Thank you Nome @NomedaBarbarian
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@NomedaBarbarian on Twitter:
Thinking about how I’ve been lied to as an #ADHD person about what habits are.
That apparently is not what neurotypical folks get to experience.
Habits are things that they do without thinking.
They don’t have to decide to do them. They don’t have to remember to do them. Things just happen, automatically, because they’ve done them enough for that system to engage and make them automatic.
That system…which I lack.
Every single time I have brushed my teeth, it’s been an active choice. I’ve had to devote thought and attention to it. It’s not a routine, it’s not a habit, it’s something that I know is good to do, and hopefully I can remember to do it.
Every single time I exercise, or floss, or pay my rent, or drink water, or say “bless you” when someone sneezes,
It’s because I’ve had to actively and consciously engage the protocol.
It never gets easier.
Just more familiar.
It’s part of my struggle with my weight–exercise never becomes a habit, and every single time I do it, it is exactly as hard as the first time. It takes exactly as much willpower & thought.
I got lied to about how it would just “turn into a habit”. And blamed, when it didn’t.
Drinking water isn’t a habit. Feeding myself isn’t a habit. Bathing isn’t a habit.
I spend so much more energy, so much more time, so much more labor on just managing to maintain my fucking meat suit.
And now you want me to ALSO do taxes?
ON TIME?
There’s two parts to a diagnosis:
A. Do you have enough of the ADHD traits as written in DSM-5?
2. Are the traits hurting you in a number of common settings in your everyday life?
You’re not my social worker I don’t need to tell you anything!
Oh I totally am, I’m just pretending not to be so that I can stealthily check up on you…
Brenda how could you
I’m sorry, the temptation was too great!
The specialist (not US) I seen include do you have those traits since childhood. If not it’s something which cause those symptoms. Which fits my case.
Yes, that’s part B in DSM, you need to have exhibited the traits before age of 12.
Though I do wish that they had a similar wording as for autism. Ie something along the lines that masking can be hide the problems until the demands in life becomes to great, or in the case of women with ADHD, their estrogen production is low enough.