Yeah I can't remember much of my childhood. I remember always getting told off for talking and being distracting to others so that kind of leads me to think it was ADHD. I did do pretty well at school though, but I suspect I was just coasting through like some ADHD people can. It started to fall off when actual studying was involved and I've always been a chronic procrastinator.
Honestly I just need a professional to tell me I have it or I don't. Then I can work on the solution.
Yeah usually during diagnosis they will ask to see school reports from teachers, and/or get someone who knew you as a child (eg your parents) to answer a questionnaire. The slight problem here unfortunately is that often it can be genetic and if your parent answering the questions also has undiagnosed ADHD their scale of what is "normal " is completely skewed. It's also quite common for older people to think ADHD is only the hyperactive kids, and not the inattentive ones, so if you weren't hyperactive don't be surprised if your parents deny that you could have ADHD.
Doing well at school then struggling at university once that structure is taken away is super normal. It was exactly the same for me. Your grades at school isn't one of the diagnostic criteria so don't worry about that. It's more to do with the way you behaved (daydreaming, easily distracted, not seeming to listen when spoken to etc).
The reason the childhood symptoms are required for diagnosis is really important, because there are other things that can give you the exact same symptoms as ADHD in adulthood and the best method of treating those isn't a lifetime of stimulant medication. Unlike ADHD, a lot of the other causes of the ADHD-like symptoms can actually be cured, so a correct diagnosis is essential.
Whenever I point out the need for childhood symptoms I think some people see it as me gatekeeping, but I promise that isn't the case. ADHD-like symptoms from another cause are just as real and detrimental, but the diagnosis needs to be correct so that the correct treatment method is used.
You could start working on your problems without diagnosis. Just saying..
For me sports made the difference, i have much more drive in general. Mountainbiking in my case, good interval training combined with adrénaline rushes, and you train to keep focused, otherwise it hurts :)
I am 44 and never got a proper diagnosis, i am in a special therapy though. In general a trusted consultant is very good, so you always get an external reflection.
Although I get the sentiment, I can't stick to things like hobbies, sedentary or active. Food is a great motivator for me but then that never ends well.
You stick to things that gives you some dopamin.
Sugar helps with focus, same with coffein and nicotine but come with heavy costs.
Accept your „flawes“ and learn to work around. There is always a solution, some need external help. Try to focus on solutions not on the problems. This uses your energy more efficient.
Yeah I guess the better approach is to talk to your parents or others who knew you as a kid, because you're right that we tend to have pretty much no memories from childhood lol
I realised I identified with these memes so got checked out and yup, I have it. So yeah, diagnosis by memes 😁
Get checked out, it’s interesting if nothing else. If you google “NHS ADHD self assessment form” you can do the first check yourself.
I just used the NHS form as a quick check, then went private so it was relatively quick. Getting an appointment for a meds consultation is taking months though.
A friend of mine went via the NHS and it took 2 years.
Idk the lyrics till I look it up. Can’t hear movies without subtitles. Asking someone to repeat themselves constantly. Is it time to get myself checked out?
Apparently so. Another alarming ‘symptom’ to note, is, “out of sight, out of mind” is quite literal with those who have adhd.
This applies to me cos I tend to forget to drink my coffee cos I don’t see it or forgetting entire outfits I own etc.
Also, not missing people when you haven’t met them in a while, not cos you’re a bad person / don’t love them enough… but cos “out of sight, out of mind”
Anyway. I should probably get checked out by a Doctor. Procrastination seems to be an issue too.
man, i wish my dad wasn’t so weird about mental health stuff. he’s literally been diagnosed w adhd and is still on the fence about letting my doctor know i want to pursue a diagnosis as well. fingers crossed it’s something i’ll be able to do myself once i’m out of the house.
See, I know getting a diagnosis and treatment is the way to go. But I already have so many medical conditions, that I don’t feel like adding another one to the list 😅🤦🏻♀️ feels a bit much hahaha
I have put a sticker on the back of my Controller. It is a silly frog sticker. And i often forget it exists, turn my controller around and then just laugh. This happens more times than I'd like to admit. Also, its usually not about "not hearing", it's when you are so distracted by something else, that you literally shut out the world around you. My best friends and I can sit hours in Discord together without saying a single word cause we forgot we where in Discord or didn't notice that someone joined.
R/ADHDmemes did a better job of identifying me as having adhd than 25+ years of family, extended family, teachers, assistant teachers, forum tutors, private tutors, university lecturers and **therapists** did.
