Adult ADHD diagnoses

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I'll take the other view.

I think it is BS. I'm sorry, but if you did well in school, did well socially, got through grad school, and got through the first 10 years of a career in a tough field like law or medicine, all without an ADHD diagnosis or any medication, you don't have ADHD.

I actually think what is happening here is that people who have always achieved and been successful hit their 30s or 40s and struggle with something. Anything. Maybe they have a job where they aren't the top worker. Or they just get burned out. Maybe they have a hard time with dating. Maybe it's infertility or postpartum depression. And as people who have always succeeded at everything they do, in part because they are smart and capable and also often in part because they've had a lot of support from family and good financial situations, they cast about looking for an external reason why they aren't nailing it. And ADHD is an extremely convenient scapegoat.

I also think the medical community collaborates in this by constantly suggesting ADHD as a possible cause to any mental health problem they can't fix. I know several woman for whom ADHD was suggested to them as a diagnosis by doctors and others who don't specialize in it (GPs, therapists) when these women came to them complaining of symptoms that could be a lot of things -- anxiety, trouble sleeping, difficulty in relationships, etc.

I think it's total BS. I think they are just struggling with what a lot of us struggle with. Juggling kids and work, midlife malaise, social anxiety that sometimes gets worse as you age, etc.

And yes, ADHD meds will help you focus even if you don't have ADHD. This is why there is a black market for ADHD meds on college campuses that spikes during exam periods or when papers are due and then goes away. But as with people who actually have ADHD, the benefits also decline over time.

Looking forward to getting yelled at here. Just want to say in advance that the reason my post made you so mad is that you are worried it's true.

Not mad here. I actually understand why people think it could all be bs. It does seem like diagnoses are increasing in women. But it's hard to understand unless you are actually in it. Be grateful you're not experiencing it, PP. If you were, you would be able to see it's not bs. It's really, truly, much worse than just struggling with the day-to-day and midlife issues.

You still have not explained how a person who has clearly been extremely high functioning for their entire life with absolutely no academic, career, or social issues would suddenly have a diagnosis that is supposed to present in childhood and where the diagnostic criteria include difficulties in those areas.

How can someone who has clearly demonstrated a high level of executive functioning for several decades suddenly have a disorder that is defined by a lack of executive functioning? Explain it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you take ADHD medicine and you don’t have ADHD, it doesn’t really do much for you. That’s how you know it’s not over diagnosed.

Interestingly, I did get diagnosed with ADHD. The medicine has not done much for me. I don't think you're a physician or that your criteria is correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most girls are undiagnosed, do we go through life coping and struggling until they finally get a diagnosis. It’s a relief to know that there we weren’t crazy— there was a problem
all along and here are the ways to fix it.

OP is talking specifically about high achievers though. If there was "a problem all along" why didn't it result in, for instance, bad grades? Or difficulty making friends? How does someone with ADHD get into a competitive college, get a Masters degree, gain admission to a top ranked law school, clerk with a federal judge, and then work at a highly competitive Big Law firm, all while sustaining strong, longterm friendships and having an active social life and hobbies? It makes no sense. Yes, masking is a thing. But if you can mask that well.... I don't think you have ADHD, sorry. Usually people with ADHD have actual problems and difficulties with school or social settings.

You only see what's on the outside. You don't see them up all night, every night, working 50 times harder than everyone else just to get those results. They have actual problems; you just don't see them and they're not sharing them with you. There are also other factors just like with everyone else - intelligence, drive, interest in their area of expertise, - and then their ability to come up with coping mechanisms. ADHD doesn't mean complete incapacity to excel or do big things - it just means that it is much, much harder, and/or they might not follow the same process as others.

[Anonymous]

Mental health diagnoses absolutely follow trends - a lot of time driven by the medication that can be prescribed. All of these adults suddenly discovering they have ADHD are being misdiagnosed/overdiagnosed. And a lot of kids too. This is now the trendy self-diagnosis for adults - up to a few years ago it was autism. before that it was bipolar (especially in kids). And then think of all the women diagnosed with “hysteria” in the 50s-60s and given sedatives.

You would think it wasn’t a big deal but stimulant meds actually can have serious side effects. More importantly, diagnosing everything as ADHD can end up obscuring actual diagnoses that need to be treated, such as personality disorders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perimenopause ignites any latent adhd symptoms. Symptoms you could manage prior become overwhelming with hormone shifts. It’s more than being busy or high achieving. For me it threw me into a functional freeze until I got help. Everyone is different though

So now a midlife crisis is ADHD? Ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you take ADHD medicine and you don’t have ADHD, it doesn’t really do much for you. That’s how you know it’s not over diagnosed.

