Yes, we're talking about another disorder today! I was going to talk about this quite a while ago, but. I didn't. Anyways.
ADHD is short for Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Now, because I'm just quirky like that, here's a list of symptoms from a neurotypicals viewpoint, as well as other common myths people seem to believe. (Or my understanding of their viewpoints.)
People with ADHD:
• Can't pay attention
• Can't sit still
• Lazy
• Are young boys. It's a young boys disorder.
• Oh ADHD is so over diagnosed these days
Now, let's take a look at it from the perspective of someone with ADHD, aka me.
• Trouble paying attention, especially if not interested in the subject matter
• Trouble sitting still
• Hyperfocus (focusing so hard on a task or subject we may forget to eat or not hear other people, etc.)
• Train of thought so fast people wonder how we got to the banana plague from "do you want anything from the shops?"
• Zoning out during conversations and not retaining anything that was just said to them
• The crushing inability to stop scrolling social media and go do the thing even though we have to do the thing and we have anxiety over not doing the thing (executive dysfunction)
• We take longer to do things if we're unmotivated
• Not being able to notice when we need to do x (eating, showering, start doing task etc.)
• Sense of time is now and not now
• Impulse control is barely existent
• Saying something and immediately regretting it (our brains are too fast even for us)
• Listening to the same song/album/soundtrack on repeat for a week
• Hyperfixations
• Absolute horrible memory
• Jumping back onto a different topic because you got sidetracked and started infodumping about something else entirely
• Alternatively, you forgot key information that you now have to go back and add so you can continue
• No. Volume. Control.
• Rejection sensitive dysphoria comes with it and it sucks
• Re-reading the same sentence or paragraph 7 times because it didn't make sense/you didn't absorb it
• This goes for conversations as well
• "Hey, did you do x?" What? "Did you do-" Yeah.
• Trouble sticking to routines
• Forgetting what you were doing and then remembering a second later
• Objects just go missing
• Interrupting people because you have something to say but you'll forget if you wait
• That happened while I typed this up. That thought is lost forever now.
That's a long list.
That's not even a complete list.
It's called Trouble Sitting Still disorder.
To answer some questions you may have:
Can it be cured?
Nope! It's life long. There are plenty of ADHD hacks though, and there are medications for it too! They don't cure it, but they certainly help. They don't work for everyone though.
Isn't that made up?
No, it's not made up.
Isn't that just something people use as an excuse to be lazy?
Yeah, some neurotypicals say "omg I have ADHD I'm so bored/I can't concentrate/whatever" but as someone who actually has ADHD, executive dysfunction is a pain in the ass and causes so much anxiety. It's not an excuse, it's a reason.
Oh that's so overdiagnosed these days.
No, Karen, we just have a better understanding of neurodivergency now, meaning it's diagnosed more.
Why haven't I met a girl/AFAB person with it?
Maybe because, like autism, it's more diagnosed in boys than girls.
I think I'm done busting myths, so here's some ADHD humour (it can apply to autistics too but shh)
The pandemic isn't over just because you're over it so wear a mask, stim freely, hydrate, eat samefoods, and have a great day!