Curious if anyone has gone through the process of an adult adhd diagnosis at Kaiser SF.
Through my attempts, I've been told they don't really do adult adhd diagnoses without documentation of issues as a kid. I was recommended Wellbutrin to deal with symptoms in 2017. Got onto adderall when I moved health insurance in 2021. Back to Kaiser in 2024, I was routed to the same psychiatrist who once again wouldn't budge on adderall and once again recommended Welbutrin.
I used an online clinic to get my assessment (which I understand isn't taken seriously) which is what she cited. I asked what aspect of the assessment documentation did she think left me unqualified and she cited marijuana use in 2016. I asked her how she squares the fact that I'm an adult professional that makes comparable money to her, I have experience using both wellbutrin and adderall and see the former doing nothing and the latter helping,
there's hundreds of times more evidence for adderall efficacy vs the flakey data on wellbutrin... She responded with something like: "I believe in my heart of hearts that what I am doing is right".
I thought the entire situation was kind of insane. Further research into the person makes me think they're a bit of a loon.
redundantly · 17m ago
I'm a Kaiser NorCal member. I took the tests, but didn't have any supporting documentation about my childhood, just my memories, and I didn't have any one who was an adult when I was young that could attest to my struggles, so they wouldn't diagnose me even though everything else supported that diagnosis, including the surveys I filled out.
However, I ended up being prescribed adderall by an MD in Psychiatry due to issues I was having with work which led to a suicide attempt a couple years back. It's been eight or so months now of taking it, and it's been immensely helpful, despite not having an official diagnosis. I'm extremely appreciative of that doctor.
least · 1h ago
When I was on Kaiser, it was an absolute nightmare trying to get any traction. They had me do a computer test and, I guess because the results of it (which aren't disclosed to you) did not indicate ADHD, they would not consider the wealth of documentation I had ready to take a look at my old school records. I asked for a second opinion and the next psychiatrist they assigned to me was aloof and refused to consider anything, either. They did give prescribe me bupoprion which did absolutely nothing for me (though I have heard it works for others).
I'm now on a PPO plan and have been using Vyvanse for over a year now. It's lead to a dramatic improvement in my quality of life. I grieved for the time and opportunities I had lost due to not having been diagnosed and treated in childhood.
HMOs have a lot of upsides, but Kaiser's behavioral healthcare is awful (at least in the DC Metro area) and there's not much recourse unless you want to/can afford to pay out of pocket.
There's so much cynicism about ADHD even existing, even among healthcare professionals. Any time on HN any mention of ADHD seems to invite a lot of cynicism as well. That, compounded with that one of the most effective treatments for it is something that pretty much everyone can see a positive effect from (stimulant medication), makes it really difficult to navigate.
I hope that you can find a better option because it seems like Kaiser is just very antagonistic towards ADHD.
dkenyser · 1h ago
I had pretty much the exact same experience even with a childhood diagnosis and extensive records indicating I only responded well to stimulant-based medication.
The whole process became so burdensome I just gave up and now I self medicate with Nicotine pouches.
Not proud of it and probably not the best alternative but it helps me focus and keeps me out of the stress of the constant back and forth that healthcare providers put you through.
notfromhere · 1h ago
Too many psychiatrists do very little continuing education in their practice. I have heard more than a few try to asset that ADHD can only be diagnosed for children.
As if a neurodevelopmental disorder just magically vanishes when you hit age of majority.
It's pretty wild that despite it being a disorder that has been documented for hundreds of years, people still make the argument that people are just lying.
f0daf0da · 1h ago
I made an account just to post this as I’ve gone through something similar. Get a formal psychiatric evaluation done out of network by a neurologist who specializes in ADHD. The exam will take a few hours and they will send you a full report and diagnosis. This paperwork will help you a LOT. I’ve used it multiple times when I’ve had difficulties getting care and was well worth the time and money.
haliskerbas · 1h ago
What do I look up to find places and providers that do this especially if I don’t have a relationship established with the place already.
therobots927 · 23m ago
Personally I had success with my primary care doctor. But you could also look into online telehealth diagnosis. That was my backup plan to ensure I have access to medical treatment.
schlauerfox · 1h ago
The youtube channel of ADHD science researcher Russell Barkley gave me the push to get diagnosis in my last year of undergrad and It was like lightning to see all my symptoms laid out since childhood in context of the underlying brain science. He does a lot of debunking of bad research too. Great channel.
