this post was submitted on 11 May 2024
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While I get the point of this post, and don't mean to trivialize anyone's struggles with mental health. I think that this mentality is detrementail to the vast amount of people who suffer from undiagnosed ADHD.
If you feel like you might have ADHD and are considering getting help, don't let posts like this push you away from getting an actual diagnosis.
You clearly misunderstood the post. What do you think this post is saying?
"My ADHD is worse than yours, you no diagnosis-having wannabe!"
Wow, that is absolutely different from how I read it, which is:
"Stop gatekeeping ADHD just because the symptoms don't always look like symptoms."
I've been experiencing a lot of problems lately where people don't want to take ADHD seriously. They brush it off as "oh everyone experiences that", and even sometimes take it all the way to "ADHD isn't real"
Not what I took away at all, they're basically saying "your minor problems may be traits of ADHD, but you don't meet the criteria for a full diagnosis." They're specifically criticizing people who say they're "a little ADHD," effectively being the gatekeeper rather than advocating against gatekeeping
See, I read "a little ADHD" and could immediately think of real examples of family members, coworkers, and even medical professionals saying the full thing:
"Everyone is a little ADHD, so don't worry about it so much."
Or:
"Everyone is a little ADHD, so I totally know what you're going through."
Or my personal favorite:
"Everyone is a little ADHD, so stop complaining."
"That happened to me once."
Vs
"That is how life is for me 24/7."
The fact that you read that in this post says more about you than about the post.
I think the post is saying what it said. People tend to trivialize mental disorders, especially ones like ADHD, and doing so does a disservice to those who genuinely suffer from it and in the worst case scenario can further reinforce the stigma surrounding it. I dont even really disagree with the message the post is trying to make.
But I do think that many who suffer from undiagnosed mental illnesses often develop feelings of imposter syndrome, especially when comparing their symptoms to someone with a more severe/obvious case. And I believe this is a large part of why folks dont seek help.
This post wasn't made in a vacuum. It was posted to a niche ADHD community, and while I am sure that many people who are here are tired of ADHD being trivialized by society (especially by way of people who dont have it using it as a "cute" way to excuse related behaviors), I believe that many who find themselves here are in the early stages of acknowledging their battle with ADHD. And I think that a post like this could hinder their path to help. I mean, we are here to be supportive of each other right?