r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 16d ago

Neuroscience ADHD misinformation on TikTok is shaping young adults’ perceptions. An analysis of the 100 most-viewed TikTok videos related to ADHD revealed that fewer than half the claims about symptoms actually align with clinical guidelines for diagnosing ADHD.

https://news.ubc.ca/2025/03/adhd-misinformation-on-tiktok/
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u/odelay42 16d ago

I have a formal diagnosis as well, and you described my experience exactly. 

I sought mental health care to address anxiety and depression, but in so doing I was diagnosed with adhd. Treating that more or less resolved my other issues. 

Neither of those things are in the DSM, nor are they part of the formal diagnosis criteria. Especially for adults and women. 

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u/karosea 16d ago

Yep. I had counselors and psychs trying to diagnose me with dysthymia (long term severe depression) and social anxiety instead of considering ADHD because I am a white male and didn't exhibit the "classic" symptoms. My depression and anxiety are 100x better on medication for ADHD. There are still struggles for sure, but I am a firm FIRM believer that the nature of ADHD leads to depression and anxiety.

Executive dysfunction and the inability to make yourself do things that you KNOW you CAN do. Leads to a crazy amount of internal shame and guilt which will build to depression and anxiety.

Constantly living your life being told "you're just being lazy, I've seen you do it before" when you want nothing more then your brain to turn itself on and do the thing. But it won't, leads to so much anxiety. Wondering constantly if I'm gonna have my brain cooperate with wanting to do the things when I have to do them, or if I'm gonna get stuck with ridiculous amounts of executive dysfunction and things get screwed up.

But apparently psychiatrists and the DSM think this is poppycock and can't be related

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u/kani_kani_katoa 16d ago

Very similar story to mine. Medication and therapy for my ADHD have reduced my anxiety and depression a lot.

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u/Suyefuji 16d ago

On the opposite side of things, my husband is diagnosed with both ADHD and depression and his depression meds do wonders to help with his ADHD.

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u/kani_kani_katoa 16d ago

That's awesome, does he find it easier to keep up with the coping skills because his depression is managed, or is it something else? I found my anxiety and ADHD reinforced each other, so if I got into a bad place then I couldn't do the things that would help either of them.

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u/Suyefuji 16d ago

The depression meds help him process his emotions better. When his emotions are out-of-whack, his ADHD spirals.

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u/FatalisTail 16d ago

Have you ever felt the urge or gave into thoughts of dosing more often (not more but more often) and staying up, to get more stuff done cause you feel shame about how you fail so much that now you need to catch up, which then leads you to run out little early and go right back into negative patterns? The meds wearing off sucks and you go right back to the symptomatic headspace? All alone IRL and no one to relate to about it.

My friend wants to try maybe one of those non stimulant but not ssris in conjunction with the stimulant. Thinks it'll help deal with those fading moment.

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u/kani_kani_katoa 16d ago

Not recently, when I first started yeah because my dosing wasn't right. I told the doctor it was like a car with a partially flat battery, struggling to turn over. Once I got my dose right that feeling went away. I'm getting a good amount done at work most days so I don't feel the guilt. Are you in therapy as well as medicated? The drugs alone didn't solve it for me, therapy helped me work through coping strategies for it.

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u/cantgrowneckbeardAMA 16d ago

Therapy and continued personal work on coping strategies are vital in my experience. The medicine can only do so much.

This applies to both my ADHD and anxiety. Fwiw, I take stimulants and SSRIs daily without any noticeable negative effect, although I did work closely with my doc on dosing, timing, and monitoring vitals daily.

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u/El_Rey_de_Spices 16d ago

Lucky. All my symptoms just keep getting worse.

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u/kani_kani_katoa 16d ago

Sorry to hear that. Did you get diagnosed by a psychiatrist? Mine said I should go back if the medication wasn't working

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u/heygivethatback 15d ago

What kind of therapy did you do for your ADHD?

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u/WillCode4Cats 16d ago

Everyone is different, I suppose. Medication makes anxiety and depression significantly worse for me. However, I don’t have any other options, so it’s just the price I have to pay in order to function and be somewhat mildly productive.

