My Journey to Acknowledge An Adult Diagnosis of ADHD
What the Heck is Normal Anyway?
Do I want to be average? Innocuous? Mainstream? Ideal?
Two things about me. I’m not a person who often rants, but today I am.
I love words and believe in their power to entertain, heal, and harm.
It’s time to change the language we use, and I’m thrilled to see the world discarding constructions of gender, bias, and preconceptions in the trash of history left behind.
But we must go deeper.
The fear of not being ‘normal’ kept me from acknowledging my mental health challenges.
In the last few years, several of my family members have been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. (ADHD). As a curious and concerned relative, I’ve been studying the disorder, too.
Many of you know we can use this term for three subtypes of behavior, including primarily hyperactive-impulsive type, primarily inattentive type (formerly called ADD), and primarily combined type. — from this article on the Additude.com website.
There appears to be little doubt that genetics and heredity have a huge influence since ADHD often appears repeatedly within families. Doctors frequently ask, “Are there other family members with an ADHD diagnosis or display of similar behaviors?”
So, combined with what I read and the urging of my family, I looked at myself.
- Did I often have trouble sticking to tasks? Yes, everything in life is so interesting!
- Often has trouble sticking with things that require sustained concentration. If it’s boring, like algebra, of course.
- Is easily distracted by external stimuli. Sure, just the birds outside my window and the fascinating story now playing on NPR and the dishes in the kitchen sink, and my growling stomach because it’s noon, and I forgot to eat breakfast.
- Often fidgets and taps their hands or feet. Only when I have to sit still.
- Talks excessively, interrupts others and blurts out answers to questions. That’s because everyone seems to think and talk slowly. I choose to watch YouTube videos at 2x for that…
