That name is a big part what's kept me from getting help, because until very recently I drastically misunderstood what ADHD was. "I can't have this thing. I'm so good at paying attention that I don't eat or pee all day."

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 43 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Growing up, I was the gifted kid and my brother was the hyper socialite.

Because he was hyper and I was mild-mannered (until I hit my teens and became an outcast, so I embraced punk culture) my parents only ever got my brother tested for ADHD. Nope, he was just a hyper little twerp with too much energy.

Meanwhile, I had absolutely zero ability to stick to a schedule that relied on my commitment to it, couldn't maintain any semblance of organization, was always forgetting small things, procrastinating until the last minute on every assignment without ever studying (yet somehow was still making A's, American education is a joke), would hyper focus for hours on single topics. Nah, to my parents I was a good student who was just "lazy" and "not applying myself".

Didn't get diagnosed AuADHD until last year. I'm in my 30s.

[–] 7U5K3N@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

45 here. JUST started on meds.

I have a toddler and his lunacy just shine a flashlight on my inability to complete tasks in a timely manner.

Not to mention once I was changing his diaper, the phone alarm was going off and Mrs Rachel was blaring on the TV... I got irrational angry. Not at any one thing... Just mad.

That's what made me go and seek help.

[–] Doc_Crankenstein@slrpnk.net 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

That irrational anger from being overwhelmed has ruined my life. Was barely able to hold a job cause of it. Outbursts in relationships that were interpreted wrong and snowballed. Still an issue cause I am currently not medicated and have a hard time getting healthcare (God bless the USA) but I have better coping methods. Still rough though.

[–] Evilschnuff@feddit.org 5 points 3 days ago

I get that as well, especially when I made a plan in my head and something else comes up and I have to replan, which I know will make it more complicated. I guess I’m angry since I know I will forget the original thing in the process.

[–] Mk23simp@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 3 days ago

I think it has less to do with the actual name ADHD as it does with the stereotypes that laypeople think of and with the actual diagnostic criteria. Regardless of the name, how it is viewed is much more of an outside perspective rather than a description of what it's actually like. Autism has a similar issue as well.

Plus, at the time I was growing up the DSM-IV said that you can't have both ADHD and Autism which is probably part of why I was diagnosed with neither.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

i'm hyperfocusing. that's totally not attention deficit.