DrewADesign · 1h ago
In addition to confirming and quantifying my more obvious and problematic symptoms, the reaction time tests clearly showed my very mild impulsivity. Nobody I know would call me impulsive, and in the questionnaires I’d have said I wasn’t impulsive, even though I had a sense I was subconsciously resisting that tendency. The tests were too quick for my usual masking reflex, and while I was still ultimately diagnosed with the inattentive variant, the tests revealed a textbook symptom I wasn’t even aware of. Quite illuminating.
ravenstine · 1h ago
Makes sense that methylphenidate helps with most of the things associated with classical ADHD symptoms but not with clumsiness that can lead to accidental injuries; or, in my case, just bruises on my shins all the time.
kruffalon · 1h ago
Why?
I don't really disagree with you but I wonder how the thwarted sense of "my body in the world" is so connected to ADHD while not being connected at all to executive functioning (which in my perception is what amphetamines help with).
eightysixfour · 16m ago
My hypothesis - body awareness and injury avoidance is learned and ADHD folks have a less effective reward loop. While the meds help with the reward loop, the person has decades of catching up to do for body awareness.
ravenstine · 1h ago
My understanding is that motor coordination is a mostly separate issue from attention regulation and task completion, so it would make sense that a stimulant would address focus and impulsivity (as well as suicidality and criminality by proxy of those) but not clumsiness. Also, one can have ADHD without being clumsy, but being clumsy alone does not quality for ADHD.
I could be completely wrong, but hopefully that explains my take better. I'd be happy for someone to correct me.
skeezyboy · 58m ago
isnt clumsiness always self-reported? ie no clinical test
bluefirebrand · 1h ago
ADHD is strongly associated with inattentiveness and daydreaming so it's not that surprising that people who are daydreaming or not paying attention tend to get injured walking or driving into thinks more often
skeezyboy · 1h ago
its a bit more than an association, theyre symptoms
JohnTHaller · 1h ago
Currently unable to remember why I have a bruise on my ribs. I know I walked into something. Methylphenidate HCL doesn't help with that.
rmorey · 1h ago
It only didn’t help with the first incident of accidental injuries (makes sense, almost everyone has one early on regardless) but it was still also associated with reduced recurrence
notfromhere · 1h ago
honestly I only find that happens when the medication is wearing off. I'm much more spatially aware when its working and that leads to fewer accidental injuries, I see a huge difference in my driving, parking, etc.
bookofjoe · 3h ago
Full title: ADHD drug treatment and risk of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, accidental injuries, transport accidents, and criminality: emulation of target trials
Jaepa · 1h ago
Conclusion for those who read the title and read it as an implied negative effect on use.
> Drug treatment for ADHD was associated with beneficial effects in reducing the risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality but not accidental injuries when considering first event rate. The risk reductions were more pronounced for recurrent events, with reduced rates for all five outcomes. This target trial emulation study using national register data provides evidence that is representative of patients in routine clinical settings.
autoexec · 1h ago
Not surprised. ADHD medications save lives, including the lives of others when it comes to things like preventing car accidents. I could even see it being required for driving the way corrective lenses can be.
rimunroe · 1h ago
I've been diagnosed and medicated since elementary school. In the time since, I've been involved in two car accidents. Both times I had forgotten to take my meds, which is a rarity for me.
alfiedotwtf · 1h ago
Before getting onto Vyvanse, I couldn’t drive more than 30 minutes without wanting to stop for a coffee and then needing a red bull to keep going… now I can drive at least a few hours continuous without breaks.
bluefirebrand · 1h ago
I was diagnosed with ADHD in my early 30s and prescribed Concerta to help manage it
For a few years being medicated for ADHD was a godsend. I was finally able to be more productive and focus on work, my career took off in a huge way, I've literally tripled my income since I started medication
Now I'm incredibly burned out, I've been having pretty severe memory problems, I'm on medical leave from my job to try and course correct a bit here. I don't think this is purely caused by the medication, I think it is stress related as well, but my doctor's only course of action right now is to reduce and re-evaluate my meds
On one hand, being medicated was incredible for me. It felt like it finally let me overcome my demons and be the person I wanted to be and always knew I was capable of being
On the other hand, if it led to my current situation it's probably one of the worst choices I could have ever made. I hate having massive holes in my memory like this, and being burned out this way is extremely difficult to bear
So... If you can balance things better than I could, it's still probably worth being medicated. I don't regret it I just wish it hadn't burned me out like this
ravenstine · 1h ago
Not saying it can't be the methylphenidate, but I would suspect it likely has more to do with your career than you might be giving it credit for. I don't know what your background is but, since you're on HN, I can make an educated guess and say you work in tech, which can both be a highly rewarding career but also one that can really drain the soul. The worst part about the soul-sucking is that our jobs are superficially very comfortable, so it's easy to talk yourself into just appreciating what one has and ignore your feelings.
