Page 6 | social media is convincing all our kids they are nd?

AuntMarch · 2025-08-09T13:38:07+00:00

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.

Coldiron · 09/08/2025 17:25

Ironically, my son told me that his concentration and attention improved massively after he deleted tiktok

LakieLady · 09/08/2025 17:25

1apenny2apenny · 09/08/2025 15:03

Not just social media but the benefits system too. When you can get a mobility car when you’ve got a diagnosis and start driving at 16 there’s 2 big incentives right there. And yes I do know someone who had a brand new luxury brand car because of diagnosis. Not saying they aren’t autistic but pointing out that for some the money will be an incentive

To get a new car "because of diagnosis", they must have got the enhanced rate of the mobility element.

I've worked in welfare rights for 18 years, working entirely with clients with MH and ND issues and I have never got enhanced mobility for ASD or ADHD alone. I suspect there may be other factors at play.

The only instance of this I have ever come across was when a friend got higher rate mobility DLA for her autistic, non-verbal child. She had to use a wheelchair for him when out because he was so freaked out by any flying insect that he would just bolt.

CiffHang3r · 09/08/2025 17:28

ThejoyofNC · 09/08/2025 17:18

What rubbish. Nobody has said anything of the sort.

Complaining about posts on a thread you haven't even read is a bit silly isn't it.

Show quote history

It’s not rubbish, plenty of posts saying just that.

digsd · 09/08/2025 17:29

Coldiron · 09/08/2025 17:25

Ironically, my son told me that his concentration and attention improved massively after he deleted tiktok

yes. There will be far far more research on the effects of
smartphones and attention deficit in future. Many if not most children (and adults) are completely addicted.

PolyVagalNerve · 09/08/2025 17:29

Coldiron · 09/08/2025 17:25

Ironically, my son told me that his concentration and attention improved massively after he deleted tiktok

Exactly -
use of social media / screen addiction can look like ND -
difficulty with focus and concentration.
dopamine seeking
poor sleep / circadian rhythms
difficulty with social settings and interpersonal communication

it’s like online becomes an echo chamber of creating and then reinforcing the idea that people have ND or gender dysphoria etc etc

CiffHang3r · 09/08/2025 17:29

TigerRag · 09/08/2025 17:12

Support groups aren't always accessible though

Show quote history

Depends where you look, more are being started up all the time.

Brianthedog · 09/08/2025 17:30

FortheloveofCheesus · 09/08/2025 16:56

We aren't allowed to suggest anyone just isn't very good at something any more, or that perhaps they just have to try harder at it. It has to be medicalised so that they can't possibly be expected to do anything to improve it themselves. The world must change around them, expect less of them, accomodate their every foible. No need to accept a bit of struggle/challenge/discomfort for the collective good.

It is individualism at its worst.

It’s like people insisting I must have dyscalculia.

I am shit at maths, always have been. I used to cry at 5 years old as I already didn’t understand it, couldn’t do it, found it boring and pointless.

I got As and Bs in all my other GCSEs but got an E in Maths. I wanted to do an access to uni course in my 30s and had to retake maths and get a C. I re took it 3 times and failed each time. I spent a fortune on tutoring. I even failed functional skill maths! I can’t do it, I gave up and didn’t do the access course.

Even on here, when I mention that, it’s “you must have dyscalculia!” I don’t. I don’t have any of the other symptoms at all. I just hate maths. My brain switches off because honestly, it’s boring as fuck and I’ve got a calculator on my phone.

But I can’t just be shit at maths and no motivation to do it, I must have a label to go with it.

ChompandaGrazia · 09/08/2025 17:40

SpidersAreShitheads · 09/08/2025 17:16

Excellent. Another post scolding neurodivergent people for existing. Apparently there's too many of us now and That's Not OK.

What is particularly not OK is the female presentation of neurodivergence. If we don't display the typically male traits we're clearly not worthy of a diagnosis.

In the UK, you don't get a diagnosis easily, regardless of what TikTok tells you.

I can't even read this full thread - the first page or so was enough for me. It's honestly just enraging.

No one is saying that. It’s the people who a few years ago would have said they are ‘a little bit OCD’ when they mean they just like things to be tidy. This is about NT people who can’t cope with the fact that sometimes life is difficult.

Inthebleakmidwinter1 · 09/08/2025 17:40

@GeniuneWorkOfFart you certainly shouldn’t dismiss someone having adhd just because they appear to cope with life. You would say that about me but you would have no idea about the ways in which I have struggled just to keep the show on the road. The wheels are coming off now I’m hitting peri menopause which is quite common for high functioning adhd in women.

