November 10, 2025 • 15 mins
Do you wake up after sleeping? Do you eat food when you are hungry? You might have ADHD! Not because of those things... those just mean you are human and alive. But, people are constantly posting about symptoms of ADHD that are not symptoms of ADHD. We'll break down a few examples.
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Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast
Links:
- https://www.aafp.org/dam/AAFP/documents/patient_care/adhd_toolkit/adhd19-assessment-table1.pdf
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/adhd/symptoms-causes/syc-20350889#:~:text=Attention%2Ddeficit%2Fhyperactivity%20disorder%2C,being%20hyperactive%20and%20being%20impulsive.
- https://chadd.org/adhd-weekly/social-media-videos-often-share-misinformation-about-adhd/
- https://www.donefirst.com/blog/adhd-misinformation-and-social-media
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
You're listening to Why we Do what we Do. Welcome
to Why we Do what we Do?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Mini.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I am your host, Abraham, and I'm here Shane. We
are a psychology podcast. We talk about the things that
humans and non human animals do and on Monday we
release these short form episodes where we take a quick
dive into a topic and then we let you go
about the rest of your day, week, what have you.
But it's quick, it's short, it's bite sized and therefore
(00:38):
digestible and therefore good.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I've decided, yes, yes, this is Yes, it's snack size
but lovely.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yes. Anyway, thank you for joining us. If this is
your first time, then I hope that you hear you
enjoy what you hear in this episode, and I hope
you hear it, I guess. And if you're a returning person,
then thank you for coming back, and I hope that
you are continuing to find joy and the things that
we make for you. And either way, if you would
like to support us, and you haven't already, you can
join us on Patreon, pick up some merch like subscribe,
(01:05):
leave a rating and review, and go tell a friend
and I'll talk more about those things at the end
of this discussion, but we got to dive right into
this topic, and the topic is about the fact that
English is funny. This episode is going to be titled
signs that Don't Mean that you have ADHD. This is
not sure signs that mean that you don't have ADHD.
(01:27):
There are signs that don't mean that you do have ADHD.
It's a difference between means you don't and don't means
that you do. And I feel like doctor Zeus right now.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, I just can't wait for this snizzle snazz to
show up. That is what we're saying is we're gonna
list a bunch of behaviors that people post about on
social media about ADHD, and they are incorrect, not necessarily
incorrect that their behaviors, but incorrect that they are signals
that you have ADHD. Right, so you might have ADHD,
these behaviors are not symptoms of ADHD.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yes, And again that's all we're trying to say here.
This is not a judgment call about ADHD. It's not
a judgment about you orienting to those posts. This is
about pointing out that those are things that people say
that are not actually part of the diagnostic criteria or
any symptoms thereof that you might find as it's related
(02:20):
to ADHD. Some of them might be symptoms or at
least things that people report about, but they're not included
in the diagnosis and necessarily right. And also, of course,
I guess worth pointing out that there are going to
be people who have ADHD who engage in certain behaviors
that are not necessarily characteristic of the fact that they
have ADHD, but it's sort of part of their personality.
(02:41):
It's how they show up in the world, and they
have ADHD, and so it's like, it's not that you
have ADHD, and therefore everything that you do is a
symptom of ADHD. It is like you have ADHD and
you do other stuff too. Does that make sense right? Okay, yeah,
absolutely great. So let's go ahead and dive into our discussion.
(03:03):
If we've done enough setup, I think we're on the
safe side of damage control here. I think we can
get started.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think we're at risk
management stage.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Okay, so if we do.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
If we do cover the definition of ADHD and the
associated criteria, it's going to be a full episode. So
we'll add to this for full episodes. In the future,
it may show up in the disabilities we do who knows. Yeah,
but for now, it is sufficient to say that ADHD
is a diagnosis in the DSM that classifies difficulty paying attention,
being hyperactive, and being impulsive as a pathological condition. So
all those things are considered part of what can be
(03:36):
described as a pathological condition.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, it's a condition, and it's considered pathological sort of
related to the medical model of disability, as we've discussed.
