Thread by @ErynnBrook, Perhaps the most shared characteristic of undiagnosed adult ADHD that makes me [...]

Perhaps the most shared characteristic of undiagnosed adult ADHD that makes me go “GET THEE TO A DOCTOR!” is this:

“What if I don’t have this? What if I’m just a shit person? What if I really am lazy/selfish/a failure?”

My lovelies, has anyone ever asked: what if you’re not?

Here’s the secret: lazy feels good. Bad people feel good. Selfish people feel good. If you don’t feel good, then something isn’t right. It’s that simple.

And if actual lazy, bad, selfish people get to feel good then, damnit, so do you!

It is completely fucking normal to have undiagnosed ADHD, be amazing in school, excel at work, and have your home life and relationships in shambles.

It’s normal if you are awesome at your career but are falling apart at parenting.

It’s normal to not start to wonder if you have ADHD until your kid gets diagnosed. It’s normal if you were emotionally and psychologically abused by your (probably) undiagnosed parent(s) and have extra baggage.

We’ve learned so much about ADHD in the past 10 years alone. It’s normal if you slipped through the cracks because honestly, when’s the last time someone was closely monitoring your mental/emotional state and development the way a primary school teacher or parent should?

IT’S ALL NORMAL.

But it’s not right, and that really sucks.

You deserve better. You deserve someone who gives a shit. Just one person who says to you “hey, you’re not okay right now, do you need help?”

BE THAT PERSON FOR YOURSELF. YOU DESERVE IT!

It’s okay if you’re a mess. I did nothing but sob my first few doctor’s appointments. All I knew was that my brain wasn’t right. We still figured it out, even though I was the hottest mess you’ve ever seen.

It’s not easy, but I promise it’s better than shitting on yourself.

100% every person who says this to me. I swear I have not met a single person who said this, and who I thought “Yeah definitely just lazy.”

LAZY PEOPLE DON’T GIVE A FUCK.

If you give a fuck but can’t do the things, you’re not lazy, you’re hurting. https://twitter.com/paxtank/status/1132528881284595712?s=21

https://twitter.com/paxtank/status/1132528881284595712?s=21

It’s estimated that children with ADHD receive 20,000 more negative messages about themselves than their neurotypical peers by age 12.

Undiagnosed/untreated? Yep, you too. It’s normal that you shit on yourself to blunt the pain of others doing it to you.

https://www.additudemag.com/slideshows/adhd-and-shame/

But I’m telling you, person who thinks they’re a failure at human-ing, right now, that you’re not.

Maybe it’s not ADHD. Maybe it’s thyroid or c-PTSD or insomnia. Maybe it’s something else. But whatever it is, you deserve better. And if you can’t believe that right now, I do.