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Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

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Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#71

Post by weirdsounds »

slibhb wrote: post #6

> For me the ADD really is a part of my identity — not my persona, which is what I present to the world, but my innermost self, the way I am actually am. I would be a different person without it. I might be a better person, or a happier or more successful one (I don't know) but I'd definitely be someone different. There's a lot of modern discourse around "identity". My view is that the only healthy conception of your…

how about the identity being an unique combination of those shared identities?

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#72

Post by faeriechangling »

FollowingTheDao wrote: post #29
GavinMcG wrote: post #16

The author really does not do a great job, here, at least in saying something sensible as a response to DeBoer's piece. The core premise seems to be that: > I find it so very irritating that there is no term for my so-called ⸢attention deficit disorder⸣ that does not have the word “disorder” baked into it. I know what a disorder is, and this isn't one. But the author then argues against a strawman: > Why does any dev…

If the authors life is not being impacted by his ADHD then he does not have ADHD. The clinical diagnosis for a mental illness is that it impacts your life in a negative way. His attention deficit does not impact his life in a negative way, therefore it’s not a disorder. The author frankly does not know what he’s talking about. And, clinically, he does not have ADHD. I have a mood disorder (NPSLE). I am on permanent d…

Looking at the ADHD diagnostic criteria: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/diagnosis.html

The criteria specifies that "There is clear evidence that the symptoms interfere with, or reduce the quality of, social, school, or work functioning."

I don't see this as being the same thing as ADHD being a NEGATIVE. It's like saying that being short is a disorder because it interferes with picking fruit from tall trees, and being tall is a disorder because it interferes with your ability to be a jockey. While both of these are true, it's ultimately condescending to frame either of these as a "disorder" simply because both aspects negatively interfere with one lives in certain contexts.

The diagnostic criteria does not rule out that one can be an exceptional A+ student which still has their symptoms interfere with school functioning if they're for instance repeatedly sent to the principals office for disrupting classes. Simply the very fact they have an issue that other children typically do not typically have, wipes away all consideration of their positive merits, and justifies a rather insulting label. To me, this is reflective of the typical feeling superior to those who are atypical.

>I think the threshold for where we think some Neurotype is affecting our life has been lowered dramatically.

Undoubtedly, but this doesn't in itself justify not lowering the threshold.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#73

Post by lghh »

symlinkk wrote: post #56
lghh wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am 30. I got diagnosed with ADHD a few months ago and I started treatment (adderall and lifestyle changes). Growing up, ADHD was my biggest enemy in life and I didn't even realize it. Once I began treatment, the change was almost overnight. I know I'm just one data point in a sea of data points, but I really just want to add that I'm on the other end of the parent comment and getting diagnosed, other than my marria…

I mean, anyone benefits from Adderall whether you have ADHD or not. How are you so sure you really have it?

I understand why you're asking. I have often felt that way myself and it's why I put off getting treatment for so long. I was worried I would just end up being some 30 year old tech dude addicted to adderall who didn't actually need it. I want to address those questions in others since getting a diagnosis was so helpful for me. I want to educate around it.

The short answer is that I was diagnosed independently by 2 professionals, I have a family history of ADHD, and I exhibit all of the symptoms of ADHD.

Anecdotally, I know what stimulant abuse looks like. I have seen friends abuse adderall and other stimulants. I react totally different to it than they do.

Since starting: I'm less angry. I'm less annoyed. I have the ability to listen to my spouse talk to me. I'm not jittery or jumpy any more. I am not always singing, tapping, humming, talking over people, talking at yelling volume in normal conversations. I know when to stop talking. I can actually take naps now and go to sleep before my body almost literally shuts down like I used to not be able to.

I'd be happy to give you or anyone else a more in depth walk through how I got here and how I'm sure of what I have, but I understand that's not what you asked for.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#74

Post by lghh »

scollet wrote: post #67
symlinkk wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, anyone benefits from Adderall whether you have ADHD or not. How are you so sure you really have it?

Adderall does not work on NT brains. They would be able to perform tasks regardless.

Adderall gets you to baseline. If you're already baseline, it shoots you past it.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#75

Post by xattt »

FollowingTheDao wrote: post #60
xattt wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, it seems that “affected” is being taken at face value in the parent comment, and the nuances of the presence of the disorder are being ignored. Yes, many individuals with ADHD can cope without medication and may go on to live good-enough lives that might be the envy of others. However, there may be a lot of potential being left on the table staying untreated. So to say that someone clearly doesn’t have…

I did not say he never had ADHD. I’m saying he does not have it now. Do you understand the significance of that difference?

I do see what you mean. I apologize!

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#76

Post by throwaway6532 »

thequux wrote: post #59

I have ADD. Not ADHD; I'm almost never hyperactive. I do, however, hyperfocus on anything and everything, to the point that it's caused severe problems to my career, relationships, and personal life. I'm nearly always hyperfocused on something, and I rarely have control over what that is. I'll forget to eat, sleep, talk to people, or really do anything else for several days at a time when it gets bad. Fortunately, ov…

I'm kind of the same. The big problem is never being able to predict when the extreme rough patches will hit.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#77

Post by Pulcinella »

chrischen wrote: post #44

A lot of the benefits of neuro-diversity are seen at the population level. The bearers of these traits are “taking one for the team” so to speak because they are preserving a genetic trait potentially useful for the future but may be painful in the present. There’s going to be a wide range of suffering though, from manageable ADHD to crippling depression. Society should simply support these people and mitigate near t…

I would rather not “take one for the team” especially if “the team” has to be dragged kicking and screaming into providing any support/“compensation” for the “service” I am providing.

Also “preserving genetic traits that are potentially useful in the future” is way to close to eugenics for my comfort.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#78

Post by throwaway6532 »

chrischen wrote: post #44

A lot of the benefits of neuro-diversity are seen at the population level. The bearers of these traits are “taking one for the team” so to speak because they are preserving a genetic trait potentially useful for the future but may be painful in the present. There’s going to be a wide range of suffering though, from manageable ADHD to crippling depression. Society should simply support these people and mitigate near t…

>The bearers of these traits are “taking one for the team” so to speak because they are preserving a genetic trait potentially useful for the future but may be painful in the present

This is how I feel way too often.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#79

Post by gfody »

hatware wrote: post #48

Wow, really nice article that gives practical examples of what ADD/HD looks like. I am not officially diagnosed, but I am 99% sure ADD/HD is something I have coped with my entire life. This has come up only recently with the pandemic forcing my schedule to change, and I started to realize how much the "9-5 routine" was keeping my train on its tracks and hiding any semblance of an attention disorder. It's really inter…

> wondering what your true potential looks like

since adhd is treated with amphetamine which is essentially a performance enhancing drug that boosts your focus/awareness/intensity. it's probably dangerous to think of your medicated self's potential as being truer than your natural self's. seems like a trap.

Re: Mental illness, attention deficit disorder, and suffering

#80

Post by butwhywhyoh »

FollowingTheDao wrote: post #57
hatware wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sound like you're gatekeeping a disorder without understanding it. FWIW, the author definitely has ADD/ADHD based on their descriptions.

And it sounds like you’re diagnosing someone based off a blog post. By the way, don’t tell someone who is disabled and was hospitalized several times with a mood disorder that they’re gatekeeping a disorder. I can assure you, I know more than you do about mental illness, It’s genetics, and its environmental factors.

And how would what you're doing differ from "diagnosing someone based off a blog post"? You've decided they don't have it. Do you have information other than the blog post that allowed you to come to that conclusion?
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