But point being that is, people seek a diagnosis, and
then for some of those people, when that diagnosis is ADHD,
they end up on medication or maybe in therapy. And
for some of them they just carry that label around
with them sure, and post about it on social media,
or they assign that to themselves and post about it
(04:01):
on social media. Anyway, people really enjoy having a diagnosis
that they can talk about on social media, some people,
and so they have unhelpfully offered a wide variety of
other behaviors well outside of the parameters of ADHD as
evidence for or symptoms of their ADHD, and sort of
(04:21):
as a way it seems like to perhaps bring other
people into the fold, if you will, of like Hey,
if you're like me, you've got ADHD because this is
a behavior I do, and I've got ADHD or something
like that. Sure, but there was a study conducted by
doctor Young and colleagues, and there was another follow up
study by a different group of people that they basically
(04:44):
found the same thing. They found that they looked at
one hundred posts about ADHD on social media and found
that fifty two percent of those one hundred posts, and
to be fair, there are over eleven billion posts about this,
which is a gigantic number of boasts about yes, yes, anyway.
(05:04):
Out of the hundred that they looked at, which is
a tiny drop in the bucket relative to the amount
of posts, fifty two percent of them contain misleading or
outright false information about ADHD.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, and I think something to point out to you
real quick. I know this is a mini so I
don't want to get on too much of a tirade.
But that's not to say that, like things like diagnostic
testing and assessment aren't expensive, there are people who have
ADHD who never get diagnosed because they can't afford because
services are not accessible.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Sure, right, absolutely, that's correct.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
We are not talking about those people we're talking about
the people that make up diagnostic criterion and then label
themselves with completely made up diagnostic criterion. Yes, that's what
we're focusing on here. Yes, good, all right, So just
to be clear on that too again, damage control, risk management,
all that. So some experts actually started to call the
spread of self diagnosis from unregulated user generated content cyberchondria,
(05:54):
which it's actually really crazy. So that so good, So
thankful that I get to do this show with you
because I get to learn these new words, and like,
cyberchondria is such a great, great term for that.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
They really captured it beautifully in that one, So that's perfect. Yeah. Actually,
it occurs to me now that we're going to read
through a list of symptoms people have posted about and
these are not symptoms that you have ADHD. You might
have ADHD, but these aren't symptoms that you do. This
might be symptoms, however, that you have cyberchondria.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Surprise bonus episode inside the episode.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, So we're going to go through some
behaviors that you might do that don't mean that you
have ADHD. You might, but these behaviors aren't signs of it. Yeah,
Skipping ADS might be all right, we're back. We did
(06:49):
a bunch of preamble and I guess risk management slash
damage prevention sort of stuff, But we are describing the
fact that there are these things that people say are
ADHD that are not ADHD. So let's go ahead and
jump into our list of things. And this is an
incomplete list, but those are are some things that sort
of floated to the top as things that people have
posted about as being symptoms of ADHD, even though they're
(07:12):
actually not related.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah. Yeah, So number one is that some have said
that ADHD is laziness. That's incorrect and not even on
a list of symptoms, Like laziness is not even I
don't even think diagnosable.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
It's not. And it's also like it's almost counter to
what most people think of with respect to ADHD and
the list of criteria for ADHD. So right, yeah, ADHD
is not laziness. Another one that people have posted about
is getting a song stuck in your head. That's that's
that's being a human that has has heard music before, Right,
(07:46):
You get a song stuck in your head because it's
catchy to you and likely because you've listened to it
a few times, maybe several times. But just because you
get a song stuck in your head or you find
yourself humming the sing song over and over again sometimes
has nothing to do with whether or not you have ADHD.
It's just you have heard music and you are alive.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, exactly. You forget things sometimes. Now, if you don't
forget things, you are some kind of meta superhuman who
has incredible memory. But people with ADHD might forget things.
But forgetting things doesn't mean that you have add It
means that you're alive and a human being.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yes, that's going to be a common theme. By the way,
a lot of these are just like human.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Things, right.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Another one people have said is that you are very creative.