I recommend giving up caffeine if you haven't done so. That alone had a much greater impact on my daily functioning than taking breaks from my medication. It took my body a week to recalibrate, but my mentality and my energy has been way more even throughout my days. The nice thing too is I can sometimes have caffeine when I feel like I can benefit from it and it actually has a positive effect rather than just keeping you barely at baseline for a few hours.
Snarwin · 1h ago
It's possible that without the medication, you wouldn't have gotten burned out like this. But it's also possible that you'd have missed out on all of the benefits of being medicated and still gotten burned out anyway.
footy · 1h ago
I don't know how old you are, or how long you've been on Concerta. But to provide a different experience to anyone reading this:
I too got (re)diagnosed in my 30s and prescribed Concerta. Rediagnosed because my mom then told me I'd been diagnosed as a child and she just never told me. Finding the right dose took some trial and error, and to be honest "the right dose" is something that will probably vary throughout my life based on how good my non-medication ADHD management is going. But for me it's been life-changing without burning me out, and it's been almost 7 years.
I also think even without the medication the diagnosis is worth it. It clarifies your life somewhat, if there are things you have struggled with that it explains.
entropie · 1h ago
> Now I'm incredibly burned out
My SO has severe ADHS from early childhood on and gets medicated (first ritalin, now elvanse).
She is always stressed because she has a guilty conscience; she does more things every day than she has time for. She has sleeping problems.
It's such a fast-paced lifestyle that it quickly takes its toll, and it's not as if it gets better with age. Its very hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle while permanently being "all-in" into something.
swader999 · 1h ago
Same, real life Flowers for Algernon.
daralthus · 1h ago
If that helps, I get burnt out on just red bull already...
skeezyboy · 1h ago
And what caused the ADHD symptoms in the first place?
notfromhere · 1h ago
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that's highly inheritable.
woadwarrior01 · 1h ago
I've seen first hand that assortative mating[1] is also very prevalent with ADHD. Which makes it even more heritable.
in my own family line it is painfully obvious that it's a heritable disorder.
skeezyboy · 1h ago
"...is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and developmentally inappropriate."
what would be "excessive"? it seems mighty subjective
• Loses and/or misplaces items needed to complete activities or tasks
Everyone does this, so what would be an appropriately ADHD amount?
• Sidetracked by external or unimportant stimuli
re: "unimportant" stimuli, what makes a stimulus "unimportant"?
• Forgets daily activities
Again, who remembers everything without forgetting? Subjective unless you make it objective
• Diminished attention span
Compared to who or what? And isnt intense focus a symptom of ADHD? So how can you have both a diminished and increased attention? Sounds like the person simply isnt interested in what you were telling them
• Lacks ability to complete schoolwork and other assignments or to follow
instructions
How exactly do they "lack ability"? Unwillingness? Unable to comprehend the speech? Cannot actually do the sums theyve been asked to do?
• Avoids or is disinclined to begin homework or activities requiring concentration
Homework = boring? Id imagine thats the consensus viewpoint. And if the person avoids activities requiring concentration, how can they also be hyperactive?
• Fails to focus on details and/or makes thoughtless mistakes in schoolwork or
assignments
For things they arent interested in, sure - but the same person would produce intensely detailed recreational works proving they are certainly able to "focus on details", just not when its boring. I dont see that as an illness
Thats just the first section. A lot of subjectivity
amanaplanacanal · 3m ago
Pain is entirely subjective and self reported, but we are still pretty sure it exists, and we have medical treatments for it.
542354234235 · 21m ago
Additional context.
> Symptoms and/or behaviors that have persisted ≥ 6 months in ≥ 2 settings (e.g., school, home, church). Symptoms have negatively impacted academic, social, and/or occupational functioning. Inpatients aged < 17 years, ≥ 6 symptoms are necessary; in those aged ≥ 17 years, ≥ 5 symptoms are necessary.
Clearly these aren't saying "have they ever misplaced anything?" or "have they ever forgotten anything?". Sure, most people have had some of these things happen some of the time. Yeah, all kids find homework boring, but most kids are still able to do it. Most kids forget things, but aren't losing multiple coats every winter. Most people aren't experiencing these symptoms to such a degree that it significantly impacts their ability to function.
