Okay so I'm studying to be a therapist, and none of this is gonna contradict anything you said which is all absolutely correct, but I think I can actually square the circle here maybe? (Sorry for the wall of text)
The crucial thing to understand imo is that the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, as with most mental conditions, is that it becomes diagnosable *at the point where the symptoms begin to interfere substantially with your ability to function in your daily life*. I think we'd all agree that people naturally fall somewhere along the bell curve of some vague "attentional capacity/executive function" axis. So, I'm simplifying here, but if the amount of attentional capacity/executive function you need to function in your daily life is X, anyone who falls below X on the bell curve could be diagnosed with ADHD.
But what happens when X goes up? What happens when all of society becomes organized such that more attentional capacity is required to function? What happens when, say, corporate culture goes from 8 hours in a cubicle with no interruptions to meetings scheduled every 30 minutes? What happens when half of everyone's attentional capacity is passively consumed by the glowing stimulation obelisk in their pocket? What happens when places where you'd passively meet people, make friends, and build community disappear and finding even basic social interaction requires an active deviation from your normal life? Well, when X goes up, more people on the bell curve are below X, so more people get diagnosed with ADHD. They're not fundamentally broken, nor are they necesarily being overdiagnosed. It just turns out that when you make it more attentionally demanding, and more demanding of executive function, to function in real life, more people understandably need additional support to function in real life.
So like... all of this is to say that I think both things are true. ADHD medication is not some magical substance that is uniquely effective for people with ADHD and has completely different effects for them than for everyone else. To paraphrase a very smart person, girl, they be tweaking. But also it is kinda true that ADHD medication can just give people who struggle with everyday life access to the kind of cognitive state that people who don't need it to function already have access to. Which is, of course, what you've already described. So my tiny addendum would be, the solution is probably not anything any of us is gonna do individually; it's probably just that we as a society need to make functioning without medication easier.
This made me giggle 🤭 But also, very relatable discourse. At this point, I have made a point to develop enough swagger about my diagnosis that people don’t tend to question me so much, and other neurospicy people tend to be in my main orbit so I don’t feel the need to overexplain myself.
What encouraged me to finally pursue medication to help was when my cousin told me (several times) that you don’t get a gold medal for suffering and not using medication doesn’t give you a moral high ground.
this is fucking incredible. just subscribed! also currently rolling in from vyvanse-town. everyone kept asking how i liked it...yeah i'm more focused then ive ever been in my life! it's great! meanwhile i have no appetite, cant stop peeing, can't sleep at night, nauseous, migraines everyday...the list goes on. quite literally the L i have to take so i can keep my job. crazy right?
I love everything about this. I have narcolepsy so not the exact same and I don’t take adderall but I do take stimulants to function normally …and sometimes those stimulants make me feel absolutely insane and powerful (especially the first round I tried out for a couple years and was left severely underweight, anxious, angry, and completely wired). Still though I need my meds. The other day I forgot to take my second dose and felt myself crashing at 4 pm — my body desperately needing the modafinil in my system to stay awake and alert.
Okay so I'm studying to be a therapist, and none of this is gonna contradict anything you said which is all absolutely correct, but I think I can actually square the circle here maybe? (Sorry for the wall of text)
The crucial thing to understand imo is that the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, as with most mental conditions, is that it becomes diagnosable *at the point where the symptoms begin to interfere substantially with your ability to function in your daily life*. I think we'd all agree that people naturally fall somewhere along the bell curve of some vague "attentional capacity/executive function" axis. So, I'm simplifying here, but if the amount of attentional capacity/executive function you need to function in your daily life is X, anyone who falls below X on the bell curve could be diagnosed with ADHD.
But what happens when X goes up? What happens when all of society becomes organized such that more attentional capacity is required to function? What happens when, say, corporate culture goes from 8 hours in a cubicle with no interruptions to meetings scheduled every 30 minutes? What happens when half of everyone's attentional capacity is passively consumed by the glowing stimulation obelisk in their pocket? What happens when places where you'd passively meet people, make friends, and build community disappear and finding even basic social interaction requires an active deviation from your normal life? Well, when X goes up, more people on the bell curve are below X, so more people get diagnosed with ADHD. They're not fundamentally broken, nor are they necesarily being overdiagnosed. It just turns out that when you make it more attentionally demanding, and more demanding of executive function, to function in real life, more people understandably need additional support to function in real life.
So like... all of this is to say that I think both things are true. ADHD medication is not some magical substance that is uniquely effective for people with ADHD and has completely different effects for them than for everyone else. To paraphrase a very smart person, girl, they be tweaking. But also it is kinda true that ADHD medication can just give people who struggle with everyday life access to the kind of cognitive state that people who don't need it to function already have access to. Which is, of course, what you've already described. So my tiny addendum would be, the solution is probably not anything any of us is gonna do individually; it's probably just that we as a society need to make functioning without medication easier.
Thank you for writing this. It makes a lot of sense.
That's such a good way of putting it.
It's all relative and if life gets harder, more people struggle and access to what help is available.
This made me giggle 🤭 But also, very relatable discourse. At this point, I have made a point to develop enough swagger about my diagnosis that people don’t tend to question me so much, and other neurospicy people tend to be in my main orbit so I don’t feel the need to overexplain myself.
What encouraged me to finally pursue medication to help was when my cousin told me (several times) that you don’t get a gold medal for suffering and not using medication doesn’t give you a moral high ground.
i’d be jobless and homeless without medication so i don’t rlly have a choice 😭
Sending this to my therapist 😜
this found me in the middle of writing a follow up email i was supposed have sent two weeks ago
im genuinely obsessed with everything you said here HA
that’s so nice omg ty 💘
White monster on my desk and I are sitting here like how’d she read my mind
this is fucking incredible. just subscribed! also currently rolling in from vyvanse-town. everyone kept asking how i liked it...yeah i'm more focused then ive ever been in my life! it's great! meanwhile i have no appetite, cant stop peeing, can't sleep at night, nauseous, migraines everyday...the list goes on. quite literally the L i have to take so i can keep my job. crazy right?
you get it
“Sorry, but it’s not fucking antibiotics.” hahahaha
I was waiting for a resolution but this is so much better because we do not. have one.
This is genius and perfect.
thank you❤️❤️❤️
I love everything about this. I have narcolepsy so not the exact same and I don’t take adderall but I do take stimulants to function normally …and sometimes those stimulants make me feel absolutely insane and powerful (especially the first round I tried out for a couple years and was left severely underweight, anxious, angry, and completely wired). Still though I need my meds. The other day I forgot to take my second dose and felt myself crashing at 4 pm — my body desperately needing the modafinil in my system to stay awake and alert.
Modafinil >>>>>> adderall. Makes me actually feel “normal” rather than manic.
holy shit what did I just read. what a crazy fantastic use of the alphabet
maybe my favorite context i've ever heard the word "apostate" used in, another excellent piece
wowwww this is so good
I appreciate the Lil Wayne lyric
“stillness, these days, feels indistinguishable from death” Soooo true