For you, you like to engage in creative endeavors. That's great,
good for you. This essentially means all artists who have
ever lived has or has had ADHD. It grossly oversimplifies
and misunderstands the symptoms of ADHD, and it doesn't necessarily mean.
(08:45):
Being creative doesn't necessarily mean that you have ADHD. People
with ADHD might be creative, but being creative doesn't mean
you have ADHD.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yes, another symtom people list as being bored at work. Ironically,
you might D. Someone who is super excited and energetic
at work, I think that they might have ADHD. So
bored to excited, you have ADHD. I don't think so.
Being bored or excited at work doesn't mean that you
have ADHD.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
I think it says more about your work than you.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Right, Right, Maybe you need a career change.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Yeah, yeah. Another thing, people say everyone has a little ADHD.
There are a couple of problems with this. Actually, there
are three that we have outlined. There are at least three.
There might be more, but here are three. The first
problem with the idea that everyone has a little ADHD.
This is something people have posted.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
This diminishes the significance of ADHD and the willingness to
do something about it for people who do struggle with
that condition, because it's like, shut up, everyone has this. Right.
That's sort of one of the things that's implied by this.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Two, the last D, and ADHD is the word disorder, right.
The second part of that acronym, the second D. It
means that this condition is path logical. By saying that
everyone has this, you're saying that it's part of the
normal human condition. And that it doesn't exist pathologically. That's
what that would mean.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Sure, okay.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And the third thing that's a problem with this is
it's a dumb thing to say. Fair.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, fair, and none of it means you have ADG.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Now, the seventh one is trouble sleeping. Now, there are
a ton of reasons people have trouble sleeping. Sleep issues
is not even on the list of the carteria for ADHD.
You should go to sleep specialists. If you have trouble sleeping,
you probably you're not gonna get evaluated for ADHD just
because you have trouble sleeping.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yes, no, probably not. It doesn't mean you don't have ADHD,
but it certainly doesn't mean that you do have ADHD. Right,
all right. Another one I've seen is that people say
something like, I feel like I have trouble connecting with
other people, and that means I have ADHD. Many people
with ADHD do feel this way. To be fair, so
(10:55):
do people who are autistic, who have borderline personality disorder,
who have dementia, who have just never really learned very
many social skills. There are a variety of reasons you
might not feel very connected to a social environment. A
chunk of the time. It's not caused by the disorder,
whatever that disorder might it is, but it might be
(11:15):
the other behaviors that you engage in that create some
sort of isolation from a more robust social environment for
a variety of reasons that might exist.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Absolutely, But feeling like you have a difficult time connecting
with more people is not itself a criteria for an
ADHD diagnosis. It's just not one of the things.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, no, not at all.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Okay, So those are just some things we're already I
think we're getting close to time to wrap this up here.
But those are just some things that people have sort
of said about ADHD in social media spaces that are
they're just incorrect, Like none of these things mean that
you have ADHD or they're necessary, They're not accurate about ADHD.
(11:57):
Those are just wanted to make sure we got I'm
that list out there. So I think be skeptical about
about when you see people posting about these things. Be skeptical.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, I mean, that's really that's really what it is.
And if you are, if you're feeling like you might
have it, you should go see a professional. Like that's
just what it is. Don't treat TikTok as a diagnosis center,
like that's a terrible place. Yeah, go go see somebody.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, And again, we understand that it can be difficult,
it can be expensive, it can be time consuming. It
might be they might not be someone in your area
for whom you can easily get that diagnosis, and that
that's tough and there's not really an easy solution. And
maybe you do have ADHD and it's gonna be while
before you actually find that out. I think for most
of us, the thing is that we see these things
(12:41):
on social media and we start to feel like, well,
that describes me, and like, yeah, that's because you're alive. Yeah,
like having trouble remembering things. I'm like, that's all people,
all of them. The old people who don't have trouble
remembering things are superhumans. Seriously, that that's their superpower. And
I know that there are people who like super super
good memories and they still forget some things. So like
(13:04):
I forget.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Things all the time. Yeah yeah, Wait a second, what
does that mean?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Did you forget?
