Narrative around ADHD has dangerous consequences
At the end of January, I was in a meeting with the head of policy at IPSO, who told me there wasn't a remit for guidance on reporting disability. In the time it took to have that discussion, two different opinion columns appeared online saying everyone thinks they have ADHD because their favourite celebs have it. Fast forward nine months and the country is in the grips of an ADHD medication shortage, these two things don’t feel like coincidences.
Over the last few years the government and media has created a narrative that disabled people are faking their conditions, either for benefits or for attention. In the case of those with ADHD, a lot of focus has been put on the fact that it's something that is spoken a lot about on social media, in particular, TikTok.
There’s been an incredible wave of women in their mid-20s and 30s, sharing their experiences and inspiring others to realise that there is nothing “wrong” with them. That the things we had for years thought were inherent flaws were just traits of our condition. But instead of seeing this for what it really is - women who have been told their whole lives not to cause a fuss finally finding the power to speak up and find community - many (more right-wing) commentators have concluded that these women must all be acting disabled for internet popularity because it’s “fashionable”.
I don't know about you but I can’t see what’s fashionable about my ridiculous brain physically stopping me from doing the housework. I’m not following a “trend” when I hand in work late because I simply HAD to find out what former Shadow business secretary Chukka Ummuna was up to now.
Another argument against the rise in older women with ADHD is that many are self-diagnosing to fit in. This completely bypasses the fact that neurodivergent conditions (including ADHD, autism and dyspraxia) are still heavily seen as things boys who love trains or are disruptive at school have.
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For what it’s worth I’m not formally diagnosed with ADHD, and that’s because I haven’t had the strength to go through a full medical diagnosis yet. Yes I’m the dreaded self-diagnosed. After spending most of my life not being believed by doctors for literally every single condition that I have, I can’t put myself through that again. If it wasn’t for these glorious brave (again mostly) women on social media talking about their experiences I would never have realised that the things I’d spent decades chastising myself for aren’t because I was stupid or lazy, but because I have ADHD.
I can’t help but think that those claiming ADHD (and other disabilities where women struggle to be diagnosed) isn't real are threatened by the incredible sense of community where we all band together to help each other. After all one disabled woman is easy to silence, but a whole community of us build each other up and refuse to be ashamed.
Be it by giving each other the confidence to speak to professionals or loved ones, showing each other ways to make our lives easier or simply sharing gallows humour - the neurodivergent women who live in my phone have saved my life in more ways than I can ever count. Now I’m seeing these incredible women (and men too of course) scrambling to help each other cope during a horrific meds shortage that could’ve been solved before it got this far.
But instead of taking action those in power allowed the narrative that too many disabled people are faking their illnesses to fester. Months and even years of these insidious whispers mean that instead of rushing to help, the public has doubt in their minds. “Well do they really need this medication? How many of them are faking it for disability benefits?”
The ADHD medication shortage could have a dangerous outcome if it is not solved soon. The media needs to be focusing and putting pressure on pharmaceutical companies and politicians in order to save lives, not make it even harder for people with ADHD to speak up.
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