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u/mr_potatoface 16d ago edited 16d ago

Untreated sleep apnea can also mimic ADHD-PI symptoms very closely. It is so closely overlapping that if you have sleep apnea and start treatment for ADHD without having a sleep study done, there's a decent chance it can resolve the majority of your symptoms despite not actually having ADHD. It won't resolve other sleep apnea issues like high hematocrit values, choking in your sleep, or snoring. It may actually make them worse if you take the medicine too close to bed time.

Also, one of the treatment options for people with severe sleep disorders that cannot be treated through CPAP are the same stimulants used for people with adhd.

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u/FTDisarmDynamite 16d ago

Damn, this hits close to home. I just started therapy, but that's about it as far as getting help goes. What steps did you take to get diagnosed and started on treatment, if you don't mind me asking?

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u/QCisCake 16d ago

I started by making a joke to my old therapist about being able to slam a dr pepper and then take a nap like it's nothing. She paused and told me that maybe we should take a look at some screening questions for ADHD.

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u/HottyMcDoddy 16d ago

What's the correlation between drinking caffeine and then napping right away? Because I drink coffee and will pass out for a nap right after all the time.

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u/QCisCake 16d ago

Usually people with ADHD don't react to caffeine the same way as neurotypical people. Being able to nap right after consuming caffeine is a strong indicator that you should be screened for it.

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u/UnPotat 15d ago

True.

That said everyone is different.

Meds are like that for me also, I'm actually calmer on them. I don't currently but when I at one point had a top up medication in the afternoon I found that I could get to sleep really easily if I got to bed while it was still wearing off.

If I waited too long I would then find it far more difficult!

That said when I take my meds in the morning I usually just go back to sleep on the weekend anyway! (To keep my schedule the same for the meds)

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u/odelay42 16d ago

Start by telling your therapist this and ask what to do - hopefully they can give you a psych referral. If not, ask your doctor for one, but keep your therapist in the loop.

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u/FTDisarmDynamite 16d ago

Thank you. I will ask next session!

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u/mr_potatoface 16d ago

The best way these is to usually just go to an online provider if you state allows it. There's a handful of online clinics. They do a short intake meeting, like 30 minutes and prescribe you the medicine. Then you come back in ~2 weeks for a follow up, then every 1 month after a useful dosage is established.

Lots of psychs are hesitant to prescribe it, or will make you do an 8 hour test to verify if you have it or not. Sometimes they'll just say your depression is causing all the symptoms and you need to resolve your depression first. Cost me like $4000 and about 8 months to get my first ADHD diagnosis between all of the referrals and testing I had to do.

It took my wife $40 (our copay) and 30 minutes on the phone.

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u/JewishTomCruise 16d ago

Yes, but you got an actual qualified diagnosis. Your wife went to a pill mill.

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u/peinika 16d ago

I got diagnosed as an adult in the US, so ymmv depending on your circumstances. My insurance didn't cover the "usual" diagnosis, which is a neurophsych evaluation. However, sometimes you can get an "interview-style" diagnosis, where you will be asked questions, fill out questionnaires, and possibly have relatives or close friends do the same. Your ability to get medication from this kind of diagnosis can be difficult, so if that's your goal, you would need to find a psychiatrist who's willing to prescribe.

You can try calling around to find providers taking new patients who meet your criteria. Maybe your therapist could give recommendations? If you're worried about money, you can ask how the appointments will be billed, then call your insurance to confirm if the price is manageable.

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u/karosea 16d ago

I figured out I had it and went to my family doctor. I presented why I felt like I had it. I was lucky they had a behavioral health specialist in their office who gave me a short screening, I was off the charts and they were willing to prescribe me medication. Mine is managed by a new family doctor now as I moved back to my hometown but I am lucky that she listens to what I have to say and my explanations for what I need or don't need and has been very accommodating. Not everyone is this lucky.

For my son I had to fight like hell to get anyone to listen

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u/PaintshakerBaby 16d ago

Same! I had been struggling with debilitating depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember. It led me down the road of alcoholism TWICE. Five years of drinking, five years sober, than relapsed for four more years.

Because even during my long stint of sobriety, I suffered all the same consequences of poor executive function. My life felt out of control dead sober, and out of control drunk off my ass. Didn't matter, so I backslid into the alcoholism.