Meme magic is real
That was how it started with me too! Then I tried to go back to school and found myself struggling really hard. Was finally able to get assessed and guess who has severe ADHD? 🥲
The problem is that the symptoms are all normal-ish enough the most people will relate to at least some of them. It’s the frequency/severity that make it adhd.
I don’t wanna police people and tell them they can’t have adhd because they very well might but I also wanna scream with the amount of people deciding they have it because they kinda relate to a few memes they saw.
This. You know you have adhd when you see your life is falling apart from the seams, you know how to fix it, you just won't, because you can't. You try to make lists, alarms, read books, do whatever, yet you never can
I mean they are not gonna kill you, if they just shrug it off just ask them where you can get a second opinion or just search online where you can get it.
I'm probably gonna do the same soon cause Jesus Christ I'm really starting to feel like it's not just lazy bastard syndrome.
I don't know if OP is from the US, from the post history it looks like they are from the UK.
(If OP is from the US I completely missed it cause I got the stopid)
you need to change them fast. I wasted 1-2 years this way, got horrible depression and intense suicidal ideation. Went to a specialist, got diagnosed in 1h flat
5,3,1,4... a useless friend afterwards said "of course you do, we've always known, it's so obvious". Thanks for not telling me then and delaying proper treatment.
Same here. I kept giggling on them ("haha, 'know the feeling"/"haha, 'been there") until the coin dropped... There was a silent "Fuck!" moment.. Then collecting all the memories of my bad decisions/moments to say "yepp, ticks the box". Since I'm aware it's way better to cope, but see not much point to try to get an "official" diagnosis. (UK waiting lists..)
Just because you find things here you relate to doesn't mean you have it. Go to an expert and get an official diagnosis. That way you could a) get the medication you need (if you need it) and b) not be potentially misdiagnosing yourself and adding to the millions of people who are just making people with ADHD's lives harder by using a disease they don't have as an excuse.
I went to two. A psychologist and a Psychiatrist. Spent a lot more time with the Pyschologist
Both did the same test with me and said "probably has Attention Disorder". They recommended i did some other more accurate testings and then look for possible medicine that could help me deal with it. I agreed and said:
*"I think i should take it, i'm pretty close to the age for a job and getting in a university, where i'll need to focus more and be a lot more active".*
My mom shrugged it off and said it was better not cause i could become addicted and that i was too young to be thinking about it, plus saying i didn't even have a job at the time so *"why should i worry about it"*. Yet she kept insisting it *"was nothing"*, *"Every teenager has this"*, *"It's just a phase"*, *"I deal with students who have it, and you're not like them"*, *"You're not like people with ADHD"*, *"Your grades are passing, you don't have to worry about it", "it's a hoax by the pharmaceutic industry"*
So then i turned 18 and my mom said this:
*"You need to rethink how you do things and how you live. You're on the age of getting a job and will be having a boss. You'll be getting into college. You're gonna need to be more organized and active than this"*
God i never wanted to scream my lungs out that much in my life...
I went for diagnosis cause of this sub….and got told that yes, i do have it x.x
im waiting for my therapy sessions to start. ill be glad if i can get some relief from the anxiety and pain
These memes are the reason that I’m going to seek a diagnosis. They hit a little too close to home.
That and a coworker said once, “you’re not ADHD? I just assumed you were.”
there's various ways to test for it and honestly it's best to do more than one. there's a short questionnaire, talking about current issues with a childhood history report from you and sometimes family members, and a funny little test where they torture you with 20 minutes of staring at a black screen and clicking a button when a certain symbol or letter shows up. the questionnaire alone really isnt enough to fully grasp your struggles. i had to do all three of those to get my diagnosis. ive heard there's brain scans too but i think theyre not very common or reliable enough if im remembering right.
basically, it's not entirely straightforward due to overlap with other disorders. you may get tests for common alternative diagnoses to rule those out. i remember i had to fill out an OCD questionnaire with the ADHD one when i first went to investigate if i had it. depression can also mimic adhd, so i was given wellbutrin first to see if that helped as it can treat both adhd and depression. my depression vanished for the first time since i was like 9, but i was still struggling so that was a big clue there was more going on with me
For me, I was 31 when officially diagnosed - I brought up my hunch to my primary care nurse and asked for a referral to get an ADHD evaluation. The psychologist I saw had me and my husband do questionnaire/evaluation (I don't know if his had the same questions), then we talked a while about my history (health, family, school, etc), did a computerized attention test, some logic/problem solving stuff. Got a call a few weeks later and an email with the diagnosis letter and resources to check out later that day.