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Oh no, what was this episode about? I think.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
All right, if you if you would like to write
in and tell us your thoughts about this list, or
give us some more things that you have seen that
are kind of wild on social media. That's say things
about ADHD that are just blatantly not true. We'd love
to hear from you. You can reach out to us
on social media, that's totally good. You can also email
us directly at info at WWD WWWD podcast dot com.
(13:42):
If you'd like to support our show, you can join
us on Patreon. Over there, you'll get ad free episodes,
bonus content early episodes. Unless we record the episode and
then release it one hour later. That will happen very
rarely but occasionally, and then it's not realty but ever
now and again, but otherwise. I'll also read your your
name and a list of names of the people who
support us at the end of our full length discussions.
(14:03):
This is a mini so I'll do it on the
next one that comes out, and just suffice it to say,
that's a thing that we do and we do appreciate
our patrons very very much, So thank you all patrons.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Yes, you're the best.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
You can also like and subscribe, leave a rating and review.
Go tell a friend about this episode about ADHD so
that they may know that just because they saw something
on TikTok that says that having hair means you have
ADHD is incorrect and might help get them on the
path towards a better understanding of themselves in the world.
And that's all really good and we look forward to
(14:33):
you sharing this contact with people who need to hear it.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
I guess yeah, yeah, yeah, well yeah, we'll see what
kind of feedback we get to.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Indeed, I would certainly like to say thank you to
my team of people who help make this happen. Justin
thank you so much for your very quick work on
this discussion today. Our social media coordinator is Emma Wilson,
and writing in fact checking from Shane and myself. Thank
you for recording with me today.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Shane, Hey anytime.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Thank you all for listening. Go forth and be skeptical.
I guess I think that's what we have to say.
Anything you'd like to add or that I forgot before
we wrap this one up, I don't.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Know if you said this yet, but go forth and
be skeptical.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Okay, very good. Thanks Thanks for adding that this is Abraham.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
It's a shade why we do what we do? Mini
is out Bye.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
You've been listening to why we do what we do.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
You can learn more about this and other episodes by
going to WWD WWD podcast dot com. Thanks for listening,
and we hope you have an awesome day.
You're listening to Why we Do what we Do. Welcome
to Why we Do what we Do?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Mini.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
I am your host, Abraham, and I'm here Shane. We
are a psychology podcast. We talk about the things that
humans and non human animals do and on Monday we
release these short form episodes where we take a quick
dive into a topic and then we let you go
about the rest of your day, week, what have you.
But it's quick, it's short, it's bite sized and therefore
(00:38):
digestible and therefore good.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
I've decided, yes, yes, this is Yes, it's snack size
but lovely.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yes. Anyway, thank you for joining us. If this is
your first time, then I hope that you hear you
enjoy what you hear in this episode, and I hope
you hear it, I guess. And if you're a returning person,
then thank you for coming back, and I hope that
you are continuing to find joy and the things that
we make for you. And either way, if you would
like to support us, and you haven't already, you can
join us on Patreon, pick up some merch like subscribe,
(01:05):
leave a rating and review, and go tell a friend
and I'll talk more about those things at the end
of this discussion, but we got to dive right into
this topic, and the topic is about the fact that
English is funny. This episode is going to be titled
signs that Don't Mean that you have ADHD. This is
not sure signs that mean that you don't have ADHD.
(01:27):
There are signs that don't mean that you do have ADHD.
It's a difference between means you don't and don't means
that you do. And I feel like doctor Zeus right now.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Well, I just can't wait for this snizzle snazz to
show up. That is what we're saying is we're gonna
list a bunch of behaviors that people post about on
social media about ADHD, and they are incorrect, not necessarily
incorrect that their behaviors, but incorrect that they are signals
that you have ADHD. Right, so you might have ADHD,
these behaviors are not symptoms of ADHD.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Yes, And again that's all we're trying to say here.
