4 ms·

ADHD is a "disorder" that is predicated on "this person's behavior annoys people around him and therefore should be corrected." ADHD is only a disorder because

ADHD is a "disorder" that is predicated on "this person's behavior annoys people around him and therefore should be corrected." ADHD is only a disorder because human pegs must be pounded into the square holes of class in a sterile schoolroom behind bars, during daylight hours for much of the year, in preparation for white-collar office jobs that many of them won't achieve, but nevertheless you must sit down, pay attention to lectures and study irrelevant things. And if you can't pay attention, don't take away their computers, video games, or reduce their screen time, just pump them full of amphetamines until they're so drowsy during the day they're just struggling to fall asleep. ADHD is very Harrison Bergeron, and the schizophrenic Vonnegut knew exactly what he was writing about.

seba_dos1 4y ago
You usually "pump yourself full of amphetamines" to be able to sleep, calm down and focus, not the other way around.
annie_muss 4y ago
I strongly disagree with this opinion, even though it is sadly common. Go speak to an adult with ADHD, listen to them and find out the real pain and anguish experienced by someone with ADHD. Many people desperately want to do well in school, have a career and successful relationships but are held back by their disorder. Instead, they experience joblessness, poor human relationships and unfulfilled dreams. People with diagnoses in later life experience genuine grief. The medication and counseling can help a lot, but it can't fix a divorce 10 years ago or getting fired repeatedly. The damage is done.
- devmor 4y ago
  I am halfway between agreeing with both of you. There are many symptoms of ADHD that I consider severe impairments - especially the short term memory loss. However there are symptoms of it that I prefer over my state of my mind while medicated. The freedom of direction of thought is much more pleasant than the drive to focus intensely on one task - but is simply at odds with the world around me driven by productivity.
  - SyzygistSix 4y ago
    That isn't an issue for me when I am medicated. When medicated I have the ability to choose whether to focus or not, unlike when I am not medicated and focus is elusive at best.
    - devmor 4y ago
      Different experiences I suppose. When medicated, focus is forced upon me. I have to be very diligent about setting alarms lest I end up working long past the time I have designated.
autoexec 4y ago
> ADHD is a "disorder" that is predicated on "this person's behavior annoys people around him and therefore should be corrected." This is just wrong. I have ADHD and it can prevent me from doing and completing tasks that I decide to do myself and which are entirely on my own schedule. The constraints and expectations of others certainly don't help, but even if I lived in a world where I never had to be anywhere at a specific time, never had to perform any task that didn't interest me, and always had total freedom over where/when/how I performed the activities I chose to participate in I would still suffer because of ADHD and I'd still require medication. ADHD is not just some quirky march to the beat of a different drum thing that wouldn't be a problem if people were only more accepting of it. It'll always be a problem for me. Thankfully it's one that can be managed without being 'pumped full of amphetamines until I'm so drowsy during the day I'm just struggling to fall asleep'. If I'm drowsy during the day its usually because I'm my symptoms get more severe late in the day and it can result in me getting caught up in something and staying up until long after I should have gone to bed. That's something I've noticed I can struggle with both on and off medication. It isn't too often it's a problem though.
anonymoushn 4y ago
I actually appreciate being able to sometimes do paperwork around the time it's due instead of never and no longer regularly needing to break into my house. If you'd like to propose societal reforms that greatly reduce the amount of paperwork required of adults or allow ICs to just say "hey I'll probably not get anything done like 70% of the time but the other 30% will be pretty good" then I'll support them, but they don't seem to be forthcoming.

seba_dos1 4y ago

You usually "pump yourself full of amphetamines" to be able to sleep, calm down and focus, not the other way around.

annie_muss 4y ago

I strongly disagree with this opinion, even though it is sadly common. Go speak to an adult with ADHD, listen to them and find out the real pain and anguish experienced by someone with ADHD. Many people desperately want to do well in school, have a career and successful relationships but are held back by their disorder. Instead, they experience joblessness, poor human relationships and unfulfilled dreams. People with diagnoses in later life experience genuine grief. The medication and counseling can help a lot, but it can't fix a divorce 10 years ago or getting fired repeatedly. The damage is done.

devmor 4y ago
I am halfway between agreeing with both of you. There are many symptoms of ADHD that I consider severe impairments - especially the short term memory loss. However there are symptoms of it that I prefer over my state of my mind while medicated. The freedom of direction of thought is much more pleasant than the drive to focus intensely on one task - but is simply at odds with the world around me driven by productivity.
- SyzygistSix 4y ago
  That isn't an issue for me when I am medicated. When medicated I have the ability to choose whether to focus or not, unlike when I am not medicated and focus is elusive at best.
  - devmor 4y ago
    Different experiences I suppose. When medicated, focus is forced upon me. I have to be very diligent about setting alarms lest I end up working long past the time I have designated.

autoexec 4y ago

> ADHD is a "disorder" that is predicated on "this person's behavior annoys people around him and therefore should be corrected." This is just wrong. I have ADHD and it can prevent me from doing and completing tasks that I decide to do myself and which are entirely on my own schedule. The constraints and expectations of others certainly don't help, but even if I lived in a world where I never had to be anywhere at a specific time, never had to perform any task that didn't interest me, and always had total freedom over where/when/how I performed the activities I chose to participate in I would still suffer because of ADHD and I'd still require medication. ADHD is not just some quirky march to the beat of a different drum thing that wouldn't be a problem if people were only more accepting of it. It'll always be a problem for me. Thankfully it's one that can be managed without being 'pumped full of amphetamines until I'm so drowsy during the day I'm just struggling to fall asleep'. If I'm drowsy during the day its usually because I'm my symptoms get more severe late in the day and it can result in me getting caught up in something and staying up until long after I should have gone to bed. That's something I've noticed I can struggle with both on and off medication. It isn't too often it's a problem though.

anonymoushn 4y ago

I actually appreciate being able to sometimes do paperwork around the time it's due instead of never and no longer regularly needing to break into my house. If you'd like to propose societal reforms that greatly reduce the amount of paperwork required of adults or allow ICs to just say "hey I'll probably not get anything done like 70% of the time but the other 30% will be pretty good" then I'll support them, but they don't seem to be forthcoming.