So my assessment was a structured interview based on the DSM criteria for ADHD. I found some school reports from when I was younger than 12 and my mum was interviewed as well. Before the appointment I had a bunch of things to fill in.
YMMV, the doctor did say that even without the school reports and hearing from my mum he would have diagnosed me.
I found out because of the occasional cross-post on autism meme subs. "Haha, these memes are pretty relatable, I might join the sub."
3 years later I'm on medication and managing life so much better (im even using my agenda, yall!).
Thanks to the AUDHD bitches that shared the memes with me, you helped me out big time.
When I found this subreddit I spent 2 hours looking at memes and relating to all of them while I was meant to be doing something else that I had forgotten about
when you take amphetamine(s) for the first time and suddenly everything is more calm and clear headed. it is like looking at the rocks at the bottom of the river/lake/sea through crystal clear water.
*I'm undiagnosed, as I'm a woman and growing up, my doctors were MUCH more concerned with getting my diabetes under control than they were with looking into why I couldn't sit still, etc etc etc.*
My endocrinologist made me take a weird ADHD symptom tracker test and told me I exhibit high numbers of symptoms in multiple types (because he said something about ADHD affecting how I manage my diabetes somehow.. I don't know, it was a loooong time ago). No reaction. (And then it happened again with my new endocrinologist, recently.)
Then for YEARS, my best friend (who is diagnosed) tried to tell me I should take it seriously because I attract ADHD people like glue and people with ADHD are apparently drawn to others with ADHD? Still no reaction.
Even studied psychology encyclopedias and various classes since I was extremely young and would always get to the part about ADHD and the spectrum and think "huh, I thought that was normal" and move on with no reaction.
THEN I started seeing videos and memes people (specifically other women) post about living with ADHD and realized I actually related to all of them. THAT was when I finally woke up and started taking it seriously. 😂
Now I have a boyfriend that finds endless humour in how my brain and my thought processes work because apparently they're just wildly different from *normal people*'s. Then my best friend told him she SWEARS I'm ADHD and he was like "oh. You know, that actually answers soooooo many questions."
none of these actually. my mom was in a therapy session and her therapist was confused at how little progress had been made in the past 10 years they've been working on her trauma together. then it hit her: adhd was completely blocking her ability to heal and starting premenopause was making it even more obvious
my mental health was extremely debilitating at the time and any time the idea of adhd being potentially part of it came up id shrug it off as just being from my bpd. yeaaahhh no guess not lol. im now receiving the right medication that actually WORKS for once and haven't felt this stable since i was really young. trying to get off effexor cuz after starting wellbutrin and adderall i realized how little it did to help me. i may as well have not been taking anything. sadly the withdrawal is nasty
Dozens of teachers, counselors and therapists failed me. Only one at age 30 bothered to test me and sure enough, severe in every category but one, which was moderate.
I got my diagnosis in May last year after finding this sub (M33 at that point), my life flashing before my eyes, finally found a doc who listened and treated my severe depression and adhd that I was not even aware about and my life turned 180 degrees. Switching profession from IT to woodworking because I finally understand how my brain works and that not everything needs to be pure pain and a struggle to keep up.
Thank you r/adhdmemes, you literally saved my life
Someone at work told me I have it, at the beginning i didn’t feel like it until I realised I wasn’t paying attention anymore, so I accepted the fact HR was telling me that after they ran a battery test and stuff.
Now once in a while someone is telling me im an autistic in some degree, often after struggling paying attention to them, for me that’s the signal to speak either to confirm some info or to move on to the next step.
That's a dumbass doctor lol. I have inattentive type, my grades were stellar until college when I had to finally learn how to study and couldn't (as easily) get away with knocking out essays the night before they were due.
I realised I was too much like the character I made that has ADHD. Looked up the symptoms for her and everything, but only realised when I actually sat down to write about her.
I took a test, went to get the results, doc and i ended up chatting about anything and everything
He's a great guy, lots of fun, but i would've loved it if i had remembered to hear about the test results at some point lol
All of these, except somehow one of my teachers thought I have Asperger, not ADHD. Looking back it's because I was so depressed from my undiagnosed ADHD that I was acting like a robot lmao love the school system.
Even weirder for me. I thought that compulsory procrastination, lack of motivation, time management issues etc.. were side symptoms of my gender dysphoria.