LakieLady · 09/08/2025 17:43

CiffHang3r · 09/08/2025 15:30

What are you talking about. I am late diagnosed( NHS before you ridicule my diagnosis) as were several women in my support group. You need evidence that it has impacted life and all had a history of self medicating, risky behaviours and a completely shit life. I have a job, a degree and a house but I am on a minimum wage and earning way less than I should be. My diagnosis came after my daughter’s late diagnosis during horrific mental health struggles. She was missed because people like you are ignorant as to how ADHD presents in women and girls and like to gate keep diagnosis for the men in their lives. Thank goodness experts are better informed.

Show quote history

On a course I attended through work a couple of years ago, a psychologist gave a presentation about autisitc spectrum disorders and how they are often misdiagnosed in women and girls because they tend to present differently from boys and men.

They reckoned that an awful lot (can't recall the actual figure) of autistic women and girls are misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder when they are actually autistic.

One of my nieces has a BPD diagnosis, and I'm convinced she's been misdiagnosed. She has a sibling who was diagnosed with Aspergers at 12, and half-sibling who was diagnosed autistic at 8.

digsd · 09/08/2025 17:48

LakieLady · 09/08/2025 17:43

On a course I attended through work a couple of years ago, a psychologist gave a presentation about autisitc spectrum disorders and how they are often misdiagnosed in women and girls because they tend to present differently from boys and men.

They reckoned that an awful lot (can't recall the actual figure) of autistic women and girls are misdiagnosed with borderline personality disorder when they are actually autistic.

One of my nieces has a BPD diagnosis, and I'm convinced she's been misdiagnosed. She has a sibling who was diagnosed with Aspergers at 12, and half-sibling who was diagnosed autistic at 8.

Edited

Show quote history

perhaps controversial, but I don’t believe in BPD as
a diagnosis at all. Always given to women. Awful label/diagnosis IMO

LlamaNoDrama · 09/08/2025 17:53

x2boys · 09/08/2025 16:56

Can we also add in the announcement
that people dont just get DLA/PIP for having a diagnosis it goes off need?

Show quote history

Someone should make a bingo card for these threads, honestly.

LakieLady · 09/08/2025 18:03

digsd · 09/08/2025 17:48

perhaps controversial, but I don’t believe in BPD as
a diagnosis at all. Always given to women. Awful label/diagnosis IMO

Show quote history

That's been my perception too. I can't recall a single male client with a BPD diagnosis.

That's why I'm so dubious about my niece's diagnosis.

LovelyBitOfSquirrrel · 09/08/2025 18:05

Most people seem to want something to blame instead of taking responsibility for their own actions and face that the things they’re unhappy with are under their own control

MynameisJune · 09/08/2025 18:05

What an absolutely thoroughly shit thread. Just unbelievable that in 2025 people still have these atrocious attitudes to people with a disability.

Ableism at its finest, dressed up as ‘concern’ that too many people are being diagnosed. Most contributors on this thread should be ashamed of themselves.

CiffHang3r · 09/08/2025 18:07

MynameisJune · 09/08/2025 18:05

What an absolutely thoroughly shit thread. Just unbelievable that in 2025 people still have these atrocious attitudes to people with a disability.

Ableism at its finest, dressed up as ‘concern’ that too many people are being diagnosed. Most contributors on this thread should be ashamed of themselves.

This it’s just awful.

MynameisJune · 09/08/2025 18:09

LovelyBitOfSquirrrel · 09/08/2025 18:05

Most people seem to want something to blame instead of taking responsibility for their own actions and face that the things they’re unhappy with are under their own control

Do you know anything about formal diagnosis for autism or ADHD?

Do you know that for an adult you need to have a family member or long term friend with you at the assessment to basically corroborate the fact that you’ve struggled your whole life. And you have to drag up every shit memory in your life to appease the person assessing you.

No one, absolutely fucking no one, walks into an assessment and says ‘yeah I don’t concentrate very well and I’m always a bit late’ and is given an ADHD diagnosis.

The amount of bullshit on this thread is astounding.