Ancapistani · 27m ago
Obviously it's characterized as a disorder, but I really think that perspective should be challenged.
Like autism, the diagnostic criteria are almost exclusively framed in how other people are impacted or inconvenienced by it. Very little attention is paid to the experience of the person actually living with it.
I see it as a difference, but not necessarily a disorder. As someone with "severe" ADHD there are tons of things that I'm substantially better at than I would be if not for the condition.
I believe ADHD is "rising" because our culture has grown more homogenous in recent decades, resulting in people with ADHD attempting to adapt to environments that are designed for and run by people without ADHD.
notfromhere · 7m ago
Do you have ADHD? Because as someone that has it, it's definitely very much something that heavily impacts the individual with it, and not just society.
It's hard to consistent do things, form habits, maintain attention. You have almost a lack of object permanence, a hard time remembering long-term memories, etc. There are so many problems it causes that aren't even occupational related but lead to negative outcomes outside of your personal engagement in social and economic environments.
Yes, society isn't really designed for folks with ADHD, but also the prevalence of ADHD was somewhat disguised by the fact that mental health had a social stigma and that smoking was incredibly common and people were basically microdosing stimulants every hour as such. It's not that shocking to think that the decline in smoking made adhd much more apparent.
amanaplanacanal · 7m ago
I think you are half right. The criteria for hyperactive type seem to match what you are saying, but the criteria for inattentive type are more about the patient.
My symptoms are all about how they are holding me back, and nothing about how they inconvenience the people around me.
skeezyboy · 1h ago
so what were the symptoms
notfromhere · 1h ago
Why should I relieve you of the joys of self-directed learning?
What exactly is the point you're driving at, if any? Why are you asking these questions?
skeezyboy · 1h ago
im dubious about entire enterprise. I bet money that within 30 years, certainly, ADHD will not exist as it does in its current form. Most likely it becomes several sub-diagnoses. Dont forget, its the same profession that classed homosexuality as an illness because culturally it was shunned, and as soon as cultural attitudes changed, its no longer an illness.
Mordisquitos · 33m ago
I have a question for you. For context, in case you haven't read it, we are discussing scientific paper reporting a large population study (almost 150,000 newly-diagnosed ADHD patients, aged 6–64 years old) which compared the outcomes of those who were medicated (~57%) and those who were unmedicated (~43%). Around 88% of the medicated cohort were prescribed methylphenidate (e.g. Concerta or Ritalin).
The conclusions of the study, copy-pasted from the abstract, were:
> Drug treatment for ADHD was associated with beneficial effects in reducing the risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality but not accidental injuries when considering first event rate. The risk reductions were more pronounced for recurrent events, with reduced rates for all five outcomes. This target trial emulation study using national register data provides evidence that is representative of patients in routine clinical settings.
My question is this: if we assume ADHD does not exist, what is going on here?
Specifically, how do you explain so-called "ADHD" patients who were medicated having a statistically significant lower risk of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, criminality, and recurrent accidental injuries than those who were not medicated?
Do you think non-"ADHD" individuals (i.e. who don't fit the current diagnostic criteria for this assumed fictional disorder) would also display a reduced risk of suicidality, accidents, etc. if they were to take methylphenidate on a daily basis?
alfiedotwtf · 1h ago
Needing to fix ADHD is itself a cultural thing. Back 100 years ago, you didn’t need an 8 hour attention span to sit at a desk staring at a monitor while the AC dries your eyeballs until they feel like foil scratching on a blackboard
notfromhere · 6m ago
100 years ago people smoked like chimneys and were basically self-medicating with nicotine. The classic 'coffee and a cigarette' breakfast is the most ADHD-coded thing imaginable.
squigz · 18m ago
No instead you might sit at a desk writing by lamplight, having your eyes dried out by smoke, assailed by the smell of horse dung (among other things)
I really don't understand this idea that people with ADHD didn't suffer in the past or that the problems we face would magically disappear if society was just organized a bit differently. Would it alleviate a lot of the pressure? Certainly, but it wouldn't do away with the problems. It's the same with autism.
bluefirebrand · 1h ago
Yeah both my parents show some signs of it tbh but neither as severely as me
bluefirebrand · 1h ago
Being born with or developing a dysregulated nervous system
Through my attempts, I've been told they don't really do adult adhd diagnoses without documentation of issues as a kid. I was recommended Wellbutrin to deal with symptoms in 2017. Got onto adderall when I moved health insurance in 2021. Back to Kaiser in 2024, I was routed to the same psychiatrist who once again wouldn't budge on adderall and once again recommended Welbutrin.
