3 ms·

This is absolutely untrue. Sure, there are autistic and ADHD traits that are primarily a problem because of the structure of our modern society. But just you

by danaris 1mo ago

This is absolutely untrue. Sure, there are autistic and ADHD traits that are primarily a problem because of the structure of our modern society. But just you try being severely ADHD, and ending up with your yogurt going bad on the counter and growing mold because your clutter blindness made you not notice it was there for 3 weeks. Or you start reading a good book, and 10 hours later you realize that you haven't had anything to eat all day, and neither has your cat. Or you just literally cannot force yourself to do basic household chores, and because you're undiagnosed you don't know why, and your roommates/significant other just decide you're lazy and selfish and kick you out. There are plenty of neurodivergent traits that have never been net-positive, regardless if they have some specific evolutionary reason for existing. (We don't even know that they do; they may just come along for the ride with the other traits. We don't yet understand the neurophysiology of these conditions well enough to say to what extent they're just knock-on effects of something deeper.)

dofm 1mo ago
+1 to all of this. I used to think that the hyperfocus and the many small talents I have acquired were a net up-side to my disorder. But now I see they don't even fully compensate, and neurotypical people are just as good at all those things as I am if they dedicate similar time, and they don't struggle to pay their bills or do paperwork. I am still undiagnosed — because even getting that done involves a level of organisation — and it has taken me fully burning out and trying to learn how to do things without relying on hyperfocus and deadline adrenaline, two mechanisms that fully broke, to realise that I was always impaired. I was just skating by because I went to a good school and had attentive parents. The superpower narrative makes me mad. The Alex Partridge "ADHD people are experts at <whatever>" bullshit makes me mad.

by danaris 1mo ago

dofm 1mo ago

+1 to all of this. I used to think that the hyperfocus and the many small talents I have acquired were a net up-side to my disorder. But now I see they don't even fully compensate, and neurotypical people are just as good at all those things as I am if they dedicate similar time, and they don't struggle to pay their bills or do paperwork. I am still undiagnosed — because even getting that done involves a level of organisation — and it has taken me fully burning out and trying to learn how to do things without relying on hyperfocus and deadline adrenaline, two mechanisms that fully broke, to realise that I was always impaired. I was just skating by because I went to a good school and had attentive parents. The superpower narrative makes me mad. The Alex Partridge "ADHD people are experts at <whatever>" bullshit makes me mad.