This is not a judgment call about ADHD. It's not
a judgment about you orienting to those posts. This is
about pointing out that those are things that people say
that are not actually part of the diagnostic criteria or
any symptoms thereof that you might find as it's related
(02:20):
to ADHD. Some of them might be symptoms or at
least things that people report about, but they're not included
in the diagnosis and necessarily right. And also, of course,
I guess worth pointing out that there are going to
be people who have ADHD who engage in certain behaviors
that are not necessarily characteristic of the fact that they
have ADHD, but it's sort of part of their personality.
(02:41):
It's how they show up in the world, and they
have ADHD, and so it's like, it's not that you
have ADHD, and therefore everything that you do is a
symptom of ADHD. It is like you have ADHD and
you do other stuff too. Does that make sense right? Okay, yeah,
absolutely great. So let's go ahead and dive into our discussion.
(03:03):
If we've done enough setup, I think we're on the
safe side of damage control here. I think we can
get started.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I think we're at risk
management stage.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Okay, so if we do.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
If we do cover the definition of ADHD and the
associated criteria, it's going to be a full episode. So
we'll add to this for full episodes. In the future,
it may show up in the disabilities we do who knows. Yeah,
but for now, it is sufficient to say that ADHD
is a diagnosis in the DSM that classifies difficulty paying attention,
being hyperactive, and being impulsive as a pathological condition. So
all those things are considered part of what can be
(03:36):
described as a pathological condition.
Speaker 3 (03:38):
Yeah, it's a condition, and it's considered pathological sort of
related to the medical model of disability, as we've discussed.
But point being that is, people seek a diagnosis, and
then for some of those people, when that diagnosis is ADHD,
they end up on medication or maybe in therapy. And
for some of them they just carry that label around
with them sure, and post about it on social media,
or they assign that to themselves and post about it
(04:01):
on social media. Anyway, people really enjoy having a diagnosis
that they can talk about on social media, some people,
and so they have unhelpfully offered a wide variety of
other behaviors well outside of the parameters of ADHD as
evidence for or symptoms of their ADHD, and sort of
(04:21):
as a way it seems like to perhaps bring other
people into the fold, if you will, of like Hey,
if you're like me, you've got ADHD because this is
a behavior I do, and I've got ADHD or something
like that. Sure, but there was a study conducted by
doctor Young and colleagues, and there was another follow up
study by a different group of people that they basically
(04:44):
found the same thing. They found that they looked at
one hundred posts about ADHD on social media and found
that fifty two percent of those one hundred posts, and
to be fair, there are over eleven billion posts about this,
which is a gigantic number of boasts about yes, yes, anyway.
(05:04):
Out of the hundred that they looked at, which is
a tiny drop in the bucket relative to the amount
of posts, fifty two percent of them contain misleading or
outright false information about ADHD.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, and I think something to point out to you
real quick. I know this is a mini so I
don't want to get on too much of a tirade.