Not true. ADHD stimulant medications are literally speed - so anyone who takes them will feel the psychological effects, which to some are pleasurable and give the sensation of having more energy. That is why they are called “uppers.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I called a lot of things bs until it happened to me too.

Feel fortunate, OP. Perhaps you won’t ever have to come to that sort of realization.

What happened to you? What is it that happens to these women who are leading objectively successful lives into their 30s, that suddenly they get these ADHD diagnoses and we're supposed to believe that actually they were struggling all along even as they managed to get through school, tough careers, and successful social lives? I truly don't get it.

I have a BIL who was diagnosed with ADHD in his 30s but when he was diagnosed it seemed obvious that he'd been struggling a long time. He didn't do great in school, had trouble making and keeping friends because some of his ADHD behaviors (which were deemed "quirks") were really off-putting, and he had a hard time holding down a job. He didn't get diagnosed earlier because he grew up when people really focused on the "hyperactivity" aspect of ADHD and didn't really understand the other ways it could present. But he had real impacts of his ADHD on his life and now he's doing much better on med.

I cannot square that with people who have been wildly successful in every aspect of their lives for decades but then claim to have ADHD. This theory about perimenopause triggering "latent" ADHD sounds like pseudoscience, I want to see some actual evidence that's a real thing.

Wait till you find out that I’m not truly celiac, but I’m so sensitive to wheat that my allergist says to act as if I am. AND it didn’t start until I was in my 30s. So I’m that person saying I have a gluten allergy even though I don’t because my body manages it that way.

Chemistry and brain structure is wild. Things can change over time. Also, it can be that some individuals manage things fairly well until an extra thing gets thrown into the mix then the coping mechanism as they used to no longer work. you can hyper focus for certain things, but be completely nonfunctional for others. Hormones, screens, aging bodies all of this can factor in

No one needs to prove or square up anything to you. You can’t understand it and that’s OK!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perimenopause ignites any latent adhd symptoms. Symptoms you could manage prior become overwhelming with hormone shifts. It’s more than being busy or high achieving. For me it threw me into a functional freeze until I got help. Everyone is different though

So now a midlife crisis is ADHD? Ok.

I do love an ADHD troll. Bravo on the horrible personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most girls are undiagnosed, do we go through life coping and struggling until they finally get a diagnosis. It’s a relief to know that there we weren’t crazy— there was a problem
all along and here are the ways to fix it.

OP is talking specifically about high achievers though. If there was "a problem all along" why didn't it result in, for instance, bad grades? Or difficulty making friends? How does someone with ADHD get into a competitive college, get a Masters degree, gain admission to a top ranked law school, clerk with a federal judge, and then work at a highly competitive Big Law firm, all while sustaining strong, longterm friendships and having an active social life and hobbies? It makes no sense. Yes, masking is a thing. But if you can mask that well.... I don't think you have ADHD, sorry. Usually people with ADHD have actual problems and difficulties with school or social settings.

You only see what's on the outside. You don't see them up all night, every night, working 50 times harder than everyone else just to get those results. They have actual problems; you just don't see them and they're not sharing them with you. There are also other factors just like with everyone else - intelligence, drive, interest in their area of expertise, - and then their ability to come up with coping mechanisms. ADHD doesn't mean complete incapacity to excel or do big things - it just means that it is much, much harder, and/or they might not follow the same process as others.

YES

my ADHD really helps me move forward with work. It helps me with specific relationships. It also keeps me from remembering to do a lot of things; there’s so much list making and scheduling of alarms. I have to set an alarm to remember to take my medication.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, I'll take the other view.

I think it is BS. I'm sorry, but if you did well in school, did well socially, got through grad school, and got through the first 10 years of a career in a tough field like law or medicine, all without an ADHD diagnosis or any medication, you don't have ADHD.

I actually think what is happening here is that people who have always achieved and been successful hit their 30s or 40s and struggle with something. Anything. Maybe they have a job where they aren't the top worker. Or they just get burned out. Maybe they have a hard time with dating. Maybe it's infertility or postpartum depression. And as people who have always succeeded at everything they do, in part because they are smart and capable and also often in part because they've had a lot of support from family and good financial situations, they cast about looking for an external reason why they aren't nailing it. And ADHD is an extremely convenient scapegoat.

I also think the medical community collaborates in this by constantly suggesting ADHD as a possible cause to any mental health problem they can't fix. I know several woman for whom ADHD was suggested to them as a diagnosis by doctors and others who don't specialize in it (GPs, therapists) when these women came to them complaining of symptoms that could be a lot of things -- anxiety, trouble sleeping, difficulty in relationships, etc.

I think it's total BS. I think they are just struggling with what a lot of us struggle with. Juggling kids and work, midlife malaise, social anxiety that sometimes gets worse as you age, etc.

