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/
27.8k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

1.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

22

u/Jwave1992 17d ago

I see many videos on TikTok where people are smiling and really excited to have been diagnosed or in the process of being diagnosed. Like they’re applying for a membership to a club. It’s just a really odd thing to watch.

52

u/TogepiOnToast 17d ago

As someone who was late diagnosed (39, just this year) I can understand that relief and excitement of finally understanding that I literally can't just try harder at life.

7

u/adaranyx 17d ago

It's not the diagnosis, it's the validation of lifelong struggles. In the case of ADHD, there's the extra bonus of finally having access to a medication that might make you feel like a functioning human. I agree that some people are super weird about it, and there's plenty of misinformation, but it IS lifechanging for a lot of people, and it was often years of therapy and struggling to get there.

3

u/Hector_Tueux 16d ago

Maybe because they finally know that the harder life they had was not their fault?

9

u/Throwaway47321 17d ago

Honestly people treat being neurodivergent as some sort of cool kids club for some reason. I honestly feel like it’s some online type of “I’m special and you’re not” thing

2

u/Hector_Tueux 16d ago

What makes you feel this way?

6

u/ctrldwrdns 17d ago

Um yeah it's pretty exciting when you finally figure out there's a reason why things are difficult for you.

Coming from someone who is diagnosed

2

u/ERSTF 17d ago

Youbare jealous because you didn't get a card like the one I'm holding right now