I used an online clinic to get my assessment (which I understand isn't taken seriously) which is what she cited. I asked what aspect of the assessment documentation did she think left me unqualified and she cited marijuana use in 2016. I asked her how she squares the fact that I'm an adult professional that makes comparable money to her, I have experience using both wellbutrin and adderall and see the former doing nothing and the latter helping, there's hundreds of times more evidence for adderall efficacy vs the flakey data on wellbutrin... She responded with something like: "I believe in my heart of hearts that what I am doing is right".
I thought the entire situation was kind of insane. Further research into the person makes me think they're a bit of a loon.
However, I ended up being prescribed adderall by an MD in Psychiatry due to issues I was having with work which led to a suicide attempt a couple years back. It's been eight or so months now of taking it, and it's been immensely helpful, despite not having an official diagnosis. I'm extremely appreciative of that doctor.
I'm now on a PPO plan and have been using Vyvanse for over a year now. It's lead to a dramatic improvement in my quality of life. I grieved for the time and opportunities I had lost due to not having been diagnosed and treated in childhood.
HMOs have a lot of upsides, but Kaiser's behavioral healthcare is awful (at least in the DC Metro area) and there's not much recourse unless you want to/can afford to pay out of pocket.
There's so much cynicism about ADHD even existing, even among healthcare professionals. Any time on HN any mention of ADHD seems to invite a lot of cynicism as well. That, compounded with that one of the most effective treatments for it is something that pretty much everyone can see a positive effect from (stimulant medication), makes it really difficult to navigate.
I hope that you can find a better option because it seems like Kaiser is just very antagonistic towards ADHD.
The whole process became so burdensome I just gave up and now I self medicate with Nicotine pouches.
Not proud of it and probably not the best alternative but it helps me focus and keeps me out of the stress of the constant back and forth that healthcare providers put you through.
As if a neurodevelopmental disorder just magically vanishes when you hit age of majority.
It's pretty wild that despite it being a disorder that has been documented for hundreds of years, people still make the argument that people are just lying.
I don't really disagree with you but I wonder how the thwarted sense of "my body in the world" is so connected to ADHD while not being connected at all to executive functioning (which in my perception is what amphetamines help with).
I could be completely wrong, but hopefully that explains my take better. I'd be happy for someone to correct me.
> Drug treatment for ADHD was associated with beneficial effects in reducing the risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality but not accidental injuries when considering first event rate. The risk reductions were more pronounced for recurrent events, with reduced rates for all five outcomes. This target trial emulation study using national register data provides evidence that is representative of patients in routine clinical settings.
For a few years being medicated for ADHD was a godsend. I was finally able to be more productive and focus on work, my career took off in a huge way, I've literally tripled my income since I started medication
Now I'm incredibly burned out, I've been having pretty severe memory problems, I'm on medical leave from my job to try and course correct a bit here. I don't think this is purely caused by the medication, I think it is stress related as well, but my doctor's only course of action right now is to reduce and re-evaluate my meds
On one hand, being medicated was incredible for me. It felt like it finally let me overcome my demons and be the person I wanted to be and always knew I was capable of being
On the other hand, if it led to my current situation it's probably one of the worst choices I could have ever made. I hate having massive holes in my memory like this, and being burned out this way is extremely difficult to bear
So... If you can balance things better than I could, it's still probably worth being medicated. I don't regret it I just wish it hadn't burned me out like this
I recommend giving up caffeine if you haven't done so. That alone had a much greater impact on my daily functioning than taking breaks from my medication. It took my body a week to recalibrate, but my mentality and my energy has been way more even throughout my days. The nice thing too is I can sometimes have caffeine when I feel like I can benefit from it and it actually has a positive effect rather than just keeping you barely at baseline for a few hours.
I too got (re)diagnosed in my 30s and prescribed Concerta. Rediagnosed because my mom then told me I'd been diagnosed as a child and she just never told me. Finding the right dose took some trial and error, and to be honest "the right dose" is something that will probably vary throughout my life based on how good my non-medication ADHD management is going. But for me it's been life-changing without burning me out, and it's been almost 7 years.
I also think even without the medication the diagnosis is worth it. It clarifies your life somewhat, if there are things you have struggled with that it explains.
