r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 17d 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/gmishaolem 17d ago

There's been an overdiagnosis culture for so long. How many people are convinced they have OCD because of a few quirks? Or the worst of them: Phobias. Just like the gluten-free fad made it so people with actual Celiac are treated like they're idiots, nobody takes actual phobias seriously because they think it just means you're really scared of some particular thing. Same with allergies: People act like pet allergies are nothing more than a Benadryl issue instead of for some people literally life-threatening.

People overdiagnose themselves and each other, and then because they're not actually suffering from whatever it is, they treat that disease or condition as no big deal and make life worse for actual sufferers. It's a dire situation.

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u/Star-Lord- 17d ago

There’s been an overdiagnosis culture for so long . . . Same with allergies . . . People overdoagnose themselves and each other, and then because they’re not actually suffering from whatever it is, they . . . Make life worse for actual sufferers

Literally what? In a thread where folks are (rightfully) railing against misinformation, you come in and say this?? Just because somebody has a mild to moderate reaction to something rather than anaphylaxis doesn’t mean they were self-, over- or misdiagnosed with an allergy. Allergies literally have a grading scale! And yes, mild reactions are on it! Person A shouldn’t be held to blame for Person B not treating allergies seriously just because A’s reaction isn’t that severe. Person B is solely in the wrong, and Person A is right to be mindful of their allergies.

Allergies are so dangerous because they can literally increase in grade at ANY random exposure, meaning that—ironically—your take is harmful in exactly the same manner that you’re taking issue with.