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00:00:10.320Welcome to the Universal Radio Networks podcast.
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00:00:14.800My name is Gujit, and in today's episode, we are discussing ADHD.
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00:00:30.320If your social media feed is anything like mine, it's always ADHD this, ADHD that, and it's awesome that more people are becoming aware of what attention deficit hyperactive disorder is, but also what are some of the myths that also come up in social media?
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00:00:33.200So all of that more in today's episode.
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00:01:08.159Like, how can someone make all of their ADHD symptoms just so much more, whatever their ADHD symptoms may be?
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00:01:12.959Because that's one thing we're gonna talk about today is the fact that ADHD, there's three different types.
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00:01:13.840Did you know that?
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00:01:16.719Because I didn't know that until I started researching this topic.
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00:01:22.239And I was really inspired by the fact that I hear ADHD talked about all the time.
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00:01:24.400Oh, sorry, my ADHD.
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00:01:26.799Oh, sorry, I totally forgot ADHD.
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00:01:28.879Oh, sorry, I interrupted ADHD.
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00:01:42.239And that can be really interesting because there's a conversation around using mental illness so casually in conversation, or saying, like, oh, I'm like such a clean freak and so OCD, or oh, sorry, I didn't text you.
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00:01:44.000I was so depressed yesterday.
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00:01:49.920Like, of course, these are normal things that people say all the time, but how normal do we want to make them?
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00:01:50.239Right?
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00:02:02.879What does the impact of saying, oh, sorry, I'm so scatterbrained, it's just my ADHD, but then not ever actually being tested for ADHD or not ever actually doing anything to address those symptoms of ADHD if you do have it.
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00:02:08.719So I was really curious to just know more about it, especially since October is ADHD awareness month.
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00:02:10.639So let's just be aware of it, guys.
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00:02:15.439ADHD, it is a real thing, it is a very diagnosable disorder.
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00:02:25.439And often there's some myths and misconceptions with it online, especially with TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, short form content takes ADHD concepts and then just blast them all over the internet.
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00:02:28.400And sometimes we don't know if the information is real or not.
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00:02:39.919So if you have any ADHD questions or things that you've heard online that you're not exactly sure are real, you can DM us on Instagram at the Universal Radio and let me know what you've heard about ADHD.
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00:02:44.719Well, well, well, look what I have forgotten again.
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00:02:47.039And it's our journaling prompt.
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00:03:03.360So the journaling prompt that I've kind of have come up with today is actually a journaling prompt that journaling by Jared or journal by Jared, um, someone on social media, whose name is Jared, who does journaling, provides a weekly prompt and then does content around that prompt as well.
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00:03:09.120Anyway, Jared shared this really interesting prompt that I just haven't been able to stop thinking about.
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00:03:15.520And I scrolled by it and it was a 10-second interaction with a piece of media on my phone, but it stuck with me.
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00:03:24.080And what Jared basically said was, what does the way you're spending your time now say about what you value?
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00:03:32.719So, how does the way you spend your time now, what does that say about what you value?
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00:03:35.840So, are you prioritizing a lot of time for work?
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00:03:37.520Is that something that you value?
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00:03:38.479Does that check out?
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00:03:39.680Does that align?
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00:03:45.520Are you saying that you really value family, but not really making a lot of time to spend with family?
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00:03:47.039Does that feel good?
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00:03:48.159Are you happy with that?
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00:03:56.479Just kind of calling to attention what our values are and what we spend our time doing and seeing if there's a difference between those two things.
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00:04:06.400Of course, we can value things and not always spend the most time on them, but maybe it brings to attention that you're not spending as much time on something that you do value that you thought you were spending more time on.
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00:04:14.000So with October starting up right away here, it is spooky season, but also it's ADHD awareness month.
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00:04:22.560So if you weren't familiar, ADHD actually stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD.
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00:04:26.959And it's actually one of the most common mental disorders that affect children.
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00:04:30.720And this is actually going to relate to one of the myths that we talk about later today.
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00:04:33.600So stay tuned to find out how I feel about that.
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00:04:36.160One of the most common mental disorders affecting children.
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00:04:39.519What children grow up and become adults and it just disappears.
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00:04:40.879What's up with that?
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00:05:00.240So there's a lot of different symptoms for ADHD, but some of the more common ones that we see are inattention, so not being able to focus, hyperactivity, so fidgeting, moving around, um, excessive movement that isn't really fitting to their specific setting or scenario or environment, and impulsivity.
