social media is convincing all our kids they are nd?

[AuntMarch]

I've just been sat on the bus and the tiktok videos I'm hearing almost have me seeking a diagnosis.
"ADHD TEST" Put a finger down if you've ever focused on something so much you've lost track of time/ sometimes think you talk too much or not enough.."
it's basically covered every possible behaviour and it's video after video.

it's no wonder every kid thinks they have something.

My DS @Bellsbeachwaves has a neurological condition diagnosed by a consultant neurologist in NHS as well as ASD and one other condition. I won't say what the neurological condition is as it's a bit outing but am curious if you think that is over pathologising?

No everything is not fixed by medication and many don’t take it. It’s one of several tools
for some.

What are you talking about. Young people want their diagnoses to get a life and for them to navigate life better. ADHD diagnose is enabling my children to finish their education and go to uni. It gives answers,has helped hugely with their MH and illness alongside enabled access to treatment( medication, strategies and therapy).

I can't possibly answer that. I'm not commenting on individual cases. I'm not saying every diagnosis is wrong. Diagnosis is obviously very helpful and appropriate. I'm wondering as per the thread title if over diagnosis is a thing re ADHD and if it seems to be a thing on social media. It doesn't bother me as such, I think it's an interesting question and have an opinion.

I'm wondering as per the thread title if over diagnosis is a thing re ADHD and if it seems to be a thing on social media

Social media isn't representative of real life - you also have to remember that algorithms come into play, so if you watch or interact with several videos about ADHD, you'll see more and more of them in your feed.

In real life, you can't just rock up to a clinic and get a diagnosis. You need pages and pages of evidence. Doctors reports, school reports, SENCO reports. I was diagnosed in adulthood (autism, not ADHD) and they spent several hours interviewing my parents, looking at school reports, exam results, my job history, my mental health - it's endless.

No mentally healthy, neurotypical person thinks "you know what would make my/my child's life better? A diagnosis that comes with stereotypes, criticisms, nasty comments and ignorance!".

There is one theory that ADHD was an evolved biological advantage in hunter gatherer societies.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/21/adhd-may-have-been-an-evolutionary-advantage-research-suggests

If this is the case it would make sense that a huge number of people have it. Life has simply moved in a direction where many of the traits which were advantageous previously, are hugely disadvantageous when trying to navigate modern life.

100% @tumblingdowntherabbithole

And to the posters questioning the idea ADHD masking exists - the clue is in the name.

Exactly - of course it exists! But too many people have absolutely no idea about the realities of ADHD and autism and just like to spout a load of nonsense.

It’s because perimenopause causes changes that cause us to be less able to apply the strategies and coping mechanisms we have used all our lives.

it’s not some theory. It’s a fact.

And just being utterly fucking exhausted all the time because you are completely overwhelmed all of the time with trying to juggle everything without a brain that naturally prioritises so your brain is constantly holding everything in the same place and a brain that can’t filter so everything around you, every lane, sign, car on the road, bird, pedestrian, dog whether in your line of travel is being focussed on. All the time.

and then trying not to snap at people and trying to look normal because you are one step away from having a meltdown in the supermarket.

Yep. The ignorance on this thread from people who have absolutely no idea about ADHD and autism is sadly not surprising to me, though.

Maybe instead of blithering about things they know nothing about, they should instead just be incredibly grateful that they don’t need to worry about how to function every single day.

This is about social media influencing people that some of their normal characteristics are because of ND conditions, that many don’t have.

Not individual cases, no one is saying no one has ND, but some of the nonsense online does a disservice to everyone and you can see teens just shrug and think “oh so what” because it is becoming so frequent now.

It’s dangerous to convince people they are ND when they aren’t, it can limited options in life, halt emigration options, you do just wonder who is benefitting from the social media output? Yes a few individuals will make cash from online content, and yes there are some it might help, but there’s also thousands it will damage.

Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t persuade people they’re ND when they aren’t. If you can then the entire young population are loons, none are safe on SM and we have way bigger things to worry about than info on autism and adhd. 🙄

It’s dangerous to convince people they are ND when they aren’t

It's a good thing that's not happening then, isn't it?

Nobody wants to be ND. As someone with late-diagnosed autism - it is utterly fucking shit. It's exhausting. It's stressful. My entire life is ruled by it and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

If people are genuinely watching videos on TikTok and thinking "shit, I can relate to all of this persons' struggles" then the likelihood is that those people are also neurodiverse.

You can persuade people of anything, it’s not just ADHD, young adults/teens, are being manipulated by online nonsense about a great many things (adults as well) - it’s not a case of bigger things to worry about - it’s already here, in their pockets, in their bedrooms. It’s something new every week!

If you can persuade some kids to eat laundry liquid and end up in hospital how can you not think that persuading them that being scatty and untidy isn’t their fault?