The precipitated in a divorce, and I finally dragged myself to my GP to see what the hell was wrong. They threw me on Benzos and SSRIs and it made everything 10x worse...

It killed my will to do or care about anything. I was in a super dark place, when finally my therapist, not my doctor, said I should get a ADHD workup from a specialist.

That was 3x 2 hour interviews with a specialist. They asked me questions about my childhood, all the way to the present. At the end, they concluded I had quite a severe case and prescribed me Vyvanse/adderall.

It was like a light switch! Within a couple weeks, I had hardly any symptoms of depression/anxiety, was motivated, and slept like a baby!

I could cry just thinking about it! All the GPs just dismissed me as a lazy and depressed alcoholic. I couldn't get through to any of them. Thank god my counselor was actually paying attention, and recommended a specialist. I feel like I owe her my life! I'm in a fantastic place now that I never thought possible before.

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u/ObviousAnswerGuy 16d ago

what kind of specialist did you see? I feel like it's up to me to book the specialist, as the people who are "taking care of me" now aren't doing much at all.

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u/bobbyrba 6d ago

You have a good story to tell...very happy for you!

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u/Polybrene 16d ago

My PCP diagnosed me and does my medication management. I've come to learn that's pretty uncommon though. I just got lucky to have a provider who is willing to do that. Plus I had a good relationship with my PCP prior to suggesting that I think I had ADHD to her. She asked me a bunch of questions about why I thought that then she asked specific questions about how it affects me at home and at work and how it manifested as a kid vs. as an adult.

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u/ayurjake 16d ago

Heavily depends on your provider - my own experience involved me sitting on the suspicion for about a decade after my own (Asian - if you know anything about Asians and mental health you'll understand why that's significant) father nudged me to look into it, calling my insurance provider for a referral, and talking to an ARNP for about thirty minutes before getting handed diagnoses for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and autism (though that last one took another follow-up to lock in). A few days after that call I was on medication, and about a month later I was on Ritalin. Completely turned my life around, 10/10, highly recommend.

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u/Ok_Tomato7388 16d ago

This is very helpful thank you. I've tried to explain to my loved ones it's like my internal cogs and wheels literally get jammed and I'm stuck in "standby" mode.

I have been diagnosed with ADHD as an adult but I seemed to have trouble with the ADHD medication over the years. I'm hoping to have a formal evaluation soon so I can figure out what treatment will work best for me.

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u/straighttokill9 16d ago

Keep trying dude (or lady dude). It's worth it to find a medication that works for you. You can do it.

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u/karosea 16d ago

If you're in the U.S ( maybe there is an international equivalent ?) You can go through Genesight. Your family doctor can order the blood draw, it gets sent to their lab and you get a written report about what sorts of medications you're genetics are more compatible with. For example my sons came back saying that he wouldn't do well with methylphenidate

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u/Key_Let_2623 16d ago

I totally agree with this conversation, but I would also like to add that they do not involve women and girls in testing in these clinical studies on ADHD and other learning disabilities honestly in general, they don’t involve women and girls. So a lot of us are left out and miss diagnosed because of misogyny. Because women tend to not exhibit the same, “classic” diagnosis as well. So I can totally understand people turning into TikTok because they’re lame doctors saying they don’t fit the symptoms that the doctor studied in the 80s

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u/wolf_kat_books 16d ago

The shame and guilt aspect is so bound up into the lived reality of ADHD that it has a name: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria. The structural and chemical differences that cause ADHD do not cause RSD, but it’s so common among us because as children we likely heard an average of 20,000 more negative comments about ourselves than neurotypical children.

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u/karosea 16d ago

Please come join me on the mountain tops and let's shout this to the world.

I learned about RSD a few years ago right before I started therapy. Then I figured out fear of rejection and that feeling itself drove about 95% of my general behaviors and interactions.

I wish it was more commonly known and discussed. Instead people hear it and think we just don't like being told no. Which is absolutely not the case.