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00:05:03.839So hasty acts that kind of occur without thinking.
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00:05:13.120So impulsively grabbing a hot stove or impulsively uh cutting in front of a car in traffic or impulsively grabbing and pulling a schoolmate's hair.
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00:05:18.240So ADHD is considered chronic and it is a debilitating disorder.
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00:05:26.800And despite the way we commonly throw that phrase around and how many people around us we may see diagnosed with ADHD, it is debilitating.
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00:05:29.680It impacts the way people live and it impacts people's quality of life.
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00:05:34.399And we're going to talk about the way ADHD impacts people later on today.
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00:05:45.040So ADHD impacts people in so many different ways from their academic, their professional, their interpersonal relationships, and their daily functioning.
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00:05:58.800Some people with ADHD, I remember seeing an Instagram reel of this woman who was going to use her oven weeks after she accidentally left a pot roast in and it had grown mold.
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00:06:04.639And she'd put the pot roast after everybody had finished eating back in the oven because she was like, I'm hosting people.
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00:06:11.920I have to deal with this, and I'm just gonna put it in the oven and deal with it later, and just didn't use her oven for weeks afterwards and discovered all of that.
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00:06:15.120So that's an example of like impact to daily functioning.
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00:06:22.079Another could be forgetting laundry, forgetting that you've turned stoves on, irons off, hair tools off.
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00:06:25.759So it is a serious impact on someone's lifestyle.
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00:06:35.040We are talking about ADHD, specifically the three main subtypes of ADHD, because it's not all in one, you know?
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00:06:46.079So there's the inattentive presentation of ADHD, and that kind of refers to challenges with staying on task, focusing or organizing.
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00:06:56.639So for a diagnosis of ADHD inattentive type, six or five uh requirements have to be met for individuals who are 17 or older.
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00:07:11.199And those symptoms can include having problems staying focused on tasks or activities, um, not listening when spoken to, kind of seeming like they're somewhere else, having problems organizing tasks and work.
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00:07:23.040So maybe not managing time well, keeping your document super messy, disorganized work, difficulty managing sequences of tasks or missing deadlines, or losing common things.
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00:07:39.439So school papers, books, keys, wallets, cell phone, eyeglasses, things that you need for daily life that you would use really often, but also would lose often, being easily distracted by unrelated things or thoughts, or forgetting daily tasks such as chores, errands.
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00:07:44.639Older teens and adults might forget to return phone calls, pay bills, or keep appointments.
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00:07:48.560So you can imagine how all of these things would impact somebody's life.
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00:07:55.600But you can also imagine that everyone, every now and then, spaces out and is somewhere else when someone's speaking to them.
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00:08:02.399Everyone sometimes has problems organizing tasks or work, or can be messy, or can be easily distracted.
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00:08:10.480And just because you meet some of these some of the time, doesn't mean that you're able to be diagnosed as ADHD.
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00:08:20.079For proper testing and assessment for ADHD, you have to go to a professional, talk to your family doctor if you think this is something that you might have to go get diagnosed.
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00:08:29.279And just it's really important to remember no quiz online, no sequence of symptoms that someone on the radio reads out to you can diagnose you with something.
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00:08:31.600And I am not a mental health professional.
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00:08:40.080I am just able to communicate information from the American Psychiatric Association to you, listeners, at home, in your cars, wherever you may be.
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00:08:45.919So just know if this isn't diagnosable from my standpoint, find yourself a mental health professional.
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00:08:50.399Let them talk to you about it and see if you can get assessed for this, if this is something that you think you have.
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00:08:55.360And just remember that these symptoms have to be regular, reoccurring.
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00:09:02.559And for a lot of us, we can meet some of these criteria some of the time, but we may not meet all of these criteria all of the time.
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00:09:10.000And if you do feel like anything has hit a chord for you or you would like to get assessed, talk to your family doctor.
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00:09:14.639Find out who is professionals in your healthcare network who can do that for you.
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00:09:21.840Because sometimes it can be a psychiatrist, sometimes it could be a psychologist with a background in assessments.
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00:09:23.679So it really just varies.
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00:09:31.039Uh, one of the other types of ADHD presentation is the hyperactive impulsive presentation.
