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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What's the point of an ADHD diagnosis?

322 replies

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 12:21

Just as the title says... what is actually the point if you have no intention of taking medication, or medicating your child.

OP posts:
HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:12

@WakingUpInBlood as I've just said in another post, I don't consistently maintain these strategies, it's a constant effort and I struggle a lot of times, but I get right back to them as soon as I am possibly able.

OP posts:
Ghostgirl77 · 23/08/2024 14:13

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 12:21

Just as the title says... what is actually the point if you have no intention of taking medication, or medicating your child.

Tell me you don’t have AHDH without telling me you don’t have ADHD 🤦🏻‍♀️

Honestly, just the sheer validation of knowing there’s a reason why your brain works differently to most of the people around you, why apparently basic tasks feel impossible for you most of the time, why not being late is so hard, why your brain is jumping ten steps ahead instead of being able to focus on the task or conversation in hand. Why you find it so hard to sit still in meetings. Why you get accused of being “intense” and “too much” when how you’re being just feels normal to you. Why you spend so much time having conversations in your head that will never actually happen. Why you crave company but yet feel totally uncomfortable and out of place in social situations.

That you aren’t defective, just different.

Also: the door is now open for medication and I can make a choice to try it as and when I wish to.

Plus I now have a degree of protection at work. I have learnt so many ways to work around my ADHD and mostly function effectively but I feel more secure knowing I have a diagnosis to fall back on should anything change.

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:13

JaydeeeeP · 23/08/2024 14:10

@HelpAGirlOut1234 "eradicate these behaviours" 💤💤🤯 honestly just go and educate yourself before coming on here slating people with ADHD and blaming them for their DIAGNOSED CONDITION. If a partner can't cope with someone with ADHD they shouldn't have got together with someone with ADHD.

I read my post back and knew you'd likely flip at the word eradicate... replace that word with 'manage' then.

But for me, I constantly strive to eradicate my own behaviours.

OP posts:
NowImNotDoingIt · 23/08/2024 14:13

I this the new version of "I'm not like the other girls"?

MrsSunshine2b · 23/08/2024 14:14

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:07

But @MrsSunshine2b if someone with ADHD knows that their traits and behaviours are upsetting to their loved ones, for example the partner who is terrible with money, housework, planning, whatever it may be, why would they not want to put the effort in and eradicate these behaviours? Why should their partner just have to suck this up, accept this and just embrace their strengths, when effort on their part could avoid this hurt in the first place?

"Do you know, some people in wheelchairs can't do household cleaning tasks, and that can be really inconvenient for their loved ones. Why can't they just suck it up and eradicate their bad behaviour? I used to like sitting on the sofa, but then I made an effort, got up and cleaned the bathroom more often!"

That's what you sound like.

If you were terrible with money/housework/planning and you just tried harder at them and now you can do them all, YOU DIDN'T HAVE ADHD. You were just lazy, and now you're not, so congrats on the personal growth.

JaydeeeeP · 23/08/2024 14:15

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:13

I read my post back and knew you'd likely flip at the word eradicate... replace that word with 'manage' then.

But for me, I constantly strive to eradicate my own behaviours.

Like I say go and educate yourself. People with ADHD aren't choosing their behaviour or choosing not to manage it.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 23/08/2024 14:15

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 13:53

@SpidersAreShithead I have struggled with all of those feelings, still do on occasion, but I guess I'm just stubborn, competitive. I struggle a lot with what I perceive as failure in myself so push myself maybe too much at times and yes, it's exhausting, but I feel satisfaction from overcoming my own shortcomings and knowing they're not impacting my family.

For example, I'm naturally incredibly disorganised. If I lived on my own, I'd likely live in a complete mess. But I don't, so I can't.

I have periods of hyper focus when it comes to work, and then long long periods of total distraction, where I can't even face looking at the task I'm supposed to be doing, it's almost upsetting. If my family didn't need my job, I would likely be unemployable. But they do, so I have structure my work around these behaviours and get on with it.

I struggle with remembering absolutely everything. If i didn't have family and friends who would be hurt by me forgetting important dates, I would just not bother. But I do have them, so I have to have a detailed diary and schedule to keep track of these.

