#4. This post is a part of a series where people answer my anonymous survey question. If you have ADHD but haven’t gone public with it, what would it take to you go public with ADHD?
There are risks and rewards for going public with ADHD AND for staying hidden in the ADHD closet. See this post for context on the series.
Another answer to my anonymous ADHD survey question. First, here’s some background to my one question ADHD survey from the actual survey page, then the 4th answer (many more to follow). Feedback on the series is welcome. I’ll eventually post a summary breakdown of the types of answers.
People with ADHD often face a lack of resources in diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, especially for adults with ADHD, and often face stigma about the condition or how they treat the condition.
One of the MANY reasons for this is that many people in the media/govt/health system/public don’t think ADHD exists, or that it is a real problem/ significant problem with major impacts / think it’s overdiagnosed/ conspiracy theory, etc.
Plus, people who have ADHD very rarely go public with having ADHD, or do things to educate the media/govt/health system/public about the problems and stigma that people living with ADHD have. So no/few perceived problems because few complaints/advocacy, especially when people with other mental health conditions do more complaining/advocacy = few $$ and resources for ADHD and more stigma.
This questionnaire was created because of the reaction to a YMCA ADHD stigma ad see my two blog posts on it, and people telling me on twitter & offline that they probably wouldn’t do a similar ad for people with depression or diabetes because more of them ARE public with it and would speak up against it more.
The question was suggested by someone at the recent Northern Voice blogging conference when I asked them what could be done to get more people with ADHD to speak out against ADHD stigma? They suggested starting with finding out the answer to this question, so I created this one survery question, and I’ll blog the answers on my
I believe that if more people go public with having ADHD and are willing to educate and advocate online and offline about the realities of living with ADHD and the lack of resources & stigma around ADHD, it will help EVERYONE with ADHD. This is one of MANY ways to help people with ADHD. It’s not the only way though.
BUT going public with ADHD is TOTALLY an individual decision and one size doesn’t fit all. There are many negatives and positives of going public with ADHD just like there are the many negatives and positives about keeping your ADHD private. Not everyone should go public.
This is an anonymous survey. I don’t want to know your name, just your answer.
Public as in being able and willing to talk about having ADHD with your family, friends and work colleagues.
Answer #4.
“If people like my friends and family would accept ADHD as an actual diagnosis, mental illness. Everyone keeps telling me to pull myself up by my bootstraps and just do it. They think its just a matter of willpower and that if I had self-disipline that my life would get better. I also have alcoholism (which by the way willpower doesn’t work to stay clean), PTSD, and Depression. I am so frustrated because everyone gets frustrated with my continual lateness, distractability, hyperfocus (for hours and hours on end), and never getting things done or forgetting what they asked me to do (task). I always say I am going to do something like “yes mom I’ll clean the grill” and never do it. On top of that then there is the, “Psychiatrists say everyone has ADD, and you’re not hyper anyways”. I am hyper in my mind, I can think of two seperate thoughts at the same time. So its not always noticeable on the outside, only the not getting tasks done or being late which is chalked up to self-discipline again. I guess I’m really struggling right now because no one accepts that I actually truly have ADHD. So whether I say I have it or not, no one believes me. I don’t get any special help or accommodations, or understanding/patience. Its really irritating because I am trying so hard to learn about ADHD and apply new time management techniques so that I can be a functional part of society. The truth is I’m not, I can’t hold down a job, I can’t do simple everyday things. I am relearning how to live, and after doing the same things for 25 years and banging my head against a wall, I am accepting my ADHD and doing different things after failing for so long. So in a nutshell, If people would understand that ADHD IS REAL and THAT IT DOES INCAPACITATE ME IN EVERYDAY LIVING!!!!!!! I CANNOT FUNCTION AS THEY DO AND I NEED TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND ALSO FOR THEM TO HELP ME. HELLO I CANNOT CONTROL THE SYMPTOMS OF ADHD, so if you are expecting me to remember everything you ask of me, or to go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 6am its not going to happen!! It is not a case of will power or self-discipline, its about learning how to use my ADHD assets and coming up with solutions to live with my disease instead of pretending its not there and continually failing. ::sigh:: I think I got it all out. I’m tired of trying to explain it to people who don’t have it, its different in everyone and its SO HARD TO EXPLAIN.”
{ 4 trackbacks }