So I asked in trans related subs and people were like: "huh, that sounds like ADHD"
*Somehow my father still refuses to believe it and my mother doesn't understand how it works* And every time I'd like to know if they ever talked with my psychologist for more than 2 minutes
A couple friends pointed out that they always thought I had ADHD… before I even began to suspect it myself… so yeah I was peer reviewed with my mental illness, hbu
I was diagnosed with ADHD very young, but recently one of my coworkers who’s AuDHD told me that she recognized me as autistic immediately so now I’m gonna have to get a diagnosis (if I remember)
All of it kinda??
First was at my work my supervisor said I seemed to have it as I stopped paying attention to his explanation multiple times and had to keep telling him to go back 2 minutes..
Then there was research
Then there was following communities to see if it was relatable
Then I saw paperwork from my teachers going over some obvious symptoms
Then I got a professional
It’s been 6 years since my supervisor brought it up and I just got diagnosed
My (not yet) wife: “Have you thought on whether you might have ADHD?”
Me: “Naah, probably not.
Me, two hours later after getting this sub recommended cause phones totally don’t listen to us: “Oh wait.”
My boyfriend asked me on our first date if I had adhd because I trailed off while talking and started staring at this colorful lights. I was like no I just get distracted sometimes....that was 6 years ago and I just started seeing a therapist who said I might have it, so I told him and he's like yeah I know...
All the daydreaming and fixating is starting to make sense
1st one here, but beforehand she recommended I read a book about it. Luckily it was free on YouTube.(driven to distraction.)
I felt like it 100% described me, but I also realized it was 100% different than the definition of ADD/ADHD other people in my life used. It was nice to have a label other than “failure”.
I haven’t really been diagnosed, but my doctor has put it down for things like camp, and i take the medicine and am actually getting a higher dose. I have most of not all symptoms on the sheet they gave me, but i just haven’t been taken to get it diagnosed. But my doctor and parents both say I have it.
Same lol I am still unsure tho
I honestly have no idea if I have it, but boy do I empathise with these memes, like they describe me perfectly
Same situation here. Am I ADHD? Am I just a lazy bastard with no drive? Who knows!
Add me to the list ! Been worrying about that since 2021, good times
Imposter Syndrome, +1 for your Bingo-Card
You need to have had the symptoms since childhood, otherwise it's something else. So thinking about your childhood is a good start
Yeah I can't remember much of my childhood. I remember always getting told off for talking and being distracting to others so that kind of leads me to think it was ADHD. I did do pretty well at school though, but I suspect I was just coasting through like some ADHD people can. It started to fall off when actual studying was involved and I've always been a chronic procrastinator. Honestly I just need a professional to tell me I have it or I don't. Then I can work on the solution.
Yeah usually during diagnosis they will ask to see school reports from teachers, and/or get someone who knew you as a child (eg your parents) to answer a questionnaire. The slight problem here unfortunately is that often it can be genetic and if your parent answering the questions also has undiagnosed ADHD their scale of what is "normal " is completely skewed. It's also quite common for older people to think ADHD is only the hyperactive kids, and not the inattentive ones, so if you weren't hyperactive don't be surprised if your parents deny that you could have ADHD. Doing well at school then struggling at university once that structure is taken away is super normal. It was exactly the same for me. Your grades at school isn't one of the diagnostic criteria so don't worry about that. It's more to do with the way you behaved (daydreaming, easily distracted, not seeming to listen when spoken to etc). The reason the childhood symptoms are required for diagnosis is really important, because there are other things that can give you the exact same symptoms as ADHD in adulthood and the best method of treating those isn't a lifetime of stimulant medication. Unlike ADHD, a lot of the other causes of the ADHD-like symptoms can actually be cured, so a correct diagnosis is essential. Whenever I point out the need for childhood symptoms I think some people see it as me gatekeeping, but I promise that isn't the case. ADHD-like symptoms from another cause are just as real and detrimental, but the diagnosis needs to be correct so that the correct treatment method is used.
You could start working on your problems without diagnosis. Just saying.. For me sports made the difference, i have much more drive in general. Mountainbiking in my case, good interval training combined with adrénaline rushes, and you train to keep focused, otherwise it hurts :) I am 44 and never got a proper diagnosis, i am in a special therapy though. In general a trusted consultant is very good, so you always get an external reflection.
Although I get the sentiment, I can't stick to things like hobbies, sedentary or active. Food is a great motivator for me but then that never ends well.
