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> Basically, are they "well-adjusted"? This is a radically behaviorist interpretation. A common criticism of the diagnostics for ADHD (and Autism, for that ma
by jnovek 4y ago
> Basically, are they "well-adjusted"?
This is a radically behaviorist interpretation.
A common criticism of the diagnostics for ADHD (and Autism, for that matter) is that it ignores the person’s internal experience.
I was formally diagnosed with ADHD in 2017. I’d been visibly quite successful in that time, but at the expense of my own mental health because I was fighting a constant uphill battle. ADHD was a set of shackles I didn’t even know I had.
- Ensorceled 4y agoAgreed. I was finally diagnosed with ADHD a few years ago. I had been self mediating with coffee and adrenaline for several decades. But I was, by all accounts, successful. Just not happy or healthy or as successful as I could have been.
- kortex 4y ago> Just not happy or healthy or as successful as I could have been. That is precisely what I mean. You were not naturally "well-adjusted", you just learned to adjust and adapt over time. It wasn't the best choice of words but I can't edit.
- Ensorceled 4y agoThere are clinicians who believe that if you are not "below average" or "experiencing extreme distress" then, by definition, you don't have a disorder. Because I have a well paying job, some clinicians would not categorize me has having ADHD because I'm operating at an "above average" capacity. We're just reacting to what appears to be agreement with that approach, even if unintentional.
- kortex 4y ago> We're just reacting to what appears to be agreement with that approach, even if unintentional. Agreed. I'm addressing precisely the point in GP comment "neurodiversity is not a falsifiable diagnosis", which is something I feel quite strongly about. Other issues in this complex space that I think also are worth being discussed but I am not trying to get into in this thread: - overdiagnosis of ADHD/ASD - underdiagnosis of ADHD/ASD in certain subgroups (especially women/NB, minority, and underprivileged groups) - ADHD/ASD are/are not on the same spectrum - drug-seeking behavior for access to stimulant meds - overmedication, undermedication, and incorrect diagnosis leading to iatrogenic harm (eg giving antipsychotics to a "bipolar" individual whose "bipolar" is realdy emotional lability due to ADHD/ASD Each one of those topics I could talk about at length. They are related, but distinct.
- jnovek 4y agoYes, this is what I though kortex meant. Thank you for clarifying.
- kortex 4y agoI think we are on the same page. Not being confrontational, but please re-read my comment, specifically: > If they make it through school, college and adulthood without a ton of struggling You wrote: > but at the expense of my own mental health because I was fighting a constant uphill battle. Gp wrote: > "By what process can someone reasonably determine that they are NOT neurodivergent?" I'm using "well-adjusted" here to mean like, naturally well-adjusted - you are able to complete life activities without constantly having to learn strategies and fight the good fight just to do what comes much more freely to neurotypicals. I.e. being able to socialize well doesn't disqualify you from ASD, because masking is a thing. A proper licensed professional will ask the right kind of questions to ascertain this. If you are successful but feel like if you stop struggling for a moment, that's a strong indicator.
- jnovek 4y agoI reread and I think I pulled the trigger a bit early on that one. I advocate for myself and I recognize that I can premature to the defense at times. :-) I’m sorry!