I’ve noticed that a few members have this, and have mentioned it in other threads. And it sounds like we’re all in different stages of the ADHD diagnosis. I thought it’d be cool to have a place where we can share resources that have helped or even memes that are relatable. This is in NO way meant to be taken as medical advice, just a place for people with similar functioning brains to not feel so alone in a world that tells us our brains are broken. Anywhere, here’s a few!
ADHD Alien was one of the first resources I found. Her comics made me smile, and at times when I felt like something was really wrong with me, helped me realize there are others out there like me.
I’m starting to get worried that if I were to get tested on whether or not I have ADHD, it would say that I don’t have it and I will have to go through a cycle that will lead to something severe.
Which sucks because nothing happened yet…fear is coming out of nowhere.
i don't know how to write short explanations, so the only way to title this is me rambling about why you shouldn't trust specific titkok videos anyway
the biggest problem with tiktok is that people list very vague traits and don’t actually explain what any of that means. and adhd can be comorbid with other neurodevelopmental disorders/mental illnesses so you have people who are autistic with adhd who don’t know they’re autistic with adhd listing something that’s purely an autistic trait and calling it an adhd trait, so i very rarely rely on tiktok as it is, but especially if the entire video is just listing things and not someone else talking about their experiences.
i also find it frustrating in general when no one tries to offer up in-depth explanations. if you’re like me and you often mix things up with your own specific definition of what it means, it can be very difficult to know what those traits actually are and how exactly they apply to you. for the longest time i didn’t think i had ADHD bc i didn’t think i was hyperactive since i was able to sit still in classes and i never interrupted people, but what they don’t tell you is that if you have a history of childhood trauma or something else that causes intense masking, the repercussions of having to sit still can mean paying less attention and zoning out in classes or getting frustrated when you don’t know what’s happening but everyone else seems to.
and not interrupting people could mean focusing more on making sure you aren’t interrupting to the point where you miss what they are saying or you’re getting impatient waiting for them to be finished because they minute you stop repeating it to yourself in your mind, you’ll forget what you’re going to say. and at any point you could be distracted by literally anything that you’re thinking, bc all it takes is one word or one reminder of something else for your thoughts to branch off.
a loose explanation of a disorder is that it’s an exaggerated (for lack of better word) version of mostly typical experiences. that’s not always true, but when it is, that means everyone is going to experience moments where they can’t pay attention in class or where they would much rather be doing something else. it’s if it’s affecting you to a point where you can’t even get anything done and you’re failing school, or getting in trouble at jobs, or you’re possibly unable to follow through with chores at home, etc. then it’s causing disorder in your life and should be talked to with a professional. it doesn’t always mean adhd, it could be many other things, but usually it just depends on how much is causing disorder within specific areas and if enough of it falls under the category of what the disorder is.
but if you don’t want to read all of that, here’s a quick explanation:
tldr: if a tiktok is just listing traits and not giving you proper explanations or examples, i don’t recommend relying on it as a source of information whatsoever. could be something else entirely or they could be failing to explain what experiencing disorder actually means.
This is frustratingly complicated finding a therapist and psychiatrist who is willing to accept my insurance and can better assist me with my ADHD (I still need to know if I actually have it, but the signs are there).
Not to be discouraging, but I think it takes a little time for a proper diagnosis. I’ve had the same therapist for years, and while we knew I had other things, one day the ADHD thing clicked once I realized it described my father perfectly, and I had cousins that have admitted having it. I never thought that I had it until I was reading the symptoms for my dad and was like… wait a second.
It’s not like a blood test where you get “tested” once, and get a positive/negative result. It’ll probably take a few visits for a therapist to be sure, but I could be totally wrong. I just wanted to warn you in advance.
Maybe one of those online type things can be a better resource? I’ve never tried one of those before so not sure how good they are. One I can think of is called “BetterHelp”?
the actual diagnosis process can be complicated, but if it makes you feel any better, simply struggling is more than enough of a reason to talk to a professional cause it’s still something impacting your life. a professional diagnosis is more of a formality than anything, important mostly for meds and maybe for them to understand the extent of the treatment, but any good therapist (so long as there’s open communication) should be willing to discuss the extent of what you struggle with and try to help you with that. i understand if it’s more about knowing as well because that’s how i was, i really just wanted to know, but the biggest way to look at it is by what you’re struggling with and what sort of coping mechanisms you can use to assist yourself with that in the meantime.
self diagnosis ramble
it’s perfectly fine to self-diagnose too. i knew i had adhd for a year and half before i was actually professionally diagnosed. if you do the research, you watch videos or read posts, and you find yourself thinking “oh yeah, this is me” to a point where you can’t think of any other explanation or you’re very, very sure, then it’s perfectly okay to assume you have adhd. if it turns out in the end you don’t, there’s nothing to be ashamed of either. when we go through life it’s important to like… be mindful that we will confuse things with other things and to be gentle with ourselves when we do. the only people that impact the community are the people who make getting a diagnosis harder due to stigmatizing it or saying things like “everyone has adhd”, but just assuming you are ADHD is not inherently harmful.
mine was actually pretty quick so i think it depends on the person diagnosing you and how aware you are of your ADHD. i mean, it took a year and a half before i actually got a therapist who could diagnose me, but we did it in one session because i already pretty much knew and just had to ask for a bit of clarification for some of the questions, and she sent me off to the psychiatrist who confirmed it. it took a couple of months to see the psychiatrist because it’s surprisingly difficult to get an appt w one where i live. don’t know if that’s everywhere but
I’ve been struggling for years and always felt in the back of my mind that something was wrong. Nothing was making sense after I was diagnosed with bipolar and depression and still makes no sense.
I am really on edge about this. It’s a waiting game and I am afraid to wait anymore.