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u/wolf_kat_books 15d ago

I just learned about it the other day. Seriously, so much of what I was told were character flaws are just… symptoms. I was diagnosed at thirty. I spent my life feeling like i could see all my potential right ahead but every time I went for it I kept running into what felt like a wall of cling film. I could get it to stretch a little and give me a few inches for a little while but eventually it would just recoil and toss me back into feeling worthless. I’m still deconstructing a lot of it, and it’s incredibly painful- but I am getting somewhere. I can finally do things I knew I’d be capable of but never reached. I have hope for myself and it’s world shattering.

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u/SuperBAMF007 16d ago

Stuff like this is why I’m so thankful my PCP is interested in treating symptoms, and not diagnosing disorders. I totally understand there’s risk of overtreatment, or “throwing too many things at the wall” before finding something that works, but it’s so much more reassuring having my doc interested in helping me solve the problems I’m having, and not tunnel visioning on finding a diagnosis.

Especially with something as low stakes as ADHD medication. If it was an opioid? Absolutely, be 110% sure before prescribing. But with something as hit or miss as mental health medications, it feels good being able to experiment without waiting 6 months for testing and results.

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u/Rotsicle 16d ago

Especially with something as low stakes as ADHD medication.

I don't know; stimulants like adderall have decently high abuse potential.

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u/PurpleFisty 16d ago

70% of people diagnosed with ADHD develop depression. So, it's important to know if you have it early on so your parents can get ahead of the curve and no what to watch out for.

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u/ObviousAnswerGuy 16d ago

I'm in my 40's and have been struggling the last few years with getting properly diagnosed for ADHD. The few "doctors" (people who talk to me on zoom for under 15 min) I've talked to are convinced its just anxiety because that's what I've been taking meds for the past couple decades. Meanwhile that's not even what I need help for. It's extremely frustrated not getting listened to.

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u/greysoul197 16d ago

Did you just say you being a white make was one of the reasons you weren’t diagnosed? ADHD has been studied exclusively in white males.

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u/karosea 16d ago

Nope. I said that I am white and because I didn't show the classic symptoms (i.e hyperactivity) it was never considered. My first comment on this thread I talk about how ADHD is based on research done on essentially your white male children and that has made irs criteria in the DSM skewed for decades to this day.

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u/YouDotty 16d ago

Yep, I have/had long term treatment resistant depression but was 'high functioning.' Eventually got an ADHD diagnosis after my boys were assessed. Executive dysfunction is a big aspect of that depression, so having Vyvanse help with that has made a huge difference to the ADHD, depression and anxiety that I was suffering from.

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u/meenie 16d ago

I'm 42 and recently got diagnosed and this is exactly my story. I'm still figuring out the meds.

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u/Take-to-the-highways 16d ago

There are still struggles for sure, but I am a firm FIRM believer that the nature of ADHD leads to depression and anxiety.

Absolutely, I got diagnosed with everything under the sun, and got put on two different antidepressants, two antipsychotics and and anti anxiety med before any of the multiple psychiatrists I had seen from ages 11-21 finally diagnosed me with anti anxiety. Medication and coping mechanisms have virtually erased my anxiety, mood swings, depression, insomnia, and suicidal ideation. Even when I book with therapists who claim to specialize in ADHD on my insurance's website they often don't know any symptoms beyond hyperactivity and inability to focus.

If there's a lot of misinformation about ADHD on tiktok, I'll reckon it's because even the actual doctors don't know what ADHD is if it isn't textbook ADHD in a male child.

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u/HalfMoon_89 16d ago

...You just described my life. I am shaken.

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u/karosea 16d ago

I hope this is helpful and you can find your way to getting whatever may help you the best!

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u/Itsumiamario 16d ago

As much as it sucks, I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone in the difficulties to get properly diagnosed. So many pf these stories seem to focus on women's struggles, which are important, but men's experiences tend to get dismissed or worse attacked.

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u/ConsciousCommunity43 16d ago

which are important, but men's experiences tend to get dismissed or worse attacked.

Or, wait for it, actually studied.

I'd take that over the social media allegedly focusing on women any day.

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u/Itsumiamario 16d ago

Trends do change over time. Which is why it's important to continue these studies.

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u/Fussel2107 16d ago

I third the anxiety. 99% resolved on ADHD meds.

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u/AriaOfValor 16d ago

I'm convinced that anxiety is often a way for the brain to cope with poor executive function with ADHD. As anxiety both makes it harder to forget something (since you're constantly worrying about it), and also provides more motivation to help in getting it done.

