Does anyone think they DONT have ADHD?

[Frenchtoastie]

I keep seeing posts on instagram with various reasons why someone has ADHD and then hundreds of comments below reporting these people also have all of these symptoms.
Just wondering if anyone reads these and doesn’t relate to them? To me they are just part of being human, but maybe I am completely wrong and I have ADHD🤣

the posts generally include statement along these lines…

• I find it hard to get going or impossible to stop
• I can put off a tiny task for weeks but worry about it for hours but when I finally complete it it takes 5 minutes
• I can distracted and start cleaning after the shower and suddenly I’ve cleaned the whole house whilst wearing my towel
• Having a chair covered in clothes
• having multiple drinks on the go in the house
• needing a calender because if not I would forget appointments

Think it may be a case of where there's a benefit (financial or reasonable adjustments) It will continue to become more popular!

Just thought of a few more that actually do impact my life -

I cannot drive, there are just too many steps involved in even starting the car let alone anything else!

I cannot follow verbal instructions. At all.

I have to have multiple fans on at night to be able to sleep.

If a song is playing on a loop in my head, I have to create an ending to the song to make it stop.

I have vocal stims where I sing what people have just said or say it in a weird voice. Luckily at work, I have trained myself to do it in my head and not out loud!

At school, I was highly intelligent but just could not self-study, not even a tiny bit. The school tried to help me so much as they could see my potential but nothing worked.

My house is a tip. I have a chair full of clothes, but the thing is it will stay like that and be added to, for MONTHS. I have cupboard rammed with stuff that I haven't opened in years.

I struggle to brush my teeth. Literally can't do it. As a child, I'd even wet my toothbrush to make it seem like I had. I dont understand this one at all tbh.

I am chronically early and get so frustrated when they people I am with are taking too long. I get so anxious. I would rather be an hour early than 1 minute late. The stress makes me feel sick.

Sure, if you were middle class or well off and you had all the other people running around like headless chickens to get everything else done for you.

Aww, diddums.

Aw bless. My daughter would happily exchange her multiple hospitalisations, suicidal idealisation,impulsivity, self harm, self hatred, wrecked education, severe mental health struggles…. for your happy ignorance.

Wasn't that poster being ironic?

Of course I know lots of people had jobs and worked very hard! I just mean when they weren't working, the only activities available to them were very calming and relaxing - reading, sewing, walking...

Most of us will have one or some of the symptoms of ADHD as it sits on a spectrum but it doesn't mean people have it. I can relate to all you listed but I do not for one second believe I have ADHD and nobody has ever suggested I do, even diagnosed friends.
There are a range of reasons people can have symptoms but wouldn't actually be diagnosed, such as trauma. People with trauma are often on high alert and this can present as being unable to focus etc. Modern life has diluted our ability to focus and concentrate too, plus we have far more responsibilities than before, which makes distraction easy.

You really don’t have any idea how normal people lived do you? The ones that weren’t illiterate to begin with, mostly read religious texts anyway (not very relaxing) and for short periods of time. Sewing was mostly functional and another job/chore , walking was the only form of transportation, and again functional. Maybe, on a Sunday it would’ve been for recreational purposes, but even then it had a goal like socialising, not aimlessly wandering and stopping to smell the roses.

As an aside, I still read. A lot. What’s stopping you from doing the same?

I think phone addiction has a lot to do with this.

I do talk to myself when I'm alone for extended periods, yes.
Falling asleep I do need quiet but I have a trick, I have certain fantasies that are cozy and relaxing, or little logic puzzles, and these seem to calm and focus my mind so I can drift off.

They also favoured sayings like the devil finds work for idle hands to do. So you know…

I tell myself/act in my head little bed time stories/scenarios, normally linked to the books I read before bed.

I was thinking this. I am not sure how much of how/who I am is undiagnosed x,y,z, childhood trauma or just personality traits.

I certainly haven’t had an easy life and struggled with lots of things and part of me would feel better if I knew there was an actual reason for it.

Both my DS and DH have ADHD and do those things but so do I. They are 100% human nature.
Things they do that highlight their ADHD...
Get obsessed by something and spend hours on it at the expense of remembering to eat, shower, complete tasks.
Pace around the room every 20 minutes
Listen to dialogue at 1.5 x speed because that is the speed of their brain.
Forget everything planned and need reminding 3-4 times in the run up to it, may still forget.
Time keeping is impossible. If I need DH to remember to pick up DD I set a reminder on Alexa or he is late. If I say we need to leave at 10am, he gets in the shower at 9.45!

My DS has it. I wish to God he didn’t; it makes his life so much harder and it’s so hard for him to learn and concentrate. He is noticeably different from others in his class.

People saying they have it when they don’t is very annoying.

What's your post about OP? That isn't a list of ADHD symptoms, where did you get that from? Are you saying that people on instagram are wrong to say this? Or are you wanting a debate on diagnosis of ADHD? If it's the former then yes, maybe, if its the latter then based on your contributions so far I'm not sure you're up to it.

I actually have one that revolves around The Shining lol. But not the scary stuff, just being snowed in and undisturbed somewhere peaceful.

I hate the trend for trainings being videos, especially if they’re hours long and they stopped the speeding function. If I can get a transcript, I might actually engage . If not, I let them play and just get on with other stuff. I still pass every single one , most of the time with full marks. That’s also a judgement on how useful they are. 🙄

Exactly this. So many people who have led completely normal, perfectly functional and often very successful lives are now obsessed with seeking out a diagnosis for normal human feelings and behaviours. If it’s not ADHD or autism it’s trauma, anxiety, PTSD and so on. It started with over diagnosing children and has now moved on to adults.

I'm bored of these attention seekers. Of course there are real cases but these days they are in the minority. The rest just didn't get enough love and attention from their parents and friends so they crave for a label.

I totally don't have ADHD but I will admit to a large helping of ADOS (attention deficiency ... Oooo shiny) as I drag DH across the road to look at something.

I couldn’t care less if I have it or not. The whole topic bores me shitless.

You’re right, I didn’t. I don’t crave a label , I’m curious about it. To your satisfaction though, I’m not focused or organised enough to actually seek one though, so happy days.