I don't think everyone is "suddenly" having adhd and autism. I think millennials were raised by parents who were ashamed of having children that weren't "normal" so we were forced to mask so hard that we "seemed" normal but were "just a little strange" and now we're all learning to unmask.
I was diagnosed with adhd at age 30.
I found out I had celiac via a genetic test... meanwhile my childhood doctor threatened to call CPS on my parents because I was not growing and was in the 0% for growth for most of my childhood but never thought to run tests? I'm salty.
For those pointing out that other generations had it even worse: I see you and believe you, but I am speaking to my experiences here and don't want to speak on other generations behalf because I think y'all had considerably more traumatic experiences and consequences if you were diagnosed.
Most of us in our 60-80’s didn’t get diagnosed until our grandkids were. I was diagnosed as neurodiverse at 68, as was my 42 yo daughter while she was searching for a diagnosis for her 14 yo daughter.
I am so very glad it’s easier and more acceptable to get that diagnosis today!
My mom had a similar experience but with asexuality. When I told her it was a thing she was like, "holy shit that's an option?! I always hated sex!" And she hasn't dated anyone since and is SIGNIFICANTLY happier as a result.
Almost snorted my coffee out! Lol! Glad she discovered that. I only discovered that when my granddaughter announced that “she” was now “they”. Life would have been SOOOO different if your Mom and I had known that way back when! Good for her and you!
If we had the knowledge back then maybe she wouldn't have dealt with 3 divorces. I wish I had been able to help but I'm glad she figured it out now.
Also hope your nose is okay. 😅
I wore TODDLER SIZED CLOTHES, like a size 5-6T until I started HIGH SCHOOL and then continued to wear the toddler tutu's at Claire's all the way through my junior year because they were the only clothes that fit me. How did nobody stop to think there was something more seriously wrong with me?
The more things change....
In the 70's, my aunt took my newborn cousin to the ER because she picked him up & heard his leg snap. They called CPS on her, threatened to take my cousin, &c &c. Turns out he had sepsis from an infection he picked up in the hospital that they DIDN'T TELL HER ABOUT.
Dude had one leg three inches shorter than the other the rest of his life because the docs didn't want to tell my aunt her baby got a staph infection in the nursery. *eyeroll*
It’s wild the stuff you look back at and go “how did no one spot this as an issue!?!? Where were the adults I was assured were in charge and paying attention!?!?” 🤦🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
Damn 😫 I grew up in the Boston area and my parents were in the military when they had my older sister.. she was lactose intolerant and military doctors couldn't figure it out, she almost died.. my mom took her home to Boston and in one visit problem solved.. everyone should have access to good care
It took 6 months of military doctor visits and malnutrition to very dangerous levels but one trip in Boston's children hospital and she was a whole new kid
Yeah too bad my parents fed me mostly gluten my whole life making fun of me for having tummy issues and always being gassy and now it's highly likely my stomach is just one shitty glob of scar tissue thanks to 30 years of damage that was done due to not knowing. 🙃
Yeah I was initially diagnosed with IBS and then told by a different doctor that IBS is basically just a generic bullshit diagnosis given when a GI doctor doesn't want to run more tests to get to the bottom of things because you don't have great insurance. 🙃 Love this system so much.
Getting diagnosed with any kind of 'syndrome' sucks.
Because it means they stopped looking for causes, and now it's just herd symptoms around.
My IBS got worse each time I've had to take antibiotics in the last 30 years. It's completely predictable.
Speaking from experience (for Gen ) I can say there’s also an increased understanding of what is and isn’t signs or symptoms of ADHD and autism. I got my *first* ADHD diagnosis as a child, but my tendency to hyperfocus when reading or playing video games was seen as proof the dx was mistaken.
I mean I still do this and my daughter is regularly getting upset with me for not hearing her when she speaks to me and I'm doing something else. I have to finish my task and THEN give her my full attention in order to retain the information being given to me.
My sister and I are coming up with a Hearing Test Screening idea for ADHD. We both have ADHD kids who failed the ~kindergarten age standardized hearing test because they got distracted. We hadn’t considered the hyperfocus element. Either way, it seems like Hearing Test Shenanigan is a 🚩
I clearly remember my mom telling me "I know you can hear me, we had your ears tested!" in frustration after trying to get my attention while I was reading. Even now if I am in a voice call and playing a game I have to tell people that I can't both type and answer questions.
I am so glad just to know this is a thing, because I can now, well into middle age, finally feel like I’m not being rude if I say things like “only one person can talk to me at a time.” I’m not over sensitive! I’m not being rude! My brain just cannot run on two tracks at once.
I'm named after my mother, and my stepfather assumed when I tuned him out because I was reading it was due to me thinking he was calling for my mother. My entire family has called me Junior ever since.
mom studied psychology and i clearly remember her saying, if the child can stay put for long periods of time, then that’s not adhd.
it turns out our whole family probably has adhd 🤣 but diagnosed, there’s 2 and autistic 2 i got to be the overlay 🤣
Realizing that 1) ADHD isn’t just boys flipping desks during school, and 2) autism isn’t just stimming nonverbal kids who don’t socialize, has changed the way a lot of us see ourselves and our families. (I learned neither of these getting my BA in Psych ~20 years ago).
On a trip with my sibling I started to do what I now know is stimming. He said “oh so you do that too?” and the discussion turned to autism/adhd and the comment was made “well, dad tried to beat it out of us, so . . .”
that was mine, too. my folks burned the blanket when we were camping in 4th grade. mom told me after it was done. fast forward to me stealing the satin fabric edge off every similar blanket i encountered after that...do it in my sleep most of the time & boy, that's embarrassing when you're a guest.