But that's not to say that, like things like diagnostic
testing and assessment aren't expensive, there are people who have
ADHD who never get diagnosed because they can't afford because
services are not accessible.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Sure, right, absolutely, that's correct.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
We are not talking about those people we're talking about
the people that make up diagnostic criterion and then label
themselves with completely made up diagnostic criterion. Yes, that's what
we're focusing on here. Yes, good, all right, So just
to be clear on that too again, damage control, risk management,
all that. So some experts actually started to call the
spread of self diagnosis from unregulated user generated content cyberchondria,
(05:54):
which it's actually really crazy. So that so good, So
thankful that I get to do this show with you
because I get to learn these new words, and like,
cyberchondria is such a great, great term for that.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
They really captured it beautifully in that one, So that's perfect. Yeah. Actually,
it occurs to me now that we're going to read
through a list of symptoms people have posted about and
these are not symptoms that you have ADHD. You might
have ADHD, but these aren't symptoms that you do. This
might be symptoms, however, that you have cyberchondria.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Surprise bonus episode inside the episode.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, So we're going to go through some
behaviors that you might do that don't mean that you
have ADHD. You might, but these behaviors aren't signs of it. Yeah,
Skipping ADS might be all right, we're back. We did
(06:49):
a bunch of preamble and I guess risk management slash
damage prevention sort of stuff, But we are describing the
fact that there are these things that people say are
ADHD that are not ADHD. So let's go ahead and
jump into our list of things. And this is an
incomplete list, but those are are some things that sort
of floated to the top as things that people have
posted about as being symptoms of ADHD, even though they're
(07:12):
actually not related.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
Yeah. Yeah, So number one is that some have said
that ADHD is laziness. That's incorrect and not even on
a list of symptoms, Like laziness is not even I
don't even think diagnosable.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
It's not. And it's also like it's almost counter to
what most people think of with respect to ADHD and
the list of criteria for ADHD. So right, yeah, ADHD
is not laziness. Another one that people have posted about
is getting a song stuck in your head. That's that's
that's being a human that has has heard music before, Right,
(07:46):
You get a song stuck in your head because it's
catchy to you and likely because you've listened to it
a few times, maybe several times. But just because you
get a song stuck in your head or you find
yourself humming the sing song over and over again sometimes
has nothing to do with whether or not you have ADHD.
It's just you have heard music and you are alive.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Yeah, exactly. You forget things sometimes. Now, if you don't
forget things, you are some kind of meta superhuman who
has incredible memory. But people with ADHD might forget things.
But forgetting things doesn't mean that you have add It
means that you're alive and a human being.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Yes, that's going to be a common theme. By the way,
a lot of these are just like human.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Things, right.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Another one people have said is that you are very creative.
For you, you like to engage in creative endeavors. That's great,
good for you. This essentially means all artists who have
ever lived has or has had ADHD. It grossly oversimplifies
and misunderstands the symptoms of ADHD, and it doesn't necessarily mean.
(08:45):
Being creative doesn't necessarily mean that you have ADHD. People
with ADHD might be creative, but being creative doesn't mean
you have ADHD.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Yes, another symtom people list as being bored at work. Ironically,
you might D. Someone who is super excited and energetic
at work, I think that they might have ADHD. So
bored to excited, you have ADHD. I don't think so.
Being bored or excited at work doesn't mean that you
have ADHD.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
I think it says more about your work than you.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Right, Right, Maybe you need a career change.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Yeah, yeah. Another thing, people say everyone has a little ADHD.
There are a couple of problems with this. Actually, there
are three that we have outlined. There are at least three.
There might be more, but here are three. The first
problem with the idea that everyone has a little ADHD.
This is something people have posted.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
This diminishes the significance of ADHD and the willingness to
do something about it for people who do struggle with
that condition, because it's like, shut up, everyone has this. Right.
That's sort of one of the things that's implied by this.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Two, the last D, and ADHD is the word disorder, right.
The second part of that acronym, the second D. It
means that this condition is path logical. By saying that
everyone has this, you're saying that it's part of the
normal human condition. And that it doesn't exist pathologically. That's
what that would mean.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Sure, okay.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And the third thing that's a problem with this is
it's a dumb thing to say. Fair.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Yeah, fair, and none of it means you have ADG.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Now, the seventh one is trouble sleeping. Now, there are
a ton of reasons people have trouble sleeping. Sleep issues
is not even on the list of the carteria for ADHD.
You should go to sleep specialists. If you have trouble sleeping,
you probably you're not gonna get evaluated for ADHD just
because you have trouble sleeping.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yes, no, probably not. It doesn't mean you don't have ADHD,
but it certainly doesn't mean that you do have ADHD. Right,
all right. Another one I've seen is that people say
something like, I feel like I have trouble connecting with
other people, and that means I have ADHD. Many people
with ADHD do feel this way. To be fair, so
(10:55):
do people who are autistic, who have borderline personality disorder,
who have dementia, who have just never really learned very
many social skills. There are a variety of reasons you
might not feel very connected to a social environment. A
chunk of the time. It's not caused by the disorder,
whatever that disorder might it is, but it might be
(11:15):
the other behaviors that you engage in that create some
sort of isolation from a more robust social environment for
a variety of reasons that might exist.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Absolutely, But feeling like you have a difficult time connecting
with more people is not itself a criteria for an
ADHD diagnosis. It's just not one of the things.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Yeah, no, not at all.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
Okay, So those are just some things we're already I
think we're getting close to time to wrap this up here.
