Posted by mtdewcmu on July 3, 2011, at 22:57:05
In reply to Finally, an explanation?, posted by mtdewcmu on July 2, 2011, at 22:27:48
I could be mistaken, but I get the sense that there is some pushback from members of the ADHD community against the idea of separating off SCT-type individuals and giving them their own disorder. At first, I was puzzled as to why they would not want to give this group the recognition of having its own disorder, if the science supported it. Then I imagined how someone with traditional ADHD might see it. If you already fit in comfortably with the larger ADHD community, then as far as you are concerned, the more patients that get diagnosed with ADHD the merrier. Having more people with the disorder makes your community larger and thus more important, and so you have more clout to advocate for your causes, and it also makes you feel less lonely in your struggles with the disorder. This idea is totally wrongheaded, though, and potentially harmful to people with SCT. There is no advantage to SCT folks to getting lost in the larger ADHD community, having their unique symptoms be ignored in public outreach because they don't fit the majority, and being excluded from research because it is an atypical presentation and not representative of the group. I don't think that I could feel supported in an ADHD message board or support group, when the primary message being put out is, don't feel too bad about being impulsive and scatterbrained, your disorder gives you exceptional creativity and is shared by wildly successful people who credit ADHD with their success (to get the general flavor, check out http://adultaddstrengths.com/2005/05/11/the-gifts-of-adhd/). My disorder has no upside. It's hard to see what benefit that could accrue from having a sluggish cognitive tempo. More free time if you're unable to keep a job? I feel much more at home on a board for depressives, because no one tries to claim that feeling horrible for no reason has any benefits. At least no one that actually has depression. It's understood that it's a miserable illness, no one wants it, and the only cause for joy in the depression community is when somebody manages to escape. I have no interest in hearing about the good things about ADHD, when it is about someone else's ADHD. I'm not cheered by the prospect of going to a support group and getting to make lots of new friends who are learning to love their disorder, whom I can't relate to in the least. The sort of thing that would make me feel supported in this disorder would be to connect with other people who can understand the torment and can perhaps share some words of strength and hope through adversity. I am not interested in being the bummer at the ADHD party. I will stick with the people that hate their disease.
I have a complex inferiority.
Rx: 40mg citalopram, 30mg d-amphetamine, 15mg mirtazapine, 300mg bupropion
Dx: ADHD (inattentive subtype), depression
poster:mtdewcmu
thread:990027
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20110630/msgs/990125.html