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u/odelay42 16d ago

This makes sense to me. Part of the reason I sought out solutions is because my habits like being early to everything were making me crazy. I became obsessed with controlling my environment and it was horrible. 

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u/rupee4sale 16d ago

This. After I got on Lexapro I noticed I start procrastinating more because I didn't have this ongoing anxiety about getting things done to motivate me... I've been adjusting though

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u/VirtualMatter2 16d ago

My daughter's psychiatrist said it's often caused by the stress of living with ADHD and he would treat that first then see if it still needs treatment. 

But it's rare to get the right person.

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u/txjennah 15d ago

Same. I was 40 when I was diagnosed and started medication, and I remember being upset when I realized that my lifelong anxiety was directly related to my ADHD.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

Yeah, I got my Dx at 39. I feel you. 

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u/everydayarmadillo 15d ago

For me it was 70% adhd meds and 30% inositol. I can't believe how normal I feel right now.

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u/Cute-Expression-296 16d ago

Getting diagnosed with ADHD as a high functioning extremely anxious woman is sooooo hard, every doctors first question is “how are your grades?” And later “do you have trouble focusing at work?” If the answer is no the conversation is over.

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u/Misty_Esoterica 16d ago

Yeah, some people don't understand that one way of coping with ADHD is to obsessively hyperfocus and micromanage everything. I don't forget my keys because I have a large purse that I've organized to have everything I could ever need in it. I don't lose things because I became a minimalist and everything that remained got organized into its own special place. I'm not late to appointments because I'm super early to them and I set multiple alarms and reminders ahead of time. It takes a ton of anxiety and brain power to compensate enough to be a functioning adult but to the outside person it could seem like everything is easy.

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u/cajunbander 16d ago

I recently got diagnosed with ADHD at 38 (ironically after seeing comments on a TikTok, which I then brought up to my PCP, who discussed it with me then referred me to a psychologist) and don’t feel like I have it. Then I read this, and that’s exactly how I operate because when I was younger, like in college, I had poor time management, was completely unorganized, unfocused, etc. I’ve learned to counteract all that but it means my brain is constantly managing these things.

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u/Misty_Esoterica 16d ago

I'm the same way, I was a disaster in High School and College and it tramatized me so much that it scared me into becoming a hyperfocusing perfectionist.

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u/SamediB 16d ago

because I have a large purse that I've organized to have everything I could ever need in it.

.... side-eyes the backpack that gets taken everywhere with him

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u/bsubtilis 15d ago

Backpack ADHD user here too, it's more ergonomic and as bonus the weight works like a weighted vest that helps that part of my autism.

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u/Misty_Esoterica 15d ago

I guess it depends on why you have the backpack. In my case it's because I used to constantly forget to bring stuff I needed so eventually I failure proofed myself by basically organizing a survival purse so that it wouldn't happen again.

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u/JeffieSandBags 16d ago

But that's not JUST an ADHD thing. Legitimately, there are many reasons someone would come to these behaviors and ADHD is only one among them. None of what you mentioned is a criteria for diagnosis, but that doesn't mean it isn't evidence for ADHD. Just that we have to consider it in the context of the whole person. Diagnosis is complex and an assessment battery is designed go look at multiple potential explanations for the referral question. Something we all should do when considering labeling behaviors.

You have ADHD, but there are hundreds of people who do all these same things and do not have ADHD. I mention that to say it's more complex than discussion forums account for, and misinformation about ADHD is as or more common than accurate information. Moreover, accurate information is so complicated even PhD psychologists often specialize in diagnosis of stuff like ADHD because even a PhD doesn't give enough experience and practice in diagnosis of ADHD. Hyperfocus us a squishy concept, if you're compensating are you clinically dysfunctional (a part of most diagnostic considerations)  and so on. 

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u/[deleted] 16d ago

[deleted]

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u/JeffieSandBags 16d ago

I'm sorry. What were they evidence for?

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u/[deleted] 16d ago edited 16d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/JeffieSandBags 16d ago

I'm trying to make a fine point here. First, that your experience is 100% valid. Second, online discussions can't capture real complex issues. And the framing of your response implies these behaviors are associated with ADHD by virtue of them being ADHD coping skills.

