I don't know if I actually do but I hear it so often that I am starting to question myself. I first started hearing this within the last year and in that time I was getting an average of four hours of sleep a night. I thought I had some superpower, an ability to hyperfocus and learn a subject quickly, but this is one of the signs of ADHD. To escape from this external diagnosis, I've been getting eight hours of sleep.
I download snapchat whenever I need motivation to continue on my journey. When watching one of the three stories posted by ridiculous people I came across this TikTok on ADHD. Apparently the ridiculous person I was using as a source of energy struggles with ADHD or AuDHD. Another sign popped up that made me rewatch the video. The guy said something about looking at messages feeling overwhelming. I've verbalized this for a couple years now. As a teenager, my mother would confiscate my phone often and I used that as an excuse as to why I got into a habit of not seeking messages. Now, I really get overwhelmed and just dont feel like opening them. I hide my text messaging app and focus myself to open it twice a day to reply to people. Instagram? Forget about it, I don't even look down if I post a note. I'll post the note and run out of their like the note was worth a million dollars. Do I have ADHD?
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development. Symptoms typically begin before age 12 and often persist into adulthood, affecting academic performance, workplace productivity, and social relationships.
Diagnosis requires symptoms to be present in two or more settings (e.g., home and school/work) for at least six months, with at least six symptoms for children under 17 and five symptoms for adults. The disorder is primarily genetic (70–80% heritability) and is categorized into three presentations: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined.
The thought of having it depresses me. One grows into adulthood and feels they know themselves but when you read those symptoms and feel it? I'm also the type of person who can read the symptoms of a brain tumor and go to sleep anxiously rubbing my skull. I recently lost my keys and wallet for the first time in years (leading my to get more sleep) but read that losing things is a sign of ADHD. Pretty sure it's also a Cancer thing too though. I remember being in college, getting Adderall for the first time, and feeling like I had unlocked something I had been missing my whole life. I bounce my right leg when I'm thinking. I get overwhelmed by the massive task of growing a YouTube channel.
Adult Prevalence: An estimated 6.0% of U.S. adults (about 15.5 million people) have a current ADHD diagnosis. Notably, roughly half of these adults received their diagnosis after age 18, driven by increased awareness and telehealth accessibility. [ Yeah, I don't have it. Ain't no why I'm in the 6% ]
Do I have ADHD? I don't know. I don't care. I have led an unhealthy life for the past couple of years (not eating right, sleeping right, getting enough water) and think that has taken a toll. I have set myself to task of small improvements while keeping the goal at large. If I do have it, I am a fighter. The thought of thinking I have it leads me to jab different, hook sharper, uppercut with my backfoot planted. Forward we march into the unknown abyss called the future with our shining shield.