Re: Do I have it?

[Rick Green – Founder of TotallyADD]

Newfiepaul, you are welcome.

Do get a proper diagnosis.

I completely understand your anger. And the tears. I was fighting them back myself, several times.

I’ve learned two things about people who laugh or dismiss this. One, most of them honestly don’t know this is real. They’ve only heard the myths and lies and misinformation. When people know better they do better. And they may actually be concerned that you’re falling into some lame excuse or falling prey to some scam that’s going to sell you a product. (A legitimate fear since this has been misdiagnosed and there are some incredibly dangerous lies, especially on the internet, about what works to treat this.)

The second thing, and this is less common, is that people who dismiss this, and are adamant about it are often people who have it. And they desperately don’t want to consider it a disorder or a problem. Why? Well, it tells you what they think of mental health issues. They either fear them or they think it’s a load of crap (Perhaps because their parents dismissed their struggles. No wonder so many Anti-ADHD articles include the phrase, “When I was a kid we had that kind of behaviour beaten out of us. Eventually we learned!” I always think, what if you could have learned and NOT had the beatings? Would you be a better person now? PErhaps, god Forbid, more empathetic to others?)

But mostly it’s just people not knowing. That’s what we’re about, education.

If you can find someone who doesn’t laugh dismissively–perhaps on this website, perhaps in your life, perhaps at our next workshop, or at one of the support groups that exist–it will ease the struggle and speed your process of moving forward.

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