I struggle with active listening and could have a tendency to talk over people. If I wasn't aware of how hurtful this is in my personal life, and how unprofessional it is at work, I would do naturally do this all the time. But I am aware, so I have a strategy for active listening in place.

The list goes on really but I just know I have to manage these things so I don't impact the people around me. To me, it's just been a common sense approach to my shortcomings.

I don't see this with many of the people diagnosed with adhd in my immediate circles.

If I were to receive a diagnosis, then maybe I would be a rare, I don't know.

It sounds like you have good interpersonal skills, are very self reflective and able to see exactly how your difficulties reflect on others, but everybody is different and what is obvious to you may not be obvious to others. Not everybody is able to recognise the difficulties they have, I didn’t recognise some of my difficult traits until after my diagnosis, for example things like talking over people and interrupting I didn’t even realise I did. I have only realised post-diagnosis because I started to look into adhd more and reflect on my behaviour more, I wasn’t in a position to really self reflect at the points where my mental health was lowest let alone come up with strategies. Autism can make it harder to view your behaviour objectively or recognise how it effects others. I think different people will relate to difficulties different, your reaction to a fear of failure has been to push yourself more and try harder and find a way to overcome the difficulty. Mine is usually to shy away from things, to give up before I’ve started and to avoid anything difficult or that puts me out of my comfort zone. I was ridiculed and made to feel bad as a child for failure, always compare to my high achieving siblings, constantly put down, parents reacted to my meltdowns with physical violence, threats to put me in care and physically leaving me home alone when in crisis and saying they were done and were leaving me for good. My impulsiveness has lead to me being in some awful situations including being raped. It left me scared of the world. People are more complex than just their diagnosis and early experiences can shape the way that we react or deal with adversity. Obviously I can try and overcome the fact that my natural instincts when something is hard and that when I’m scared of failure or a new situation is to hide from it but it’s a lot of effort.

You also have motivation in your family. I’m single, childless and I live alone. It sounds like you have a good support network and are close to your family, my relationship with my family is difficult and so they’re not really a motivation.

It also sounds like you are lucky that you have been able to put in place strategies that work for you, I cannot explain how many times I have tried to keep a diary, a schedule, a calendar etc but I invariably lose them, or forget to write something in, or find it hard to stick to when the novelty wears off. A strategy which is very effective for one person might not work for another. You can’t just look at the fact that somebody has an adhd diagnosis and expect them to be able to put the same strategies in place because you have been able to and fail to see all the other aspects of their health, neurology, life experiences, support network and personality that might make them different from you.

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:15

Anyway, thanks to all those who've responded, I've got some good resources to check out and I understand a bit more about the impact a diagnosis has had on people. While my psychiatrist has recommended an assessment, I'm still very much on the fence about pursuing it, but maybe that will change once I've read some more.

Thanks again, have a good weekend all.

OP posts:
Newname71 · 23/08/2024 14:16

For my DS (17) the only thing that changed post diagnosis was me changing my attitude towards him and some of his “behaviours”. I had to adapt my parenting to suit him. Ie more patience and understanding.
He tried meds for school but he didn’t like the way they made him feel.
He and his older brother are both sensitive to methylphenidate which is the main ingredient in most ADHD meds. We were looking at trying a different type but it came with the warning that it shouldn’t be taken by anyone with a history of Tourette’s in the family which DS1 has. Funnily enough we did notice DS2 developed some tics whilst medicated.
School did try and make reasonable adjustments but tbh they couldn’t really help him.
I will add though that he also suffered terrible anxiety following the death of 2 grandparents, his older brothers best friends death and losing a friend (when they were 14) to suicide. I don’t know if the reasonable adjustments would have helped without all this on top his ADHD.

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:16

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:07

But @MrsSunshine2b if someone with ADHD knows that their traits and behaviours are upsetting to their loved ones, for example the partner who is terrible with money, housework, planning, whatever it may be, why would they not want to put the effort in and eradicate these behaviours? Why should their partner just have to suck this up, accept this and just embrace their strengths, when effort on their part could avoid this hurt in the first place?