I bet many people would read that and identity with some, many, one, all of those and then start to think of the diagnosis and themselves as having similarities. It's like a slippery slope. It's also normal for us to do that, as anyone who was ever interested in their abnormal psychology class. Self diagnosis is a reflex for people curious about people, the mind, mental health, etc. 

If those are how you masked ADHD, then if I do them I might be masking myself. That's the thought crossing minds as people scroll these (really interesting and personal) comments.

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u/Spostman 16d ago

I have a large purse that I've organized to have everything I could ever need in it.

I don't lose things because I became a minimalist

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u/EfficientApricot0 16d ago

I had a doctor say I couldn’t have it because I’m a musician and he doesn’t think anyone with ADHD could have the concentration to be a professional musician. I knew me and that psych weren’t going to work after that.

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u/AzurousRain 16d ago

I have had the thought that professional musicians are in a unique position with ADHD, particularly with orchestral musicians etc where they're reading music while performing in a large ensemble. They're solely focusing on doing a particular action while following with their eyes written non-language instructions for what they're supposed to do. etc. etc.

In my experience there are professional musicians in this context that it would be very difficult to make sit down and read a page of text, but add these other elements (including pressure, teamwork, expertise) and it's no problem.

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u/key13131 16d ago

This exactly. My spouse is a professional musician. An incredible player and teacher--has been playing for 20 years and teaching the instrument for 10, has a master's degree in performance and at the peak of preparing for the master's recital was practicing 2-4 hours every day. But absolutely CANNOT read books. Has never read books. Cannot focus on the text long enough to read it. Was so fascinating and confusing until the ADHD diagnosis.

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u/TheBeckofKevin 16d ago

Its really interesting that its essentially results based diagnosing. If you have managed to some how cope with it, you don't have it, but if your life is falling apart (for any number of reasons) you probably do have it.

Lots of doctors struggle with nuance. I think doctors who have personal or close experience with adhd have a better time understanding the colossal impact it can have on lives and are more willing to take in a totality of your experience when considering a patient's diagnosis.

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u/Tiny_TimeMachine 16d ago

But this is how mental illnesses are diagnosed.

The majority of phenomena found in people with mental illness are also phenomena found in healthy people. The key is that the phenomenon is so severe that it impacts your ability to live a happy life in society. Meaning it is clinically significant and could be a symptom of an underlying mental illness.

If there is no evidence that your neurological makeup impacts your relationships, work, physical health, etc, then what are we diagnosing?

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u/TheBeckofKevin 15d ago

I agree, which is why I was saying that; because its entirely results based. There is no actual test to 'display' a properly hidden mental illness.

I find its generally easier to explain it with depression. Depression takes many forms and people tend to see it as someone who is very sunken and morose who sulks around not able to do anything. But we have studied depression extensively and many depressed people simply put on a strong, happy outward appearance because it makes their lives easier for whatever reasons.

Then if a person were to, lets say, take dramatic action, there are a bunch of people expressing disbelief and trying to understand why since in their eyes, they were such a happy and content person with so much going for them. This person/patient fails to demonstrate their mental health problems externally. They would not be diagnosed as depressed despite being depressed.

Its similar with other mental issues, adhd and what not. If you do a good enough job hiding it, you will not be eligible for diagnosis because you're doing too good of a job hiding it. You state it as though the results are the experience, but I'm saying the external results fail to display the actual lived experience of people suffering from mental disorders. This makes it very challenging for doctors because they have to make judgement calls based on the patients ability to either check the boxes they have on their list, or to sufficiently describe an internal state such that it convinces them a diagnosis is reasonable.

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u/UnPotat 15d ago

It was once explained to me like this.

Everyone has varying levels of it, and various ways of coping or not.

For it to be diagnosed it has to be a disorder. Disorder being the key word. It has to have had a significant impact on someone's life to be classified or diagnosed.

Hence why it is far easier, and also makes sense that those whose lives are in complete disarray, often resulting in short lives, end up getting treated more often say than someone who is doing a degree. The difference with medication being a difference between a 2.2 and a 1st. Compared to someone with whom the medication is the difference between ending up dying in a dumpster overdosing on Ket because they were homeless, starving and couldn't hold down any job at all.

