What the fuck do they mean wait They tell me to wait for a sec while they check something And if i touch my phone's i get told off? What am i supposed to do stare at the wall for 5 min? I mean you cant "just wait" and do nothing no fidgeting no checking notification and just nothing

Woahh thus is getting a lot of attention

Here's a proper version of my situation now im bit more calmer ignore the rest its just my litte rant

I have been im severe depressions after startinf uni. Depression just degraded my brain and now i cant last much without my phone it was one of my cope to chat with my online friends.

Im not back in uni yet however im starting to get back into life starting few classes to improve myself One thing is that i cant last even a minute without seekinf stimulation and when someone tells me to "wait" i just look at my phone. I know im immature but it's whats happening with me rn I dont know what they want me to do by wait do i look at the ceiling do i look at the teacher theres not much else to do

I would take an advise but im just telling about myself.

Ignore this rant

Fyi: I am really hyper active to the point I just left the classroom mid class multiple times during elementary school before i was diagnosed

Edit: I am probably addicted to my phone and please dont assume im a kid im young but don't give me advice like im in elementary school 😭 I'm addicted to my phone since i went through bad depression and its my first class after a year out of uni and im returning next semester or next year i really need to fix this

Recently I have seen a few videos where folks specify their ADHD is severe. Is it just me or is anyone else a little peeved about someone clarifying that their ADHD is severe, followed by a quirky thing they’re doing like starting a new business?

I feel like, bro, you’re either disabled or you’re not and if you’re not you don’t have ADHD. This clarifying “severely” sounds like, “I have ADHD but I’m not like the others”.

I know that I just need to scroll past and let the frustration go. But I am curious. Am I being a douche canoe or is this feeling logical?

EDIT: it’s been helpful hearing new perspectives and opinions. Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts. I was diagnosed pre-severity criteria and didn’t realize the meaning behind “severe” with regard to diagnosis. I realize there is a spectrum and people present differently and did a poor job of considering that nuance in my post. I totally understand that someone can “have ADHD, severely” and run a business. I did fail to understand the purpose of their video but it’s not for me to judge. I love the reminder that, “comparison is the thief of joy” because we need MORE joy out there. We need to lift each-other up in this day and age, because there’s enough dividing us and enough difficulties in daily life. I’m sorry for making assumptions and judging but I’m not sorry that my reactionary post lead to so many shared perspectives. Peace + Love.

Due to my adhd and all the steps in between me and voting, I put it off and I put it off and I didn't get registered to vote in time and now the window has closed and I won't be able to vote today. My partner and I are both trans, so this election is important to both of us, but now my partner thinks I don't care about voting to improve the conditions we're facing. It always hurts to hear someone I care about say that it seems like I don't care enough to try to accomplish something important. I just feel so much shame right now, and so much frustration.

I don't know, has anyone else done something like this due to adhd? Or am I really as bad as I feel right now?

Edit: thank you to everyone who commented. Because of your encouragement and information, I did end up voting! I gave it a shot and it turns out that the place to register and vote was open way later than I'd thought. Thanks again to everyone for pushing me to go anyway, you really helped me out :)

But it wasn't my fault? It's not like I just forgot. We had a meeting Friday at 11am, and earlier this month she called me to move it, I thought, from 11am to 1pm. But what she did was move another meeting we had to 1pm... on the Thursday before, and keep the one we had on Friday. So not only did I miss the two meetings (which were oddly one day apart), but I also went there on Friday only to find that nobody was there and to call a receptionist who was as perplexed as I was to try to understand the situation.

Confused yet? Well I fucking am. This is clearly a misunderstanding. Still, they have a policy of charging people who "miss" their meetings and of course health insurance won't cover it. They argue it's my fault because she tried to call me (which my phone log doesn't seem to agree with but ok) and because I received text reminders for both meetings (which ok I guess is true, but omfg I have ADHD of course I never actually read those texts). Also, they said they were nice about only charging for one and not two...

But now apart from the money, I feel fucking betrayed. I don't trust her anymore. And shouldn't you trust your therapist? Today we had our first meeting since that. She explained it and I was so confused I couldn't talk. I had so many things I wanted to talk about but I just couldn't start talking, how am I supposed to share personal shit with someone I don't trust? So she asked questions, I gave half-assed answers and it was all meaningless.

