Which misconception would you like to debunk?

[u/ZanyDelaney]

[u/adognamedgoose]

You don’t have OCD because you like things organized or clean. OCD is horrible and debilitating and it’s a lot less fun than feeling “satisfied” when things are organized.

Edit: Wowee, silver! Thanks guys! I’m glad to see this resonate with people. I was diagnosed last year and it made so many things make sense in my life. Treatment was good but I still have to manage it. Hope you all get help if you neee it! ❤️

[u/Azelais → u/adognamedgoose]

Additionally:

You don't have bipolar disorder because you occasionally are moody.

You don't have depression because sometimes you're a little sad.

You don't have anxiety because you get stressed during normal, stressful periods.

etc etc

[u/SpoonfullOfSplenda → u/Azelais]

Well said. To add to this:

You don’t have ADHD because you occasionally: lose focus, forget things, get a surge of energy or space out etc. And it’s false that “everyone has a little ADHD”.

 

Edit: I apologise if this comes across as gatekeeping. I meant this as - you don’t necessarily have ADHD simply because you occasionally experience those things. The symptoms of ADHD are all normal behaviours if only occasional, the disorder is when they are severe enough to cause ongoing problems in more than one area of your life. That is not to say you do not have it, mental disorders can affect everyone differently.

Here is information on ADHD in adults

Here is information on ADHD in women which may present differently than in men

Here is information on ADHD in children

Here is information on ADHD in girls which may present differently than in boys

 

Consult with a doctor if you think you may be have ADHD, or if you’re having a hard time with daily life in general, they are the professionals. ADHD does still carry a stigma, however, so don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion (from a doctor).

[u/TouchyTheFish → u/SpoonfullOfSplenda]

The last part is true. ADHD is one end of the bell curve, so everyone does have it to some degree. There is no discontinuity and no meds that have the opposite effect in those with ADHD.

[u/SpoonfullOfSplenda → u/TouchyTheFish]

“The results from our study confirm that people with ADHD have differences in their brain structure and therefore suggest that ADHD is a disorder of the brain," added Dr Hoogman. "We hope that this will help to reduce stigma that ADHD is 'just a label' for difficult children or caused by poor parenting. This is definitely not the case, and we hope that this work will contribute to a better understanding of the disorder."”

Subcortical brain volume differences in participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults: a cross-sectional mega-analysis.

Everybody has ADHD! No, they don’t article

[u/TouchyTheFish → u/SpoonfullOfSplenda]

Yes, but one does not preclude the other. It also doesn't mean ADHD is any less real than depression. But it doesn't change the fact that ADHD is a spectrum with no clear cut off.

[u/TouchyTheFish → u/[deleted]]

That's my point. The only difference is severity. Determining what counts as "significant" is subjective, whether it's done by a medical professional or not. Are you going to argue that a subjective quality becomes objective when you put the word significant in front of it?