Everyone deserves the help, but it's obviously going to be easier and probably more impactful to treat some compared to others.

This is also why such a high percentage of those in Prison are reported to have ADHD.

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u/[deleted] 16d ago edited 16d ago

[deleted]

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u/TheBeckofKevin 16d ago

I absolutely agree with you in a general sense. I was more specifically talking about the woman's experience in the comment. A woman, especially someone who is coping well enough to survive or thrive, will have a really hard time showing enough symptoms to "convince" a doctor.

That's what I meant by results based. If you can demonstrate poor results it's easier for a doctor to check the boxes to make the diagnosis when in reality it's actually a pretty tricky thing to put into boxes. The usual "does it affect your daily life" element of mental health disorders are easy to get around by living a very different life. 

Does it affect your work? No, I've always found jobs that allow me to be late without consequence rather than work somewhere that I have to be on time. Does it affect your family? No if I have family obligations I just skip every other aspect of life for the day.

So the output of the person's experience appears like a diagnosis would be unnecessary, but the reality is that life is warped to cope with disordered thinking in a way that avoids alarm in the doctors office. 

But yes, I can absolutely believe people are self diagnosing at an elevated rate. 

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u/AriaOfValor 16d ago

ADHD has been underdiagnosed in women and adults for basically as long as the definition was created. Additionally fears of overdiagnosing have been a common issue across healthcare in general as understanding and awareness of conditions improve, when in reality it's usually just that people who had it just weren't aware of it in the past or it was something considered socially shameful in the past (such as left handedness).

Are there idiots who.see some crappy tik tok and think they have XYZ condition? Sure, but those are rarely the people going in for an actual diagnosis. The people who actually go in to try and get a diagnosis are generally the ones who have something significantly impacting their daily life, not the people who say they have OCD because they straightened a crooked picture once or whatever.

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u/basilicux 16d ago

Hell, if you have friends and are able to maintain relationships they consider that a mark against you having ADHD sometimes! Like, just because it’s a disability doesn’t mean that all of us are incapable of doing or achieving anything! Even worse when you’re an adult and “functional” because of all the systems you’ve had to create that leave you utterly exhausted.

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u/Downvotes_Cat_Pics 16d ago

"Getting diagnosed with ADHD when you don't have ADHD is soooo hard!"

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u/meth_priest 16d ago

for real.

“do you have trouble focusing at work?”

very important factor

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u/AbjectSilence 16d ago

Pretty much exactly my experience in my early 30s. I didn't recognize most of my ADHD symptoms until the months following my diagnosis.

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u/aurortonks 16d ago

My psychiatrist said the DSM is like a helpful guidebook for leading to diagnosis but because mental health issues are a spectrum, it's not absolute and many additional factors can exist that are not listed.

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u/ZiggyB 16d ago

This kind of happened to me as well. I had been diagnosed with depression and was trying to get help for social anxiety. Eventually end up being diagnosed with ADHD several years later and start getting treatment for it. Not just the meds, but learning about and trying to implement coping mechanisms and behaviours that helped other people. Over time the depression and anxiety eased enough that I would not call myself depressed or anxious at all. I still get sad and nervous, sometimes fall in to a bit of a slump or am an anxious wreck about something, but that happens to everyone.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

The education and skills building piece is highly underrated. 

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u/AprimeAisI 16d ago

That’s my exact experience. Started to see a therapist for death related trauma. Over time and exploration it became clear there were other issues underlying everything. I was dragged kicking and screaming get a formal diagnosis. I was reluctant to take stimulants, but from after the first week it was super clear to me. Stimulants have changed my life, and that’s not hyperbole. Jfc it’s kind of wild to think back on a a time without them, I was struggling so hard.

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u/odelay42 16d ago

Yep. Same here. Trauma related therapy, developing emotional literacy, asking questions about my state of mind, boom meds have made me a new better person with a tiny fraction of the stress. 

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u/AprimeAisI 16d ago

My bandwidth for life stuff and emotional resiliency is much higher now, thanks to medication. My family asked me point blank what was happening because the difference in my moods and ability to function as a human being were obvious to everyone.