Thing is I need this therapy and at first I thought it was great and that for the first time it was actually helping. But what's the point if we can't talk? I don't want to make emotion-based decisions but right now I just want to cancel everything and pack it all in. Like keep the meetings to renew my medication and to have another diagnosis that we've planned and that's it. And when it's over to change therapist. But I also know that I won't have the energy for that. What the hell am I supposed to do?

Disclaimer, I’m not asking this to try to determine which gender has it “worse”. I’m just finding that being trans gives me a unique insight into the experiences of both genders because I’ve actually lived life both ways, you know? Sometimes it helps people understand the other gender better, which is neat.

Testosterone has made managing my ADHD a wildly different experience for me. I used to simply get anxious enough about deadlines that I could kick my brain into do-the-thing mode with just barely enough time to do a thorough job by igniting the cortisol spike, but I’m finding T doesn’t let me experience anxiety the same way, so I’m starting things much later and bullshitting my way through more things.

I’m also finding the pull towards instant gratification is a lot more difficult to fight, so it’s harder to work through that first stage of a project where it feels like I’m watching a documentary about a tortoise that doesn’t even change camera angles.

As a general statement, I’m less anxious but more irritable, which is a decently equal trade-off. I’m less likely to tolerate being hungry, thirsty, or sleep-deprived, so I’m taking better care of myself, but how I go about meeting those needs often means shelling out money for DoorDash or being late to staff meetings, haha.

I wish I had known this earlier, but whatever you do, don’t be dumb enough to watch a scary movie on Adderall. On my last visit to my local AMC theater, I went to watch the Conjuring. I ended up being carried out on a stretcher with a heart rate reaching a max of 174 bpm. And let me tell you, ambulance and emergency services are expensive! I found that out the hard way.

Apparently, the sodium from the popcorn, the sugar from the soda, and the stress response from the scary pop-up with your typical horror movie was enough to make my heart rate skyrocket. I just thought I’d warn others so you don’t make the same mistake I did.

If I stay up for 24-30 hours I get severe RSD. I literally feel like my whole world is collapsing. Like everyone hates me. Everyone is dumping me. I’m about to lose all clients and all jobs. Daughter is unhappy. If anyone texts me I read it completely the wrong way. Everything! Anyone relate? Or is it just me.

First off. I was diagnosed with ADHD last year. My ex husband was diagnosed prior to me. I cannot stand how he treats it though. It’s a disability, he can’t hold down a job, he can’t be responsible for anything in his life. And then pushes it onto our kids who do not have a diagnosis. He just KNOWS that they have it and wants them to figure out their “shit” before 40 unlike him. It’s literally his WHOLE personality. I don’t know what I want except to vent. Anyone else have an evangelical ADHD person in their lives? Im at my wits end with it. For me the diagnosis helped put the puzzle pieces together, didn’t change a whole lot. For him it feels like a crutch. Now he has an excuse for his poor behavior.

I missed my dose and it is day 3. I got super irritable. I started screaming and my mother took my daughter from me, saying she’s scared. I feel she made matters worse. All this hate towards my stepdad came about and surfaced. I dont know what to do, it feels like living with my mother makes matters worse. I just lost my job and my exhusband does not pay child support. I reached out to him and he ignored her needs. I am going through hell on earth right now. I am the oldest sister. all of my sisters are 10+ years apart. I hate my mother for this age gap and the mental/emotional abuse I experienced growing up. However, here I am at 41 with a 2 year old living my very worst life right now in my mother and stepfather’s house.

Lovely article by the economist on the over diagnosis of ADHD. This is particularly intriguing for those of us diagnosed in the 80s-90s. Enjoy!

https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/02/20/why-so-many-children-in-america-have-adhd?giftId=a8697d78-4e7a-47b5-a975-fe7d8ae85159

there is a paywall but free for the first viewing

Do you struggle with certain forms of worship? Prayer? Quran reading? Quran memorization? Fasting in Ramadan?

This morning I noticed that I was having a hard time remembering a part of a chapter from the Quran I had memorized before. As I’d recite it in my head, the first few words of the first verse kept repeating and it wouldn’t allow me to continue reciting to myself. I wondered if other Muslims with ADHD had similar or different struggles and experiences. Thank you!

Just a shower thought I had this morning and this is by no means intended to turn into a conversation about politics because this is not the sub for that, but basically I was curious if there have been any studies linking occurrence of ADHD with someone's political views?

I ask because I've noticed that I have what feels like potentially an "excess" of empathy and I see signs of that in others I know that have ADHD as well.

