Did you know it's ADHD Awareness Month?
The many faces of ADHD
Hi ADHDers!
→ Happy ADHD Awareness Month! This year’s theme is ‘The Many Faces of ADHD’.
This is probably the quietest ADHD Awareness Month I’ve observed, and I think it really chimes with the ongoing sentiments surrounding ADHD.
Nowadays, all I see are comments like:
“Everyone seems to have ADHD now”
“ADHD is a new fad or quirk”
“ADHD isn’t real, it’s just an excuse”
“ADHD is caused by the environment and sugar”
“Can these people do anything!?”
→ Are you seeing this as well?
I feel like it’s a mixture of ragebait, ignorance and people having a distorted view of what ADHD is/isn’t based on what they’ve seen online.
Let’s talk about why ADHD isn’t caused by eating McDonald’s.
Shall we begin?
👩🏫 What is ADHD?
I don’t want to be preaching to the choir here, but Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is defined as a Neurodevelopmental disorder in the DSM-5.
ADHD symptoms tend to begin in childhood; however, “the disorder could have been masked in childhood due to protective factors, such as a supportive family environment.”
The DSM categorised ADHD into three types:
ADHD Inattentive Type
ADHD Hyperactive-Impulsive Type
ADHD Combined Type
How do these types manifest for some people?
The example symptoms in the Venn diagram are drawn from the DSM. Other traits have been linked to ADHD (e.g. Time Blindness) but are not listed in the DSM.
Look, I don’t think the DSM is perfect, and I feel like there’s a need for it to be updated in line with more recent research.
→ But can I be honest for a second?
I’ve seen how people creating new traits (generalised ones) and co-opting terms from other disorders have confused people and resulted in people being misdiagnosed or being denied an ADHD assessment.
I get that this might be due to conflating ADHD comorbidities, or for some people, chasing clicks and virality.
An ADHD diagnosis doesn’t come with a manual or a blueprint on how to navigate adulting with ADHD.
This is why I created the ADHD Traits Flashcards for adults to understand each ADHD trait, read examples in adulthood and have access to coping strategies.
🎭 The Many Faces of ADHD
Gone are the days of being outwardly hyperactive as the determining factor of whether or not someone could have ADHD.
🎰 Wanna play a game? → Which person could have ADHD based on the scenario?
1️⃣- A parent of a child with ADHD is running late to an appointment, and he cannot find his keys or the paperwork that he planned to complete on the way to the appointment.
2️⃣- An A&E Doctor who thrives in fast-paced environments, who is comfortable dealing with uncertainty and good at connecting the dots.
3️⃣- A person with a toothache who realises they might need a dental filling but delays going to the dentist and treats the pain with OTC meds until the pain becomes so unbearable that they’re forced to see a dentist, which has now led to needing a tooth extraction.
4️⃣- All of the above
✨Answer: You probably guessed right! ✨
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
🟪 If you’ve met one person with ADHD, you’ve met one person with ADHD.
🟨 ADHD manifests differently in everyone, as our experiences will vary. Some people will struggle with ADHD ‘symptoms’ that others might not struggle with.
🟦 Some people may mask their ADHD, while others may visually display behaviours linked to ADHD.
🤹 Adulting with ADHD
Let’s face it, being an adult can be hard. But being an adult with ADHD is another kettle of fish.
Yes, there are many strengths that those of us with ADHD have and can bring to workplaces, projects, society and life. We should celebrate this, too.
But the key messages I’d like people to take away from reading this are:
🎯ADHD is a Neurodevelopmental disorder, not a gimmick.
🎯Adults have ADHD too!
🎯If you’ve met one person with ADHD, you’ve met one person with ADHD.
🌀If you enjoyed reading this and feel like we need to take control of the ADHD narrative, please share this newsletter. 🌀
Together we can combat misinformation, ADHD erasure and hate.
That’s all from me!
Rach with ADHD.
Happy to find your writing and excited to check out your flash cards. I have ADHD, so of course I comment before I’ve finished reading. 🤘🏼