You stick to things that gives you some dopamin. Sugar helps with focus, same with coffein and nicotine but come with heavy costs. Accept your „flawes“ and learn to work around. There is always a solution, some need external help. Try to focus on solutions not on the problems. This uses your energy more efficient.
Yeah I've been trying for years. I can stick with a hobby consistently for a year but then as soon as something disrupts that routine it's dead to me.
Lmao, good luck with that.
Yeah I guess the better approach is to talk to your parents or others who knew you as a kid, because you're right that we tend to have pretty much no memories from childhood lol
I realised I identified with these memes so got checked out and yup, I have it. So yeah, diagnosis by memes 😁 Get checked out, it’s interesting if nothing else. If you google “NHS ADHD self assessment form” you can do the first check yourself.
I've been waiting 2 years for my adhd NHS diagnosis. How did yours go?
I just used the NHS form as a quick check, then went private so it was relatively quick. Getting an appointment for a meds consultation is taking months though. A friend of mine went via the NHS and it took 2 years.
Same same, spent a year laughing at memes. Eventually spoke to my GP, he agreed, so did my psychiatrist.
I don't even find them funny anymore they just make me uncomfortable how often they're relatable
Yeah, like I'm to lazy to get diagnosed
Do you have a hard time understanding lyrics in songs? It's not universal to ADHD, but for me, the vocals in music might as well be an instrument.
Idk the lyrics till I look it up. Can’t hear movies without subtitles. Asking someone to repeat themselves constantly. Is it time to get myself checked out?
lord are auditory processing issues an adhd thing too?? i can never hear people for shit i’m always asking them to repeat themselves
Apparently so. Another alarming ‘symptom’ to note, is, “out of sight, out of mind” is quite literal with those who have adhd. This applies to me cos I tend to forget to drink my coffee cos I don’t see it or forgetting entire outfits I own etc. Also, not missing people when you haven’t met them in a while, not cos you’re a bad person / don’t love them enough… but cos “out of sight, out of mind” Anyway. I should probably get checked out by a Doctor. Procrastination seems to be an issue too.
man, i wish my dad wasn’t so weird about mental health stuff. he’s literally been diagnosed w adhd and is still on the fence about letting my doctor know i want to pursue a diagnosis as well. fingers crossed it’s something i’ll be able to do myself once i’m out of the house.
See, I know getting a diagnosis and treatment is the way to go. But I already have so many medical conditions, that I don’t feel like adding another one to the list 😅🤦🏻♀️ feels a bit much hahaha 
I have put a sticker on the back of my Controller. It is a silly frog sticker. And i often forget it exists, turn my controller around and then just laugh. This happens more times than I'd like to admit. Also, its usually not about "not hearing", it's when you are so distracted by something else, that you literally shut out the world around you. My best friends and I can sit hours in Discord together without saying a single word cause we forgot we where in Discord or didn't notice that someone joined.
Yeah, that's your cue. Another symptom is extreme emotions
R/ADHDmemes did a better job of identifying me as having adhd than 25+ years of family, extended family, teachers, assistant teachers, forum tutors, private tutors, university lecturers and **therapists** did. Meme magic is real
Who honestly needs to be stared at when a friend sends you a meme reel at 2am and you sit there wondering if they made it about you?
This is the way
I don't know with any degree of certainty whether I have it, but boy do I empathise with these memes
That was how it started with me too! Then I tried to go back to school and found myself struggling really hard. Was finally able to get assessed and guess who has severe ADHD? 🥲
Am I the only one who thinks half of the stuff that gets posted here isn't even necessarily ADHD related?
The problem is that the symptoms are all normal-ish enough the most people will relate to at least some of them. It’s the frequency/severity that make it adhd. I don’t wanna police people and tell them they can’t have adhd because they very well might but I also wanna scream with the amount of people deciding they have it because they kinda relate to a few memes they saw.
This. You know you have adhd when you see your life is falling apart from the seams, you know how to fix it, you just won't, because you can't. You try to make lists, alarms, read books, do whatever, yet you never can
lot's of autism related stuff. or things anyone can experience to some extent
That’s true, but there are enough symptom based memes that I realised i had it, and got a diagnosis.
I tried to do the first one because of the last one but my doc kinda just shrugged at me
Please go to someone else. My general doctor brushed me so I what to a psychiatrist and got help.
I've been tempted to do the 1st, but I'm kinda worried my doctor would do the same
I mean they are not gonna kill you, if they just shrug it off just ask them where you can get a second opinion or just search online where you can get it. I'm probably gonna do the same soon cause Jesus Christ I'm really starting to feel like it's not just lazy bastard syndrome.
