, but with 7 classes worth of work piled on me over a semester it showed up in blazing letters. You may be surprised by how many people with ADHD find meaningful careers working outside. Two of the best non medical supports for an ADHD brain is exercise and sleep. Its generally accepted that in an ADHD brain some neurotransmitters like dopamine are retaken by the brain before it’s done with them, resulting in significantly lower levels of dopamine and other neurotransmitters in the brain. Exercise releases a lot of dopamine, and has a noticeable effect. Combine that with something interesting like a soccer game, and I’d be surprised if someone with ADHD wasn’t giving it everything. The first time people take medication some people experience a dramatic improvement, others it’s much more subtle initially. For me, within 40 minutes it was like my brain had put on glasses. My perpetual brain fog disappeared, so fast I was lost for words for a few hours as I came to grips with what most people felt as “normal”. How do I know that was normal, while before wasn’t? It’s a bit hard to explain, but imagine sitting in a stuffy room for 30 years and then getting fresh air.

faeriechangling 4y ago
There are a group of people who correlate together, who report facing distress, who tend to be treated in the same way, called people with ADHD. I acknowledge this. However I don't acknowledge that ADHD is simply a binary where you either have it or you don't, it's a heterogeneous condition when you do have it, and people who can't get a diagnosis may literally meet 5/8 criteria. The binary cutoff has absolutely nothing to do with scientific evidence and everything to do with organisational practicality.