There is such a fundamental misunderstanding at the heart of this.

You can’t ‘effort’ your way out of ADHD. I can’t even begin to express how much effort I have expended over the years in trying to find ways of staying organised, keep tidy, focus consistently, remember all I need to. I have hit absolute burn out multiple times from trying so hard to manage my life without ever achieving consistent success.

I have spent years desperately wanting to succeed, not least because of the impact it has on those around me. And before I was diagnosed with ADHD I had regular periods of intense depression and suicidal feelings driven in large part by the fear and knowledge that I was constantly letting people down.

I am lucky to be married to a man who not only tolerates my ADHD but celebrates the aspects of it which are positive. I wouldn’t blame anyone who decided it was too much to put up with a partner with ADHD; some people aren’t cut out to support a spouse with a disability. Thankfully, my husband is one of the ones who is. He recognises my difficulties aren’t a lack of effort, care or empathy. His support is the reason I got diagnosed and now have access to medication, therapies and resources which have helped me in practical and emotional ways.

Singleandproud · 23/08/2024 14:23

You may want to watch some of the content from adhd_love which is a fab couple that support eachother and do content showing life realistically the wife has ADHD, teen son autism and husband I think his recently found out they are autistic too

If you can 'effort' your way out of your ADHD traits without hitting burnout then you never had ADHD to start with.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 23/08/2024 14:23

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 14:07

But @MrsSunshine2b if someone with ADHD knows that their traits and behaviours are upsetting to their loved ones, for example the partner who is terrible with money, housework, planning, whatever it may be, why would they not want to put the effort in and eradicate these behaviours? Why should their partner just have to suck this up, accept this and just embrace their strengths, when effort on their part could avoid this hurt in the first place?

Because effort isn’t always enough. It’s a neurological difference, all the strategies in the world won’t magically change the chemical balance or function in the brain. ADHD can not be eradicated with strategies, strategies may be able to help somebody manage some adhd symptoms but it doesn’t mean there is a strategy for every symptom. It is a disability, you can’t just put in effort and eradicate a disability. Maybe you have found strategies that work for you, it seems likely you don’t have adhd in that case but even if you do, you have to accept that not all strategies work for all people with adhd and that some people won’t be able to find strategies to manage that even if they try very hard. Of course it feels awful to know that your disability negatively impacts on loved ones, thats why so many people with adhd have issues with self esteem and social relationships and mental health, I hate myself most of the time because I know my adhd and other disabilities makes me hard to be around, but that doesn’t mean it’s possible to eradicate them. Truly I wish it was and if effort and ‘strategies’ were all it took then it wouldn’t be a disability, it would just be a series of personality traits.

MrsSunshine2b · 23/08/2024 14:23

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:16

There is such a fundamental misunderstanding at the heart of this.

You can’t ‘effort’ your way out of ADHD. I can’t even begin to express how much effort I have expended over the years in trying to find ways of staying organised, keep tidy, focus consistently, remember all I need to. I have hit absolute burn out multiple times from trying so hard to manage my life without ever achieving consistent success.

I have spent years desperately wanting to succeed, not least because of the impact it has on those around me. And before I was diagnosed with ADHD I had regular periods of intense depression and suicidal feelings driven in large part by the fear and knowledge that I was constantly letting people down.

I am lucky to be married to a man who not only tolerates my ADHD but celebrates the aspects of it which are positive. I wouldn’t blame anyone who decided it was too much to put up with a partner with ADHD; some people aren’t cut out to support a spouse with a disability. Thankfully, my husband is one of the ones who is. He recognises my difficulties aren’t a lack of effort, care or empathy. His support is the reason I got diagnosed and now have access to medication, therapies and resources which have helped me in practical and emotional ways.

He sounds amazing. My husband and I both have ADHD, but very different types.

He struggles hugely with attention, planning and memory. He also has very heavy RSD and so I have to be very careful with any perceived criticism.
I struggle most with focus, impulsivity and executive function.

We do wind each other up, but we can cover each other's backs most of the time.

Unfortunately, some people will always just assume that we're not trying hard enough!