SilverLining77 · 09/08/2025 18:16

digsd · 09/08/2025 17:12

I used to work for a private centre assessing ASD and ADHD. I don’t anymore because every second person who came in had been online, diagnosed themselves and the diagnostic criteria seemed to be somewhat extended by (some, not all) assessors and I think the self funded aspect played a key part. Nobody seemed to have an issue with this, but as a lifelong diagnosis, I wanted to be absolutely certain. I stick to therapeutic interventions these days with focus on the whole person, based on what they can do. Having worked in this area for a decade or so, I’m not convinced that the tiktok/identity politics around ASD is healthy longterm. I’ve also seen a decline in some when they receive a diagnosis, almost like its
confirmed what they’re unable to do, so they stop
trying altogether. Not always but in a significant percentage of cases.

I have a very similar experience.

dizzydizzydizzy · 09/08/2025 18:21

PolyVagalNerve · 09/08/2025 17:29

Exactly -
use of social media / screen addiction can look like ND -
difficulty with focus and concentration.
dopamine seeking
poor sleep / circadian rhythms
difficulty with social settings and interpersonal communication

it’s like online becomes an echo chamber of creating and then reinforcing the idea that people have ND or gender dysphoria etc etc

Show quote history

I’m sure my psychiatrist who has decades of experience with diagnosing autism and ADHD can tell the difference.

ThrivingIn2025ing · 09/08/2025 18:22

Oh praise the Lord someone finally has the guts to say it because if you dare to question anyone in real life you get treated as if you are an arsehole.

I have a friend who casually dropped into the conversation that she’s dyslexic. Ok, news to me but not impossible. Then not long after she mentions she’s Autistic. No formal diagnosis for either condition. Managed to make her way through school, college, University and work for 20 years but apparently now she is neurodivergent.

It makes a mockery of the conditions and the people who actually have them.

It’s probably best not to get me started on the people who use neurodivergence as an excuse for their wholly inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour (Gregg Wallace et al).

CiffHang3r · 09/08/2025 18:25

ThrivingIn2025ing · 09/08/2025 18:22

Oh praise the Lord someone finally has the guts to say it because if you dare to question anyone in real life you get treated as if you are an arsehole.

I have a friend who casually dropped into the conversation that she’s dyslexic. Ok, news to me but not impossible. Then not long after she mentions she’s Autistic. No formal diagnosis for either condition. Managed to make her way through school, college, University and work for 20 years but apparently now she is neurodivergent.

It makes a mockery of the conditions and the people who actually have them.

It’s probably best not to get me started on the people who use neurodivergence as an excuse for their wholly inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour (Gregg Wallace et al).

Such as? Behaviour like that is not the norm amongst the ND community.

20 years ago it was much less common for women and girls to get diagnosed due to ignorance in how it presents . Why shouldn’t women who have been unfairly ignored earlier in life get their diagnosis later?

LovelyBitOfSquirrrel · 09/08/2025 18:26

MynameisJune · 09/08/2025 18:09

Do you know anything about formal diagnosis for autism or ADHD?

Do you know that for an adult you need to have a family member or long term friend with you at the assessment to basically corroborate the fact that you’ve struggled your whole life. And you have to drag up every shit memory in your life to appease the person assessing you.

No one, absolutely fucking no one, walks into an assessment and says ‘yeah I don’t concentrate very well and I’m always a bit late’ and is given an ADHD diagnosis.

The amount of bullshit on this thread is astounding.

Show quote history

My brother and close friend did exactly this…

MynameisJune · 09/08/2025 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

dizzydizzydizzy · 09/08/2025 18:28

FortheloveofCheesus · 09/08/2025 16:56

We aren't allowed to suggest anyone just isn't very good at something any more, or that perhaps they just have to try harder at it. It has to be medicalised so that they can't possibly be expected to do anything to improve it themselves. The world must change around them, expect less of them, accomodate their every foible. No need to accept a bit of struggle/challenge/discomfort for the collective good.

It is individualism at its worst.

How unkind. Autism, ADHD, dyslexia etc are very real and also rather common. People with these conditions need help and suppor6, not sneering. According to my psychiatrist 1 in 25 of the population has ADHD but most of them are undiagnosed.

PolyVagalNerve · 09/08/2025 18:29

dizzydizzydizzy · 09/08/2025 18:21

I’m sure my psychiatrist who has decades of experience with diagnosing autism and ADHD can tell the difference.

Show quote history

I’m sure your psychiatrist is very competent -
what psychiatry and psychology are noticing is that they can assess the presenting symptoms and as ever it is critical to be able to differentiate between ND and trauma and / or social factors and more recently they are having to factor in what is ND and what is the consequences of screen addiction and associated behavioural / cognitive / neurological changes and clinical presentations,

I’m sure your psychiatrist won’t be sparing his clinical time to update you on all this that is happening behind the scenes in nhs ND assessment services so I understand your oblivion