Ok wait now I wanna talk about ADHD rep in the media.

I’m sure there’s more but the only canonically ADHD characters that come to mind for me rnare Spinner from Degrassi and Ghandi from Clone High.

And honestly I hate Spinner. I hate him as a character and I hate what he does for ADHD rep. Why are we always put as the bully asshole “can’t control being a jerk” types? That’s something I know a lot of ADHD people are very sensitive about. We don’t hurt people on purpose.

Spinner is straight up a homophobe and a bully. And none of his struggles actually feel reflective of ADHD. The only time it matters is when Drake wants his meds. Otherwise Spinner does not read as ADHD to me.

And while I actually like Ghandi Clonehigh, his entire ADHD episode is “haha look how hyper and annoying he is!” and the big joke is him and the famous dude being distracted by every little thing in a stereotypical “SQUIRREL!” type joke which is. Ugh.

And don’t get me started on what neurotypicals HC as ADHD, the worst of these being Michael Scott from The Office.
I like him okay but being hyper and stupid isn’t what ADHD is. Aside from being hyper and oblivious, Michael doesn’t show many ADHD traits.

Being ADHD is summed up by neurotypicals as “loud, energetic, annoying, distractible and stupid”. That’s what Spinner, Ghandi, and Michael have in common.

But most of those things aren’t even always ADHD traits or inherently part of what ADHD is.

The characters I’ve seen people with ADHD headcanon as such are MUCH different. They tend to be characters who are misunderstood, who people see as a bit cold but inside the character is very emotional. Characters who keep fighting to be put in a box but who are forced into one.

What’s funny is that AJ Soprano isn’t totally confirmed to have ADHD, but tbh he’s better rep than his canon counterparts. He struggles with motivation, with finding something that holds his attention for longer than a few weeks, he’s easily influenced,

he’s very emotional, he cares deeply about things in his morality but nobody wants to listen to him talk about it. He always seems to be on a different plane of thought than his family and friends and people shun him for it. Nobody trusts him to do well, but nobody helps him.

I find AJ’s characterization much truer to my own experiences with ADHD than Spinner.

And boy don’t get me started on how I can’t think of any canonically ADHD girl characters (pls let me know if you can tho)

I think the first girl character I related to on an ADHD level was Osaka from Azumanga Daioh. Being spacey, failing to focus from trying to focus, saying weird things nobody else understands. That’s my ADHD too.
I do wish we’d gotten a little more complexity from her tho.

Anyway if you have ADHD and know of good or bad canon rep, please add to this thread!
Or if you have ADHD headcanons also let me know. (ADHD people only pls, no NTs)