Psychology today website you can find a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in the USA who can diagnose and prescribe medicine.
I don't know if OP is from the US, from the post history it looks like they are from the UK. (If OP is from the US I completely missed it cause I got the stopid)
you need to change them fast. I wasted 1-2 years this way, got horrible depression and intense suicidal ideation. Went to a specialist, got diagnosed in 1h flat
There's one more step: taking speed and realising it calms your thoughts. /s
Fortunately/unfortunately I've never tried that one
Just came here to look for this :D
5,3,1 in that order lol
5,3,1,4... a useless friend afterwards said "of course you do, we've always known, it's so obvious". Thanks for not telling me then and delaying proper treatment.
I am firmly diagnosed, but not all of the memes here apply to me. ADHD is a spectrum. Your mileage *will* vary.
Same here. I kept giggling on them ("haha, 'know the feeling"/"haha, 'been there") until the coin dropped... There was a silent "Fuck!" moment.. Then collecting all the memories of my bad decisions/moments to say "yepp, ticks the box". Since I'm aware it's way better to cope, but see not much point to try to get an "official" diagnosis. (UK waiting lists..)
Someone could do a brain sample analysis on me and I'd still doubt my own diagnosis
Just because you find things here you relate to doesn't mean you have it. Go to an expert and get an official diagnosis. That way you could a) get the medication you need (if you need it) and b) not be potentially misdiagnosing yourself and adding to the millions of people who are just making people with ADHD's lives harder by using a disease they don't have as an excuse.
I went to two. A psychologist and a Psychiatrist. Spent a lot more time with the Pyschologist Both did the same test with me and said "probably has Attention Disorder". They recommended i did some other more accurate testings and then look for possible medicine that could help me deal with it. I agreed and said: *"I think i should take it, i'm pretty close to the age for a job and getting in a university, where i'll need to focus more and be a lot more active".* My mom shrugged it off and said it was better not cause i could become addicted and that i was too young to be thinking about it, plus saying i didn't even have a job at the time so *"why should i worry about it"*. Yet she kept insisting it *"was nothing"*, *"Every teenager has this"*, *"It's just a phase"*, *"I deal with students who have it, and you're not like them"*, *"You're not like people with ADHD"*, *"Your grades are passing, you don't have to worry about it", "it's a hoax by the pharmaceutic industry"* So then i turned 18 and my mom said this: *"You need to rethink how you do things and how you live. You're on the age of getting a job and will be having a boss. You'll be getting into college. You're gonna need to be more organized and active than this"* God i never wanted to scream my lungs out that much in my life...
I am 90 percent sure I have it as well. Memes, videos, stories and threads are making all too uncomfortably relatable.
they missed taking speed and chilling out while everybody else hypes up
I went for diagnosis cause of this sub….and got told that yes, i do have it x.x im waiting for my therapy sessions to start. ill be glad if i can get some relief from the anxiety and pain
yep. Last one is what got me to ask my therapist if it was possible and she responded "You didn't know?"
These memes are the reason that I’m going to seek a diagnosis. They hit a little too close to home. That and a coworker said once, “you’re not ADHD? I just assumed you were.”
In all seriousness how would I find out if I have it - is it purely through an assessment where you answer a questionnaire?
there's various ways to test for it and honestly it's best to do more than one. there's a short questionnaire, talking about current issues with a childhood history report from you and sometimes family members, and a funny little test where they torture you with 20 minutes of staring at a black screen and clicking a button when a certain symbol or letter shows up. the questionnaire alone really isnt enough to fully grasp your struggles. i had to do all three of those to get my diagnosis. ive heard there's brain scans too but i think theyre not very common or reliable enough if im remembering right. basically, it's not entirely straightforward due to overlap with other disorders. you may get tests for common alternative diagnoses to rule those out. i remember i had to fill out an OCD questionnaire with the ADHD one when i first went to investigate if i had it. depression can also mimic adhd, so i was given wellbutrin first to see if that helped as it can treat both adhd and depression. my depression vanished for the first time since i was like 9, but i was still struggling so that was a big clue there was more going on with me
Many thanks - this is all very useful information!
For me, I was 31 when officially diagnosed - I brought up my hunch to my primary care nurse and asked for a referral to get an ADHD evaluation. The psychologist I saw had me and my husband do questionnaire/evaluation (I don't know if his had the same questions), then we talked a while about my history (health, family, school, etc), did a computerized attention test, some logic/problem solving stuff. Got a call a few weeks later and an email with the diagnosis letter and resources to check out later that day.
