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/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.