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u/odelay42 16d ago

I love to hear it

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u/CrabZealousideal3686 16d ago

The opposite is also happening because of the popularity of ADHD, my wife got treated for ADHD for years but had bipolar disorder.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

It’s hard to get a good diagnosis when your provider has 15 minutes of time with you and 45 minutes of insurance paperwork to navigate after. 

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u/CrabZealousideal3686 15d ago

I agree, we don't live in US but appointments are really short, but she was diagnosed with ADHD in the first 3 appointments but after 4 years of therapy and psychiatric help she wasn't yet diagnosed with Bipolar. Only after I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, at the brink of suicide, that we found she was as well, because of the overlap of behaviour.

Another anecdotal event, recently I moved to another country, from south America to Europe, and a new doctor here was insisting that I was not Bipolar but ADHD, even after 3 years of lithium treatment being the only drug that worked well for more than 2 months. There was only one doctor but for me it was telling.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

Ooof, I’m sorry that was such a difficult experience, and continues to be. I hope she finds a good provider that can truly help. 

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u/CrabZealousideal3686 15d ago

Thank you, right now we are probably in the best moment of our lives. But always makes me sad thinking about ppl that don't have the same luck as us, we can actively learn about our condition after the diagnosis and we know the key symptoms so we know how to communicate with the professionals that help us. Bipolar can be very debilitating and is tricky to diagnose and treat, we even have some family members that succumbed to it.

I just wish bipolar would get more attention from the scientific community in the future.

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u/Onefuzz 16d ago

This was my exact experience I tried antidepressants for a couple months and they helped a bit but it wasn’t until I was diagnosed and treated for adhd that my anxiety and depression got under control

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u/Derwinx 16d ago

Yeah, what’s sad is we’re just barely getting older medical professionals to even acknowledge that women and adults can have adhd, and on top of that, adhd is heavily comorbid with ASD; try getting a diagnosis for that by a medical professional over 40.

Psychological science honestly feels like it’s at least 30 years behind modern medical science.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

Add yet another incredibly difficult labor onto women’s healthcare struggles. I can’t even imagine. 

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u/1829bullshit 16d ago

Similar experience. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety after my dad passed unexpectedly, which made sense. Problem was, even after a few years of therapy and being on meds, several symptoms were still present. I found a new therapist, and after finishing the intake interview in my second session, she asked if I'd ever been assessed for ADHD, because the way I was describing my depressive episodes didn't necessarily track with clinical depression at this point but did align with adhd when taking into consideration personal history from childhood.

Got assessed and diagnosed with ADHD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which both the psychiatrist and my therapist believed was likely due in part to living with undiagnosed ADHD. Once I started meds to manage ADHD, my anxiety dropped significantly.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

I’m so glad you found a pro who understood. Feels good to get the meaningful attention you didn’t know you needed. 

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u/undeadmanana 16d ago

That's probably why it requires a psychiatrist to diagnose you rather than allow people to diagnose themselves

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u/odelay42 16d ago

Yeah, which is great if your psych doesn’t waste months trying to treat depression and anxiety as the root cause rather than the other disorder that causes them 

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u/BoswelliaTsuga108 16d ago

Can I ask how you treated it? I need help with these issues but I don't really know what treatment path to pursue

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u/odelay42 16d ago

Very low dose (5mg) adderall xr. 

I also have a long history of nicotine and caffeine use. So when I quit those, my symptoms all got a lot worse. Stims helped me level out a TON 

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u/odelay42 15d ago

Adding a second reply. 

The other half of my treatment has been therapy with a provider who understands my condition and needs better than I do, and lots of education and skills building. 

Meds can’t replace a lifetime of effective but emotionally draining coping mechanisms. 

It’s multifaceted problem to solve. For me, understanding adhd helped unlock a whole new set of skills and knowledge 

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u/prontoingHorse 16d ago

So like treating anxiety and depression helped treat adhd at the same time? Asking because I'm currently thinking of paying the doc a visit.

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u/odelay42 15d ago

Do it. 

For me, it turns out a lot of my depression and anxiety issues stemmed from undiagnosed adhd. 

Treating that reduced all my symptoms dramatically. Medication, education, and therapy together.