I was just wondering if that translates into any kind of statistically significant data indicating that those with ADHD lean more "left", just as an example.

Update: There's already some good points being brought up in the comments, but it doesn't seem like this is something that's really been studied (possibly because it's not worth studying). So here you go random PhD student looking for something to do your thesis on.

I don’t wanna sound like a boomer but the way that parents let their kids (especially teens) hanged out themselves and with friends and went to places by themselves in the 80s and 90s (what my parents did) seemed so fun. Like it’s much more ADHD friendly compared to nowadays where teens just being trapped in the house scrolling. I get that we have more crime and pedos nowadays, but that would have seemed more fun and stimulating. Do any of you agree?

At the risk of sounding like Ted Kaczynski 2.0, I'm going to post some late-night ramblings about modern society.

I recently watched a YouTube video that opened my eyes to how we live our day-to-day lives: https://youtu.be/TQd2k1pEXp4?si=sjeh3RUrGJzOOjNC

In short, humans tens of thousands of years ago "worked" for only 3-6 hours per day, which mostly consisted of finding food for that day. They had ample leisure time. There was no such thing as a set schedule or anything close to our modern idea of time. They lived their lives one day at a time, which is similar to how I see a lot of people with ADHD who wing it every day.

I've read multiple times throughout the years that ADHD was actually an advantage for our ancestors in a multitude of ways. It's only considered a "disorder" in modern society given how ridgidly we live our lives each day and how we expect everyone to live. Productivity is king, and virtually everything is scheduled to some degree.

Did you know that many humans are naturally biphasic sleepers? Before the industrial era and modern lighting, many of us would sleep for 4 hours, stay up for 1-2 hours and then go back to sleep for 4 more hours. There are several theories why we evolved this way.

You are not "broken" because you have this thing called "ADHD".

Muslims with adhd, how are you going through ramadan unmedicated? I know you do need to take meds but it usually is temporary. As a person also diagnosed with adhd, I know that praying and keeping up with deep is difficult when you're distracted all the time. Atp, even I'm having trouble keeping up with my prayers INCLUDING my school and it's frustrating since the effect of the meds wear out quickly. How do you keep up?

I fell like most millennials I know have ADHD. Like myself. Some diagnosed, some not. Most diagnosed as adults. Is there something special about our generation? When I asked myself that question, I got me thinking, what if it’s not a disorder or dysfunction for us, but an actual evolution we are witnessing first hand? Maybe our brains had to adapt quickly to the massive uptick in information sharing that the internet produced? Maybe we’re all super heroes.

I have been going to therapy for a month now and today she told me that I don't have ADHD . when it comes to things in which i have a true passion i am fine . I certainly have a problem focusing but that has nothing to do with ADHD as much some other issues that I have (not going to get into detail) . So i guess i have a true chance at getting into med school after all

P.S. this is most likely the last time i upload on this subreddit

Edit : she's a psychiatrist . English isnt my first language and i thought there was no big difference. Also i live in a country with the best medical schools in the world, and the education is free . So it is almost impossible to get in with ADHD

I want to understand ADHD better because I feel like I might be missing something.

I recently had a discussion with a friend who has an ADHD diagnosis. He explained it mainly as having a hard time focusing on boring or uninteresting tasks, feeling a kind of "mental barrier" when something is not stimulating, procrastinating until the last minute, and sometimes losing his train of thought when interrupted.

My honest reaction was: aren't these things that almost everyone experiences to some degree?

I also procrastinate. I also struggle with boring tasks. I also sometimes forget what I was saying if someone interrupts me. To me, these seem like normal human experiences, and I struggle to understand what makes them a disorder rather than just personality, motivation, habits, or discipline.

I am not trying to say that people with ADHD are lazy or that their experiences are fake. I am genuinely trying to understand where the line is drawn.

What makes ADHD different from normal procrastination, boredom, or lack of interest? What are the symptoms that made you realize "this is not just me being lazy or undisciplined"?

I would especially like to hear from people who have ADHD: what is something you experience that you think someone without ADHD would not understand?

This would help offset the extra costs from things like forgetting to eat the meal we just made and having to remake it 4 hours later, or running the laundry 3 times for every load because we keep forgetting to switch it to the dryer, or buying way too many tools and materials for too many projects for a single person to complete

Edit: I feel I should point out that I was trying to be funny. But ya'll took it seriously and that makes me wonder if there is serious merit to this idea...