Newname71 · 23/08/2024 14:24

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:16

There is such a fundamental misunderstanding at the heart of this.

You can’t ‘effort’ your way out of ADHD. I can’t even begin to express how much effort I have expended over the years in trying to find ways of staying organised, keep tidy, focus consistently, remember all I need to. I have hit absolute burn out multiple times from trying so hard to manage my life without ever achieving consistent success.

I have spent years desperately wanting to succeed, not least because of the impact it has on those around me. And before I was diagnosed with ADHD I had regular periods of intense depression and suicidal feelings driven in large part by the fear and knowledge that I was constantly letting people down.

I am lucky to be married to a man who not only tolerates my ADHD but celebrates the aspects of it which are positive. I wouldn’t blame anyone who decided it was too much to put up with a partner with ADHD; some people aren’t cut out to support a spouse with a disability. Thankfully, my husband is one of the ones who is. He recognises my difficulties aren’t a lack of effort, care or empathy. His support is the reason I got diagnosed and now have access to medication, therapies and resources which have helped me in practical and emotional ways.

Hats off to your husband❤️. I have 2 sons with ADHD and it can be absolutely draining for those around them. DS1 is 24 now and has the most wonderful fiancé who is helpful and supportive. She struggled a lot at the start of their relationship and I had many, many chats with her about it and how he couldn’t change. I had to sit her down and be quite blunt with her about it, about how her reactions to him were making situations worse. A couple of times I did suggest she walk away. Fortunately for us she’s a wonderful human being who was receptive to my advice and their relationship has gone from strength to strength, so much so that they now have their own place together .

HunkMarvin · 23/08/2024 14:27

The thing that annoys me about these threads - read about it? It’s not like you can’t google. Don’t start a goady “I’m not trying to be goady” thread. There is plenty of resources and it’s not the responsibility of others to educate you

junebirthdaygirl · 23/08/2024 14:27

My ds was diagnosed as a young adult. He understands himself better and isn't constantly beating himself up for nor managing better. He takes time out and realises his over stimulation at times is not him being awkward/ antisocial etc but real so can make changes.
I understand him better so more patient at him squandering his money and being impulsive in many ways. He does take meds and finds they really help his concentration.
Overall , after he got over his grief at not getting an earlier diagnosis he has gained from the assessment. He has dyslexia so a lot of his issues were thrown in there rather than realising there is more going on.

eggplant16 · 23/08/2024 14:30

I think its a really interesting discussion. Of course we can google. But its good to hear from actual human beings.

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:30

Newname71 · 23/08/2024 14:24

Hats off to your husband❤️. I have 2 sons with ADHD and it can be absolutely draining for those around them. DS1 is 24 now and has the most wonderful fiancé who is helpful and supportive. She struggled a lot at the start of their relationship and I had many, many chats with her about it and how he couldn’t change. I had to sit her down and be quite blunt with her about it, about how her reactions to him were making situations worse. A couple of times I did suggest she walk away. Fortunately for us she’s a wonderful human being who was receptive to my advice and their relationship has gone from strength to strength, so much so that they now have their own place together .

That’s wonderful, she sounds like an amazing person (and your son deserves someone who cares enough to learn how to help him in this way).

I worry a lot about the impact on my husband. He manages pretty much all of our finances and household management because if not we would live in chaos. He does a lot of the day to day work of keeping our lives ticking over. Whenever I wobble and say he would be better off without me he takes pains to point out all the things I contribute, partly because of my ADHD - I meal plan everything because it’s a hyperfixation of mine so we always eat novel, interesting things, we have a lot of amazing spontaneous fun at my instance, I come up with creative date and holiday ideas, I do great creative projects with the kids, I’m very empathetic and nurturing etc. he helps me see the good in myself when I’m only able to focus on the bad.

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:31

MrsSunshine2b · 23/08/2024 14:23

He sounds amazing. My husband and I both have ADHD, but very different types.

He struggles hugely with attention, planning and memory. He also has very heavy RSD and so I have to be very careful with any perceived criticism.
I struggle most with focus, impulsivity and executive function.

We do wind each other up, but we can cover each other's backs most of the time.

