"TikTok trends or the pandemic? What’s behind the rise in ADHD diagnoses"

[flashbac]

"The striking overlap between ADHD symptoms and garden variety “pandemic brain” only compounds common misunderstandings of the former. Simply, ADHD symptoms can look and sound a whole lot like the struggles that define many people’s everyday workflows, which are so often fragmented by push notifications and digital dopamine hits. Who doesn’t have trouble multitasking or following through with tasks? And who isn’t fighting the urge to impulse-scroll social media during the particularly dull moments of any given afternoon? In the past two years, these difficulties have only become more pronounced."

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/02/tiktok-trends-or-the-pandemic-whats-behind-the-rise-in-adhd-diagnoses

What do you think?

The labels allow for the assistance the person needs. In the past they would have not been labelled. But they would have struggled and felt different to everyone else. With the label their symptoms are explained and they can access help.

I do not agree that ADHD is "largely a fraud" and think its offensive to suggest that.

But to answer your question of "so what if it is", if increasing numbers are being diagnosed when the cause may be something else or maybe even caused by the shitty fast-paced environment we live in, isn't that bad for genuine sufferers? Not only that but isn't it also bad for the misdiagnosed, who may be taking drugs like amphetamines for life, when another type of support may be more appropriate?

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

Exactly. People feel okay about requesting an ADHD diagnosis. It’s much more socially acceptable than say borderline personality disorder diagnosis isn’t it? The stigma is far less.

Adhd has been stigmatised so much as 'naughty boy syndrome' or bad parenting, that meant people don't even have it on their radar while they are struggling.

For many people, the diagnosis can be life changing. In a good way.

If tiktok, even for its sins, helps raise awareness about what adhd actually looks and feels like in adult women, and helps get someone the help they need, then I think it's ok.

You'll always get people that joke about having a disability, look at all the 'I'm so ocd, lol' type comments. It's not a new thing, awareness causes spikes.

This!!
I was diagnosed last year and have struggled for over 40 years.
The medication has been a godsend. My mind is so less chattery and I can actually achieve everyday tasks that everyday people find so easy!
Also having an understanding of ADHD has given me a bit of piece as I now have a better understanding of why and how I act, think and react to things.

Mmhmm, and I gave my opinion, which is that when it comes to adults (which is what the original article was about), I don't see a problem with people looking to see if the difficulties they experience have been recognised as a common cluster of difficulties to have, nor with people trying things that have worked for other people with those difficulties. I also don't understand why people would have a problem with other adults doing that.

Children is a separate matter, and they're the group mostly discussed in the "fraud" article, but not the subject of the original article.

Yes, BPD is a stigmatising and stigmatised diagnosis, often used to dismiss women or label them as difficult. ADHD is an entirely different diagnosis with none of those properties. What's your point exactly?

Is it actually more socially acceptable though? I certainly haven't told my workplace and very few other people as I'm worried what they'll assume. At this point I don't care WHAT it is as long as I can work out what to do to help with it. Was fully prepared for them to say 'no it's bipolar' or something and i imagine a lot of people feel the same.

The rise of the neurodivergent teens on TikTok who seem to be identifying with it and haven’t been near an assessment and the legitimacy of ADHD don’t cancel each other out. It’s definitely happening but ADHD still exists. It’s not just ADHD either, it’s autism, stammers (both of which my ds has) BPD, and DID too.

It was life changing for me.

Ironically I won't even go near tiktok because the reports coming from ADHD forums are that it's scarily addictive and even more so to an ADHD brain. It also sounds like such utter bullshit comes out of it in general. I'm sure there must be helpful things, but not much.

But anyway. I don't think people genuinely go for diagnosis etc on the back of seeing a meme. If you see a meme and it makes you think and you look into questionnaires and diagnosis then maybe it's something useful to you.

I would be all for ADHD being more widely understood and accepted TBH.

I agree with the article. The diagnosis has lost its sense and purpose. Everyone and their dog (yes dogs are now diagnosed) can easily receive a diagnosis.

Body, brain and mind are connected. The things that hurt the body, hurt the brain and mind. People have horrendous diet and lifestyle, that negatively affect body , brain and mind. Social media, especially slot-machine like scrolling (tik-tok, reddit, ,,,) that shoots flashes of dopamine aggravate a fragile mind.

I've seen (and experienced) how social media sucks the motivation out of people so you are doing right by avoiding tiktok!

I'm laughing at your absolute ignorance here.

You do know that an ADHD diagnosis requires an assessment by a psychiatrist, yes? You don't just go in and tell them what to diagnose you with.

Hilarious, but entirely in keeping with the ignorance you've displayed on the rest of the thread.

ADHD brains are low in dopamine, hence the dopamine chasing behaviour you've just described occurs much more frequently in people with ADHD than NT people.

We don't have 'fragile minds' you are disablist beyond belief and you can't even see it because you think your ignorance makes you superior.

I tend to agree.. A teacher friend said SO many kids being diagnosed with various acronyms these days - Psychiatrists keeping themselves in work?
This was suggested?
I’m sure most of us could be diagnosed with something, if we did all the tests.
Heck, Looking at NHS list, The “ Neurotypical” child is quite possibly the rarity .

I've never told anyone(no one would listen anyways or they'd laugh /tell me I'm being daft) this but I do think I have ADHD (especially looking back on my childhood struggles). Ironically, all the things that make me suspect I have ADHD and my experience of my unmet needs stop me from actually going for a diagnosis. So I just muddle on, like I always did ,with a billion coping mechanisms in place(thankfully a lot healthier than when I was younger) and crash every now and then because it's all too much and it's not actually manageable.

I also don't see the problem with diagnosing psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders in animals. They have brains and minds too.

Chances are that the disorders they develop won't map perfectly onto human psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, because different species have very different brains and minds, and human ones are uniquely complex and prone to going wrong.

But I have definitely had a pet rat who wasn't quite right in the noggin.

High fat diets reduce dopamine and GABA levels in the brain @ADHDTV so crips eaten daily, bacon and eggs , diets poor in vegetables increase symptoms. It is not an opinion, it is science

By that reasoning only people with poor diets would have ADHD - show me the science that demonstrates that, please.

I said on another thread earlier that if my daughter hadn't of been diagnosed I'd never of known this is what I had.
I'm now diagnosed with it and I suspect I'm also autistic but that's another ball game.
But what I have noticed is how common it actually is. In my group of friends there's at least 3 I'd say meets criteria for diagnosis of it.
I always thought it was more a boys thing or rare in females but it isn't.

We've gone back through our family history and myself, 3 siblings out of 6, mum and dad and grandma and granddad and 1 uncle all meet criteria for diagnosis also. It's absolutely crazy it's just flown down our genes!

Exactly, it also makes us more susceptible to substance abuse/ addiction.

Also more likely to make bad choices, risky decisions or do thinks that can put us in danger.

I've put myself in so many stupid situations, some could have ended so badly for me. Sometimes I don't know how I keep going fairly unscathed.

I try to change so much but I can't, my brain doesn't allow it. If I could take it all away I would in a heartbeat.

Sorry, that was in response to adhdtv

I agree that poor dietary choices affect every part of a person. You need nutrients to keep the mind healthy, as well as the body.
As far as I know, no studies have been done on the effects of diet on ADHD and related conditions, but I would be interested to read one if it exists.

I'm a parent of a teen DD with ADHD. I'm too exhausted by it to even bother trying to explain what it's like living with someone who really has ADHD.

As a teacher I would say, if anything, that it is underdiagnosed in children.