My SO has severe ADHS from early childhood on and gets medicated (first ritalin, now elvanse). She is always stressed because she has a guilty conscience; she does more things every day than she has time for. She has sleeping problems.
It's such a fast-paced lifestyle that it quickly takes its toll, and it's not as if it gets better with age. Its very hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle while permanently being "all-in" into something.
[1]: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33322995/
what would be "excessive"? it seems mighty subjective
https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/patient_care/adhd_to...
What counts as poor?
• Loses and/or misplaces items needed to complete activities or tasks
Everyone does this, so what would be an appropriately ADHD amount?
• Sidetracked by external or unimportant stimuli
re: "unimportant" stimuli, what makes a stimulus "unimportant"?
• Forgets daily activities
Again, who remembers everything without forgetting? Subjective unless you make it objective
• Diminished attention span
Compared to who or what? And isnt intense focus a symptom of ADHD? So how can you have both a diminished and increased attention? Sounds like the person simply isnt interested in what you were telling them
• Lacks ability to complete schoolwork and other assignments or to follow instructions
How exactly do they "lack ability"? Unwillingness? Unable to comprehend the speech? Cannot actually do the sums theyve been asked to do?
• Avoids or is disinclined to begin homework or activities requiring concentration
Homework = boring? Id imagine thats the consensus viewpoint. And if the person avoids activities requiring concentration, how can they also be hyperactive?
• Fails to focus on details and/or makes thoughtless mistakes in schoolwork or assignments
For things they arent interested in, sure - but the same person would produce intensely detailed recreational works proving they are certainly able to "focus on details", just not when its boring. I dont see that as an illness
Thats just the first section. A lot of subjectivity
> Symptoms and/or behaviors that have persisted ≥ 6 months in ≥ 2 settings (e.g., school, home, church). Symptoms have negatively impacted academic, social, and/or occupational functioning. Inpatients aged < 17 years, ≥ 6 symptoms are necessary; in those aged ≥ 17 years, ≥ 5 symptoms are necessary.
Clearly these aren't saying "have they ever misplaced anything?" or "have they ever forgotten anything?". Sure, most people have had some of these things happen some of the time. Yeah, all kids find homework boring, but most kids are still able to do it. Most kids forget things, but aren't losing multiple coats every winter. Most people aren't experiencing these symptoms to such a degree that it significantly impacts their ability to function.
Like autism, the diagnostic criteria are almost exclusively framed in how other people are impacted or inconvenienced by it. Very little attention is paid to the experience of the person actually living with it.
I see it as a difference, but not necessarily a disorder. As someone with "severe" ADHD there are tons of things that I'm substantially better at than I would be if not for the condition.
I believe ADHD is "rising" because our culture has grown more homogenous in recent decades, resulting in people with ADHD attempting to adapt to environments that are designed for and run by people without ADHD.
It's hard to consistent do things, form habits, maintain attention. You have almost a lack of object permanence, a hard time remembering long-term memories, etc. There are so many problems it causes that aren't even occupational related but lead to negative outcomes outside of your personal engagement in social and economic environments.
Yes, society isn't really designed for folks with ADHD, but also the prevalence of ADHD was somewhat disguised by the fact that mental health had a social stigma and that smoking was incredibly common and people were basically microdosing stimulants every hour as such. It's not that shocking to think that the decline in smoking made adhd much more apparent.
My symptoms are all about how they are holding me back, and nothing about how they inconvenience the people around me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention_deficit_hyperactivit...
The conclusions of the study, copy-pasted from the abstract, were:
> Drug treatment for ADHD was associated with beneficial effects in reducing the risks of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, and criminality but not accidental injuries when considering first event rate. The risk reductions were more pronounced for recurrent events, with reduced rates for all five outcomes. This target trial emulation study using national register data provides evidence that is representative of patients in routine clinical settings.
My question is this: if we assume ADHD does not exist, what is going on here?
Specifically, how do you explain so-called "ADHD" patients who were medicated having a statistically significant lower risk of suicidal behaviours, substance misuse, transport accidents, criminality, and recurrent accidental injuries than those who were not medicated?
Do you think non-"ADHD" individuals (i.e. who don't fit the current diagnostic criteria for this assumed fictional disorder) would also display a reduced risk of suicidality, accidents, etc. if they were to take methylphenidate on a daily basis?
I really don't understand this idea that people with ADHD didn't suffer in the past or that the problems we face would magically disappear if society was just organized a bit differently. Would it alleviate a lot of the pressure? Certainly, but it wouldn't do away with the problems. It's the same with autism.