The pseudo psychobabble that pervades culture does a disservice to everyone. It might not affect you and your young adults but to dismiss the harm social media can, and does frequently, do is a privileged position to be in right now.

We have regular conversations with our teens about social media, and it’s not all bad there’s fun stuff as well. Subjects are brought up which are difficult and embarrassing, but it’s handy to know what is being said in their playgrounds. Social media is influential within their peer groups, many will find an excuse for things rather than do any deeper thinking or put in hard work and our teens are part of this peer group. And for them, it does, at times, become incredibly tedious, after all they are teens themselves.

Don’t they?
I know two families, so there must be others, who went to numerous private assessments with their children and didn’t stop until one gave them medication.
A couple of adults who had been functioning fine then decided to just, well basically give up most of their adult responsibilities and pile a whole heap onto their spouse (and families) after an ADHD diagnosis.

Some people do want a ND diagnosis, for whatever reason, and it seems can get one if they pay. Did you see the BBC documentary, the reporter got a diagnosis by an online hour interview. Why does that service exist?

So people do want a prescription however sketchy the diagnosis. Maybe not you, and no not everyone, but to think people aren’t seeking out these things is incorrect they are.

And social media has a part to play. So now when someone tells you they are ND it’s becoming harder to believe them, and for our teens it’s so prevalent they just shrug and go “oh” because they know what comes next, they are expected to make all the accommodations for their peer’s behaviour, so now they just give them a wide berth. They aren’t nasty or rude but they are fed up of being told they triggered someone by doing something normally teenage and not being aware of whatever it was being on someone’s trigger list. This is where some teens are now. And you really can’t blame them.

This simply isn't true. There's no measure taken of people's levels of dopamine and adjustment of levels to a baseline.The idea that low dopamine levels are the sole cause of various mental health issues, like depression or ADHD, is a myth.

Well as far I understand it ADHD drugs increase dopamine activity in the brain. Due to this the drugs help people with ADHD function more ‘normally’.

What is it that I have said is wrong? And what would be correct?

The average or slightly below average in academics teenagers who don't have the parent pushing diagnosis so their kid can get accommodation get annoyed af at their peers who get an extra hour on tests or free tutors providing extra support. I work w/ a lot of teenagers who suspect it's bullshit, which gives me hope for the future and critical thinking. These same teens show great sensitivity and kindness to the kids who have a clear disability or for the kid who misses school because they are undergoing chemotherapy. It's the explosion in 'hidden disabilities' from people pushing for extra help for simply average kids that makes people question if many non-biological marker diagnosis are misused.

The emperor's new clothes, indeed.

You are right that methylphenidate increases dopamine availability, and that there is evidence to suggest decreased dopamine availability is part of the ADHD picture pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1119521/

Completely agree that perimenopause messes with our functioning. So, it's not the ADHD, it's the peri.

@frozendaisy (I was going to quote your post but it got a bit long!)

I know two families, so there must be others, who went to numerous private assessments with their children and didn’t stop until one gave them medication.

And do you know the ins and outs of those children, their medical records and what those assessments entailed, plus all the outcomes? I'm guessing not.

A couple of adults who had been functioning fine then decided to just, well basically give up most of their adult responsibilities and pile a whole heap onto their spouse (and families) after an ADHD diagnosis.

Yes, because it's incredibly common for a diagnosis to lead to unmasking.

Some people do want a ND diagnosis, for whatever reason, and it seems can get one if they pay. Did you see the BBC documentary, the reporter got a diagnosis by an online hour interview. Why does that service exist?

As I've tried to say, no sensible, mentally well person seeks out a diagnosis that will actively limit their lives. If it's not ND, then they clearly have other things going on that need to be investigated.

So people do want a prescription however sketchy the diagnosis. Maybe not you, and no not everyone, but to think people aren’t seeking out these things is incorrect they are.

See above.

And social media has a part to play. So now when someone tells you they are ND it’s becoming harder to believe them, and for our teens it’s so prevalent they just shrug and go “oh” because they know what comes next, they are expected to make all the accommodations for their peer’s behaviour, so now they just give them a wide berth. They aren’t nasty or rude but they are fed up of being told they triggered someone by doing something normally teenage and not being aware of whatever it was being on someone’s trigger list. This is where some teens are now. And you really can’t blame them.

Well yes, you can blame them. Just because something is prevalent, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Or maybe (for some people) it's both.

It's very well documented that many high-functioning people (especially women) can successfully mask and manage their autism for years until an outside factor hits and it all becomes too much.

But medical practitioners do not measure dopamine nor track neurotransmitter activity when diagnosing ADHD. They are unable to claim that one person has a biological marker for ADHD and another has none (unlike finding a gene for breast cancer). So, diagnoses are based on behavior and trait categorization after interviews, surveys, observation. It's not a hard science. And, as noted above w/ journalist who got an ADHD diagnosis in under an hour, there is a risk that people are over prescribed, and wrongly told they have a disability/illness/disease.