this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2023
486 points (100.0% liked)
196
16513 readers
2236 users here now
Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.
Rule: You must post before you leave.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
This is my life every time I try to talk about the ADHD I’ve struggled with since childhood. “Oh everyone has that issue!” Well then maybe “everyone” has ADHD to some degree? I don’t have a fuckin monopoly on it.
I think the thing is that "everyone" is wired to gather berries and run from predators and "mental illness" is our brain saying "I hate this, where did all the berries go?"
Like if you tried to make the family cat push buttons for 8 hours and it refused to do so you wouldn't say it had a mental disorder, you would say it has a brain evolved to fit a cat's needs. Why are people with brains evolved to fit a human's needs any different?
I agree that the complicated and abstract lifestyle most of us lead factor into our well-being and mental state, but I think it is extremely reductionist to say all mental illness stems from this issue.
Heartily agree, I was needlessly hyperbolic there.
Right? It's like yeah maybe they've experienced these symptoms to a degree at times. But is it demonstrably affecting their ability to function in life? Maybe ADHD.
I think everyone has experienced the symptoms of ADHD to some degree. The difference is the severity of the symptoms and how much they interfere with your ability to get tasks done.
I experienced the symptoms all my life but didn't get formally diagnosed until I was in graduate school and (among other things) couldn't just sit still and read an article start to finish in one go like everyone else.
When I started taking medicine for it, I couldn't believe how...easy my daily life became. It fixed symptoms I didn't even know I had. I didn't realize until that point how much I couldn't focus while driving to and from school/work, how often I interrupted others while they were speaking, all kinds of stuff.
A very helpful video I recently found.
The modern workplace absolutely sucks for neurodivergent people. One size fits all and you're expected to just deal with the fact that your brain is constantly begging for you to stop.
One day I'm going to find that off switch.
Me suffering from anxiety and depression since 93, under meds, especially SSRIs: I feel bad. A friend of mine: get yourself a girlfriend.
it must be hard getting yourself a gf at 93...
A thing I've seen is young people struggling with social skills, thinking they have a strange problem. Yeah, we all lived through that. ALL of us. Yes, even the kids who seemed "normal".
When does this become a real issue to be dealt with? I have no idea, not pretending to be a psychologist. But just because your young life is tough, doesn't mean there's anything wrong with YOU. It's normal to have issues learning to navigate a complex social environment. Did anyone tell you it should be easy and intuitive?
My stepson learning basic algebra, "But I don't KNOW any of this!"
"Who said you were supposed to? You weren't born knowing 1+3=4. That's why they call it learning."
“We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country