Unfortunately, some people will always just assume that we're not trying hard enough!

That sounds like amazing support ♥️

I have intense RSD too, one of my worst qualities. It warps everything. It must be really hard to live with, you’re amazing for offering the support you do.

Cornettoninja · 23/08/2024 14:32

Is there a risk though of some people just putting all of their shortcomings down to a diagnosis, as opposed to putting in more effort in certain areas of their life to improve I wonder

funnily enough I’ve been having this exact debate/argument with DP over seeking an assessment for dd (9), not for adhd though, but for dyspraxia.

his argument is that he doesn’t want her to give up trying to do things, which to me is ridiculous. She already is giving up trying to do things with a large side helping of blaming herself and destroying her confidence. We’ve given it more than long enough to see whether it’s just a set of skills she’s developed on the late side and now it’s clear that it’s not that and there’s a realistic chance there’s more to it and we clearly aren’t the ones to guide her through what she needs without the input from people with experience.

I’ve discussed what I’m doing with dd and I genuinely saw a cloud lift when I explained it. I don’t see how that kind of revelation alone isn’t beneficial for an adult or a child. Especially the part when I explained that there are lots of things that could help teach her in different ways of learning.

I’d also like the school to get off her back about how she holds a knife and fork or her handwriting.

basically though, no I don’t think people generally use any diagnosis as an easy ‘out’. I think they tend to stop blaming themselves and look for better solutions to challenges. It’s great that you’ve already implemented strategies but I think a lot of that will be down to your natural character and good fortune at having influences that have been beneficial to you. Others will have to seek those things out and learn them.

MrsSunshine2b · 23/08/2024 14:33

eggplant16 · 23/08/2024 14:30

I think its a really interesting discussion. Of course we can google. But its good to hear from actual human beings.

It's pointless to "hear" from human beings if you're not willing to actually listen.

OP has heard from many ADHD people, but instead of taking it on board and listening, she had repeatedly doubled down on her stance that people with ADHD should just try harder and stop having ADHD. 😒

It makes the discussion fairly pointless.

NewFriendlyLadybird · 23/08/2024 14:36

HelpAGirlOut1234 · 23/08/2024 12:54

@Singleandproud thanks for this, this is interesting.

My skills and coping mechanisms were definitely not taught at home, life happens around me and I'm responsible for small peoples lives so I just need to get on with. Therefore I had to get strategies in place for myself... regular breaks from chunks of work, standing desks, super organised house and routine, declutterred house to make things easier to manage etc etc

But I suppose not everyone is able to just get these strategies in place themselves?

But as an adult who is say, disorganised, can't focus etc. How does a diagnosis help with that? It's not like you're diagnosed and go to classes to manage these behaviours. Surely most people can recognise these behaviours in themselves without a diagnosis and just know they need to do something to minimise their impact on their lives and those around them?

That’s the ‘why don’t you use a planner?’ approach. Seriously, if it was that easy everyone with ADHD would do it.

The point is that the executive dysfunction associated with ADHD makes it HARD. I’ve been creating workarounds my whole life. They work for a while then fall apart. So I live with the stress of messiness and disorganisation until something happens to spur me to sort everything out again. It is a hugely stressful recurring cycle. Knowing that it’s because of ADHD lets me forgive myself but it doesn’t make it any easier to do what I actually want to do. It’s not simple disorganisation.

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:37

Yeah, it’s a bit frustrating that OP - a person who does not have an ADHD diagnosis - is like ‘well I can just force myself to be organised and remember things, so anyone who can’t clearly isn’t trying hard enough’. Not particularly productive or helpful.

Psychoticbreak · 23/08/2024 14:39

WakingUpInBlood · 23/08/2024 14:37

Yeah, it’s a bit frustrating that OP - a person who does not have an ADHD diagnosis - is like ‘well I can just force myself to be organised and remember things, so anyone who can’t clearly isn’t trying hard enough’. Not particularly productive or helpful.

I think it is yet another goady thread. I cannot force myself not to have adhd no more than I can force myself to be taller.

eggplant16 · 23/08/2024 14:55

But surely there is a continuum and therefore different things might help different people?