But those are just some things that people have sort
of said about ADHD in social media spaces that are
they're just incorrect, Like none of these things mean that
you have ADHD or they're necessary, They're not accurate about ADHD.
(11:57):
Those are just wanted to make sure we got I'm
that list out there. So I think be skeptical about
about when you see people posting about these things. Be skeptical.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Yeah, I mean, that's really that's really what it is.
And if you are, if you're feeling like you might
have it, you should go see a professional. Like that's
just what it is. Don't treat TikTok as a diagnosis center,
like that's a terrible place. Yeah, go go see somebody.
Speaker 3 (12:20):
Yeah, And again, we understand that it can be difficult,
it can be expensive, it can be time consuming. It
might be they might not be someone in your area
for whom you can easily get that diagnosis, and that
that's tough and there's not really an easy solution. And
maybe you do have ADHD and it's gonna be while
before you actually find that out. I think for most
of us, the thing is that we see these things
(12:41):
on social media and we start to feel like, well,
that describes me, and like, yeah, that's because you're alive. Yeah,
like having trouble remembering things. I'm like, that's all people,
all of them. The old people who don't have trouble
remembering things are superhumans. Seriously, that that's their superpower. And
I know that there are people who like super super
good memories and they still forget some things. So like
(13:04):
I forget.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Things all the time. Yeah yeah, Wait a second, what
does that mean?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Did you forget?
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Oh no, what was this episode about? I think.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
All right, if you if you would like to write
in and tell us your thoughts about this list, or
give us some more things that you have seen that
are kind of wild on social media. That's say things
about ADHD that are just blatantly not true. We'd love
to hear from you. You can reach out to us
on social media, that's totally good. You can also email
us directly at info at WWD WWWD podcast dot com.
(13:42):
If you'd like to support our show, you can join
us on Patreon. Over there, you'll get ad free episodes,
bonus content early episodes. Unless we record the episode and
then release it one hour later. That will happen very
rarely but occasionally, and then it's not realty but ever
now and again, but otherwise. I'll also read your your
name and a list of names of the people who
support us at the end of our full length discussions.
(14:03):
This is a mini so I'll do it on the
next one that comes out, and just suffice it to say,
that's a thing that we do and we do appreciate
our patrons very very much, So thank you all patrons.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Yes, you're the best.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
You can also like and subscribe, leave a rating and review.
Go tell a friend about this episode about ADHD so
that they may know that just because they saw something
on TikTok that says that having hair means you have
ADHD is incorrect and might help get them on the
path towards a better understanding of themselves in the world.
And that's all really good and we look forward to
(14:33):
you sharing this contact with people who need to hear it.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
I guess yeah, yeah, yeah, well yeah, we'll see what
kind of feedback we get to.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Indeed, I would certainly like to say thank you to
my team of people who help make this happen. Justin
thank you so much for your very quick work on
this discussion today. Our social media coordinator is Emma Wilson,
and writing in fact checking from Shane and myself. Thank
you for recording with me today.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Shane, Hey anytime.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
Thank you all for listening. Go forth and be skeptical.
I guess I think that's what we have to say.
Anything you'd like to add or that I forgot before
we wrap this one up, I don't.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Know if you said this yet, but go forth and
be skeptical.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Okay, very good. Thanks Thanks for adding that this is Abraham.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
It's a shade why we do what we do? Mini
is out Bye.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
You've been listening to why we do what we do.
Speaker 2 (15:22):
You can learn more about this and other episodes by
going to WWD WWD podcast dot com. Thanks for listening,
and we hope you have an awesome day.
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