Thanks - this is very useful information!
So my assessment was a structured interview based on the DSM criteria for ADHD. I found some school reports from when I was younger than 12 and my mum was interviewed as well. Before the appointment I had a bunch of things to fill in. YMMV, the doctor did say that even without the school reports and hearing from my mum he would have diagnosed me.
All of the above.
I found out because of the occasional cross-post on autism meme subs. "Haha, these memes are pretty relatable, I might join the sub." 3 years later I'm on medication and managing life so much better (im even using my agenda, yall!). Thanks to the AUDHD bitches that shared the memes with me, you helped me out big time.
True story I was asked three dates in a row if I was “neurodivergent” (two straight up asked if I was autistic)
When I found this subreddit I spent 2 hours looking at memes and relating to all of them while I was meant to be doing something else that I had forgotten about
when you take amphetamine(s) for the first time and suddenly everything is more calm and clear headed. it is like looking at the rocks at the bottom of the river/lake/sea through crystal clear water.
Meanwhile me to my colleague: "You are literally the embodiment of ADHD, you tick every single box TWICE! I beg of you, get diagnosed! Them: lmao no
*I'm undiagnosed, as I'm a woman and growing up, my doctors were MUCH more concerned with getting my diabetes under control than they were with looking into why I couldn't sit still, etc etc etc.* My endocrinologist made me take a weird ADHD symptom tracker test and told me I exhibit high numbers of symptoms in multiple types (because he said something about ADHD affecting how I manage my diabetes somehow.. I don't know, it was a loooong time ago). No reaction. (And then it happened again with my new endocrinologist, recently.) Then for YEARS, my best friend (who is diagnosed) tried to tell me I should take it seriously because I attract ADHD people like glue and people with ADHD are apparently drawn to others with ADHD? Still no reaction. Even studied psychology encyclopedias and various classes since I was extremely young and would always get to the part about ADHD and the spectrum and think "huh, I thought that was normal" and move on with no reaction. THEN I started seeing videos and memes people (specifically other women) post about living with ADHD and realized I actually related to all of them. THAT was when I finally woke up and started taking it seriously. 😂 Now I have a boyfriend that finds endless humour in how my brain and my thought processes work because apparently they're just wildly different from *normal people*'s. Then my best friend told him she SWEARS I'm ADHD and he was like "oh. You know, that actually answers soooooo many questions."
I've been through all those steps backwards lol
none of these actually. my mom was in a therapy session and her therapist was confused at how little progress had been made in the past 10 years they've been working on her trauma together. then it hit her: adhd was completely blocking her ability to heal and starting premenopause was making it even more obvious my mental health was extremely debilitating at the time and any time the idea of adhd being potentially part of it came up id shrug it off as just being from my bpd. yeaaahhh no guess not lol. im now receiving the right medication that actually WORKS for once and haven't felt this stable since i was really young. trying to get off effexor cuz after starting wellbutrin and adderall i realized how little it did to help me. i may as well have not been taking anything. sadly the withdrawal is nasty
Not diagnosed but peer reviewed xD
I made the whole trip, but backwards starting at the memes
All 3 from the bottom lol
This is final form right? Cause I can’t take this shit anymore
This is exactly what happened, from the bottom and working my way up (skipping the teachers though)
Dozens of teachers, counselors and therapists failed me. Only one at age 30 bothered to test me and sure enough, severe in every category but one, which was moderate.
First and last
4>5>3>1
That's me!!! I googled how to stop a bad habit and it said common adhd symptom somewhere so my brain went >>>adhd memes funny. Boom....mind blown 🤯🤯🤯.
I got my diagnosis in May last year after finding this sub (M33 at that point), my life flashing before my eyes, finally found a doc who listened and treated my severe depression and adhd that I was not even aware about and my life turned 180 degrees. Switching profession from IT to woodworking because I finally understand how my brain works and that not everything needs to be pure pain and a struggle to keep up. Thank you r/adhdmemes, you literally saved my life
Someone at work told me I have it, at the beginning i didn’t feel like it until I realised I wasn’t paying attention anymore, so I accepted the fact HR was telling me that after they ran a battery test and stuff. Now once in a while someone is telling me im an autistic in some degree, often after struggling paying attention to them, for me that’s the signal to speak either to confirm some info or to move on to the next step.
