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/VaguelyArtistic 16d ago

My favorite is "if you sleep in this position, it means you have..."

I had to leave all my ADHD subs because so much of it was, "I sleep in this position, do I have ADHD?" or, "Sleep position? That is so us!"

I understand the frustration of knowing something is "wrong" but not having a Dx, and also the exciting part of finally getting an answer. But it's clear that many posts come from the TikTok pipeline.

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u/pure_bitter_grace 16d ago

I also find myself avoiding ADHD spaces because so many straight-up promote doctor-shopping and shortcuts to get meds, as though medication is a magic bullet. Stimulants are a bandage for symptoms, at best, and they have real side effects and risks. If I could earn a living without medication, I'd get off it--I'm now in perimenopause, and we simply *don't have good data" for how stimulant meds may or may not contribute to the other physical stressors of wildly changing hormonal cycles. I have a family history of heart disease, and the fact that I am still on stimulants as I reach an increased age/sex-related risk of heart issues makes my doctor visibly anxious.