And yes, ADHD meds will help you focus even if you don't have ADHD. This is why there is a black market for ADHD meds on college campuses that spikes during exam periods or when papers are due and then goes away. But as with people who actually have ADHD, the benefits also decline over time.

Looking forward to getting yelled at here. Just want to say in advance that the reason my post made you so mad is that you are worried it's true.

Nope, I fully agree with you and am thankful for the very smart GP who identified that my memory/focus issues were psycho-social and not anything to do with a disorder like ADHD. (Long story short but was in a bad relationship, the default parent to an extreme, and in a sucky work environment.) He advised that I reduce stress by reducing my commitments and later on when the actual issue presented itself (anxiety) he was ready to prescribe the correct meds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most girls are undiagnosed, do we go through life coping and struggling until they finally get a diagnosis. It’s a relief to know that there we weren’t crazy— there was a problem
all along and here are the ways to fix it.

OP is talking specifically about high achievers though. If there was "a problem all along" why didn't it result in, for instance, bad grades? Or difficulty making friends? How does someone with ADHD get into a competitive college, get a Masters degree, gain admission to a top ranked law school, clerk with a federal judge, and then work at a highly competitive Big Law firm, all while sustaining strong, longterm friendships and having an active social life and hobbies? It makes no sense. Yes, masking is a thing. But if you can mask that well.... I don't think you have ADHD, sorry. Usually people with ADHD have actual problems and difficulties with school or social settings.

They’ll all say it was “masking” lol.

That said, there definitely are extremely smart people who have ADHD. because they are so smart (and often extroverted) they sometimes find themselves in a niche where their strengths are enough. BUT they still struggle - and have a characteristic record of failure. The people I know like this have extreme difficulty meeting deadlines to the extent it threatens their jobs, and a record of failing out of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most girls are undiagnosed, do we go through life coping and struggling until they finally get a diagnosis. It’s a relief to know that there we weren’t crazy— there was a problem
all along and here are the ways to fix it.

OP is talking specifically about high achievers though. If there was "a problem all along" why didn't it result in, for instance, bad grades? Or difficulty making friends? How does someone with ADHD get into a competitive college, get a Masters degree, gain admission to a top ranked law school, clerk with a federal judge, and then work at a highly competitive Big Law firm, all while sustaining strong, longterm friendships and having an active social life and hobbies? It makes no sense. Yes, masking is a thing. But if you can mask that well.... I don't think you have ADHD, sorry. Usually people with ADHD have actual problems and difficulties with school or social settings.

They’ll all say it was “masking” lol.

That said, there definitely are extremely smart people who have ADHD. because they are so smart (and often extroverted) they sometimes find themselves in a niche where their strengths are enough. BUT they still struggle - and have a characteristic record of failure. The people I know like this have extreme difficulty meeting deadlines to the extent it threatens their jobs, and a record of failing out of school.

(And this was apparent in childhood as well.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I called a lot of things bs until it happened to me too.

Feel fortunate, OP. Perhaps you won’t ever have to come to that sort of realization.

ADHD does not “happen.” It is not a disease like diabetes that you get later in life. It is a neurodevelopmental issue that is apparent in childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you take ADHD medicine and you don’t have ADHD, it doesn’t really do much for you. That’s how you know it’s not over diagnosed.

Yes it does. It’s speed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because most girls are undiagnosed, do we go through life coping and struggling until they finally get a diagnosis. It’s a relief to know that there we weren’t crazy— there was a problem
all along and here are the ways to fix it.

OP is talking specifically about high achievers though. If there was "a problem all along" why didn't it result in, for instance, bad grades? Or difficulty making friends? How does someone with ADHD get into a competitive college, get a Masters degree, gain admission to a top ranked law school, clerk with a federal judge, and then work at a highly competitive Big Law firm, all while sustaining strong, longterm friendships and having an active social life and hobbies? It makes no sense. Yes, masking is a thing. But if you can mask that well.... I don't think you have ADHD, sorry. Usually people with ADHD have actual problems and difficulties with school or social settings.

You only see what's on the outside. You don't see them up all night, every night, working 50 times harder than everyone else just to get those results. They have actual problems; you just don't see them and they're not sharing them with you. There are also other factors just like with everyone else - intelligence, drive, interest in their area of expertise, - and then their ability to come up with coping mechanisms. ADHD doesn't mean complete incapacity to excel or do big things - it just means that it is much, much harder, and/or they might not follow the same process as others.

That’s not actually what ADHD means. I know adults with ADHD up very close and they are not working harder or staying up all night working. They are procrastinating and then panicking and then unable to focused and then repeat the cycle. They appear (are actually) extremely intelligent but then when you try to engage them on a process that requires planning and executive function it is like they do not speak English. And they do not have a record of excelling. They have a record of underperforming vs their capacities and then a record of overperforming when they can rely on their strengths only.