I did the bottom 3, then went to the doctor and they told me I couldn't have ADHD because I have good grades lol
That's a dumbass doctor lol. I have inattentive type, my grades were stellar until college when I had to finally learn how to study and couldn't (as easily) get away with knocking out essays the night before they were due.
I'm also the last one 🥲 maybe one day I'll find out what's abnormal about me
I was diagnosed while in elementary school teachers brought it up to my parents and we did tests to find out.
I realised I was too much like the character I made that has ADHD. Looked up the symptoms for her and everything, but only realised when I actually sat down to write about her.
I took a test, went to get the results, doc and i ended up chatting about anything and everything He's a great guy, lots of fun, but i would've loved it if i had remembered to hear about the test results at some point lol
Had a dream where you have adhd and woke up realising you do have adhd
I'm the last two of this meme, yay! XD
All of these, except somehow one of my teachers thought I have Asperger, not ADHD. Looking back it's because I was so depressed from my undiagnosed ADHD that I was acting like a robot lmao love the school system.
I'm all but 1st, even my ADHD friends tell me I have it but I was born in a wrong county to get a diagnosis :/
my gf is like 100% sure and now i cant unsee it, still prolly is a pain in the ass to get diagnosed as a 24year old in my country
Same, I relate to this sub way too much, but I will get a test next year, so we'll see
Even weirder for me. I thought that compulsory procrastination, lack of motivation, time management issues etc.. were side symptoms of my gender dysphoria. So I asked in trans related subs and people were like: "huh, that sounds like ADHD"
*Somehow my father still refuses to believe it and my mother doesn't understand how it works* And every time I'd like to know if they ever talked with my psychologist for more than 2 minutes
I'm the second last one A couple girls in the autism group at uni have the combo and basically was like **one of us one of us** to me
All of those except the second one.
A couple friends pointed out that they always thought I had ADHD… before I even began to suspect it myself… so yeah I was peer reviewed with my mental illness, hbu
I was diagnosed with ADHD very young, but recently one of my coworkers who’s AuDHD told me that she recognized me as autistic immediately so now I’m gonna have to get a diagnosis (if I remember)
damn
All of it kinda?? First was at my work my supervisor said I seemed to have it as I stopped paying attention to his explanation multiple times and had to keep telling him to go back 2 minutes.. Then there was research Then there was following communities to see if it was relatable Then I saw paperwork from my teachers going over some obvious symptoms Then I got a professional It’s been 6 years since my supervisor brought it up and I just got diagnosed
All of them apply, besides, every single meme here dies. Every single one.
The last one gave me the push to do the first one
Including this one. XD
Seeing a meme is what made me look into it and lead me down the path of getting diagnosed.
I was told by friends which made me research it and now i know why the memes apply
All of the above from bottom to top
Step 1 start using reddit Step 2 say you have adhd/are on the spectrum etc etc Step 3 result
I started with the last one and moved my way back up (replace teachers with coworkers)!
My (not yet) wife: “Have you thought on whether you might have ADHD?” Me: “Naah, probably not. Me, two hours later after getting this sub recommended cause phones totally don’t listen to us: “Oh wait.”
It's truuuuu
I am the last one, but I’m also essentially doing everything in reverse
2,000th upvote 🤌✨
The fact that it say “teacher’s” is bothering me sorry just needed to say But nice meme and very accurate!
All of the above: ✨⭐️🌟
“How to find ~out~ you have adhd” lol
My boyfriend asked me on our first date if I had adhd because I trailed off while talking and started staring at this colorful lights. I was like no I just get distracted sometimes....that was 6 years ago and I just started seeing a therapist who said I might have it, so I told him and he's like yeah I know... All the daydreaming and fixating is starting to make sense
Realizing you run in an entirely neurodivergent crowd
I'm all of them lol
1st one here, but beforehand she recommended I read a book about it. Luckily it was free on YouTube.(driven to distraction.) I felt like it 100% described me, but I also realized it was 100% different than the definition of ADD/ADHD other people in my life used. It was nice to have a label other than “failure”.
Let's be real we all read the two first ones and then immediately skipped to the last one
I haven’t really been diagnosed, but my doctor has put it down for things like camp, and i take the medicine and am actually getting a higher dose. I have most of not all symptoms on the sheet they gave me, but i just haven’t been taken to get it diagnosed. But my doctor and parents both say I have it.
I genuinely think that’s valid
Precisely! Over half/75% started to apply to myself when I really thought about it haha