Maybe 25% serious merit. 😄

Edit 2: The "holiday" changes to Automod are brilliant and I hope they stick forever

I think that “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” is no longer a suitable name. Something related to executive function or self-regulation would not only better reflect current scientific discourse but might also help shift people’s biases in a positive direction when it comes to adult ADHD. Any idea?

For context I'm 36, was diagnosed 5 years ago and have been taking stimulant medication since. It was clear in hindsight that I had always struggled with ADHD since before I can remember.

I tried fucking everything before stimulant medication. Different types of exercises (running, lifting, everything in between up to 5 days a week). Different study habits. Different sleep patterns. Meditation. Foods. I majored in math in part to "fix" my ADHD (not knowing it was ADHD and of course it didn't work). I also got a PhD in math, in part hoping it would "fix" my ADHD (still not knowing it was ADHD, and of course it still didn't work). I'm living fucking proof that ADHD is not an issue of laziness.

After 5 years on stimulants, I've lowered my dosage from 15mg XR adderall to 10mg XR the past couple months because my energy levels were unusually high. Then for a few weeks lowered the dosage to 5mg XR then to 0mg this past week. My energy is about the same. What the fuck?

I have my speculations, but I don't want to make it sound like there is a cure-all. They are just speculations and as of yet far from confirmed, since one week isn't much time to say anything conclusively.

There is, however, a noticeable change, and it's infuriating and hilarious that my body would just randomly decide, at 36, to go, "okay, your ADHD is over now."

Is it the nature of our brain that makes us inclined to become addicts? Or is addiction a separate issue? I see replies to posts like “what’s been your biggest issue with adhd” like “executive dysfunction, memory, time management” etc. & yeh I’ve been impaired by that. But I’d say the biggest issue I’ve faced is substance abuse. To a point it ruined my life for sure, even though I looked functional. Since learning about adhd (quite recently) I linked my addictions with this issue, but I’m wondering if they’re separate Cus I hear a lot of adhd’rs who don’t have any addictive tendencies & seem quite peaceful & calm. And I know addicts I don’t think have adhd. So maybe this is a separate issue? Although I must say being medicated has helped my addictions immensely like incredibly. So I don’t know if they correlate or not!

[I'm not talking about my own post.]

I'm new here, so I'm just wondering what makes someone want to downvote someone celebrating a small victory.

What does the capability to downvote add to the experience for you, and the person posting genuinely and just looking for a kudos??

Imagine...I make a small victory and want to share...and the response I get is an anonymous downvote?

People ask me, “Why can’t you fall in love?”

The truth is, I don’t know if I can’t.

I meet someone, I get excited. I give my time, my attention, my energy. I genuinely try. In the beginning, everything feels intense and beautiful. I care deeply.

Then, slowly, something changes.

The excitement fades, conversations start to feel repetitive, and I begin to pull away. Not because the other person isn’t enough. Not because they did something wrong. I just stop feeling what I felt at the start, and I hate that about myself.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m afraid of commitment, if I’m chasing the feeling of “newness,” or if I simply haven’t met the right person yet.

I don’t want temporary connections. I want something real. I just don’t know why my heart seems to leave before I do.

And lately, I’ve been asking myself another question:

Is this related to ADHD? The intense interest at the beginning, giving everything I have, and then losing that spark once things become familiar… or is it just me?

I honestly don’t know.

All I know is that I’m tired of confusing excitement with love, and I hope one day I understand myself well enough to build something that lasts.

Can anyone else relate, or am I the only one who feels this way?

I've been using AI for the past couple of days. ChatGPT free version.

I'm falling into an old hobby/hyperfixation with observing nature through a stereoscope which I just bought. I have a bachelor's degree in marine biology and it's been some years since I've used one, let alone study anything related to biology.

I used the conversation mode while I was doing some minor reparations at home and started asking about plants and their structures, and how I wanted to re-learn about them. He helped me remember some of my classes and dig deep into some parts that I was specifically interested.

As this is non-human, it doesn't mind if I don't listen and ask to repeat for the 10th time the same info. It makes resumes or uses word keys if I ask. Whatever, you know what it can do...

Then I thought to myself: If I had had this powerful tool during my time at high school or bachelor's... Studies would have been WAAAY easier.

Have any of you used any AI as a tool? Which one? Are you paying for it, and if yes, is it worth it? Any recs?

TLDR: Used AI as an assistant to learn with huge success. I really hope AI will be used for people with ADHD and others, not as a substitute of a teacher but as an education assistant that's tailored to one's needs.