Is ADHD a disease or made up thing?

 

I have ADHD. I have gotten the ‘you just need to focus more’ comments. I wish focus was as easy for me as it is to big portion of the population. It’s not. I have hard time focusing. Usually if I force myself, I will use extra resources and burnout myself. It’s not fun!

But what is it? Some people say it’s a made up thing. Some people say it’s society’s fault we struggle. Last one is possible. I know I struggle with remembering to pay bills, getting food from the shops, send birthday presents. I even forget to eat sometimes! I don’t have answer for the society one. It is the one we are living in. I have chosen to try and adapt. I kind of have to. I need to remember  to take the meds that keep me alive. If I forget to take them, I can die within a few days so I don’t want to forget. But we are in a society where we need to have a job, pay bills, eat, and somehow survive in the middle of it.

I am straying off the track. ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It means that someone like me, cannot keep attention in the right place. It’s not as much as deficit as noticing and being distracted by everything. I am constantly aware of the noises outside the house, the noises my cats are making, especially when they are fighting or asking food two, three hours before their dinnertime. Some people don’t notice the outside that much and turn more inwards. It’s not easy to stay focused when your head wants all your attention. Then hyperactivity. Hyperactivity is when you cannot stay still. You are constantly moving or fidgeting. Contrary to popular belief, women can get it too. I have something called combined ADHD unofficially. I cannot get the diagnosis as for a woman it’s very difficult to get hyperactivity recognised. I’ve tried. I am almost always moving. At the moment, I am slightly swaying in my chair while I write. Sometimes it’s foot tapping. Fidget toys are amazing. I use them when I need to focus on my studies. It makes listening and reading a lot easier when I can use the energy somewhere. I suffer with this a lot. Still there are plenty of people saying it’s not real. If you are reading this answer me this. Why is my different than yours then? There are significant differences with my brain as someone who is neuronormal. There are areas in my head that are working slower and some that are working faster than normal. It can be seen with fMRI quite easily. The reason why psychologist do tests on paper and questionnaires is simple. They are cost effective. Running a fMRI is expensive and takes time. Talking to a patient is quick and a lot less expensive.

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