Tired of the narrative that ADHD is overdiagnosed

I’m so tired of reading articles in my country’s newspapers about all the issues with people getting an ADHD diagnosis.

It’s always the same thing over and over again. Issues with medication and how people are self diagnosing, and how suddenly everyone has ADHD nowadays. Yeah, maybe because the other half of the people with adhd are finally getting correctly diagnosed, aka women.

I have struggled all my life, as many of us have, without anything really working for me. And then, after 15 years with the wrong diagnosis and the wrong medication it suddenly clicked when I got diagnosed with adhd. The adhd medication is actually helping, and for the first time in my life living feels bearable.

But the constant stream of pointing at ADHD as a societal problem is so tiring. I’m so sick of having to defend the diagnosis, to always be met with doubt and scrutiny. I don’t really care what others think, but others I know are so trapped in shame and it makes me so angry for them. And the media is just pumping out articles because it’s a popular subject.

Yeah people are probably self diagnosing who maybe shouldn’t, but I don’t really care. If it helps them, great. There’s no harm in it. You need an official diagnosis to get medication anyways, so it’s not like they’re taking resources from officially diagnosed people.

Just needed to rant after yet another article in mainstream media. Luckily I know there will be a response in tomorrow’s newspaper, as the ADHD organisations are working overtime to counter all the stigma that is being spread.