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00:09:41.120So hyperactivity refers to excessive movement like fidgeting, excessive energy, not sitting still, and being really talkative.
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00:09:49.840So impulsivity can refer to decisions or actions, um, specifically decisions or actions without thinking through consequences.
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00:10:00.879And for a diagnosis of ADHD, specifically the hyperactive type six or five for individuals who are 17 years old or older, of these symptoms kind of have to occur.
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00:10:06.399So I only have some of these symptoms listed, otherwise, I'd be reading you a huge long list for a long time.
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00:10:46.799Um, fidgeting with or tapping hands or feet or squirming in your seat, not being able to be seated for classroom or workspace, um, when remaining seated is expected, unable to play or do leisure activities quietly, being always on the go as if you were driven by a motor, like a non-stop Duracell bunny in your heart and brain, being uncomfortable sitting still for a long time, or seeming difficult to keep up with, um, talking too much, interrupting people when they speak, having difficulty waiting for your turn, such as while waiting in line or when speaking, you're not really waiting for the other person to finish speaking before you cut in.
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00:10:49.039And again, I have to mention this.
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00:10:51.519This is a matter of like things that we all do.
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00:10:53.039I can interrupt people.
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00:10:57.360I sometimes fidget or tap my hands or feet or bounce my leg.
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00:11:05.279And sometimes it's really hard to stay seated when I have to be, or sometimes I talk too much, but also that's kind of my job.
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00:11:06.960So I hope I talk too much.
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00:11:14.480Now, just because some of these things happen to you some of the time may not mean that ADHD is a diagnosis that would fit you.
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00:11:23.360And it's also important to remember that if you do feel like this is a diagnosis that would fit you, then please go to the appropriate medical professional who can do that for you.
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00:11:27.519Oh, another really great resource for any of your healthcare needs is 811.
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00:11:34.080Uh, if you have questions about who do I talk to to get diagnosed with this, try calling HealthLink 811.
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00:11:35.840Let them know your name information.
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00:11:39.519Sometimes they ask for your Alberta healthcare card, so have that on handy if you call them.
00:11:39.600 -->
00:11:47.679And just say, I really suspect that I have ADHD because I was listening to this amazing radio show called Wellbeing Wednesday with Grigit.9 FM, the Universal Radio Network.
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00:11:51.120And I suspect I may have ADHD, but I also don't know.
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00:11:59.679So I'd really like to speak to a professional who can do this for me because Grigit Gill from the radio is not a professional in the mental health space.
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00:12:02.240And she just gave me a lot of information.
00:12:02.399 -->
00:12:05.519And that's exactly how that conversation is going to go.
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00:12:14.799Now, the third type of ADHD is a combined presentation of both the hyperactive impulsive and the inattentive presentation.
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00:12:23.600So this is the type of ADHD that's diagnosed when both criteria are met for inattentive and hyperactive impulsive types.
00:12:23.840 -->
00:12:26.399So that's kind of a background of ADHD.
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00:12:33.600You probably have a sense of this, and probably in your mind you're thinking, I know four people who act like this, in which case, send them this information.
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00:12:35.200They might find it helpful.
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00:12:45.600Um, there's this phenomenon when you're talking about or studying a type of disease or disorder that you start to feel like you have it yourself.
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00:12:48.799So I'm just trying to be cautious of letting everybody know.
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00:12:52.080Take a deep breath, breathe in, breathe out.
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00:12:54.399We're gonna talk about ADHD a lot today.
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00:13:02.000And I really just want to talk about it to give people information because I feel like everywhere I look on social media, it's ADHD this, ADHD that.
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00:13:07.600And I think for a lot of people, there has been a big uptick at ADHD diagnoses.
00:13:07.759 -->
00:13:12.799And that is for good reason, but it could also be for potentially a biased reason.
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00:13:29.519For example, what we're seeing now, and what I've seen in my personal experience is a lot of women are being diagnosed with ADHD in their 20s, as opposed to a lot of men who are getting diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, in their teen years, when they're younger.
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00:13:45.039And for a lot of women, it's been a difficult journey where you have to suffer through and try so much harder to get to the same place as everyone else because you have this undiagnosed disorder that impacts the way you focus, that impacts the way you speak with other people, the way you behave.
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00:13:49.600And a lot of systems are built up to be very organized and very neurotypical.
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00:13:51.200They're typical for a reason.
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00:13:55.519It's because that's the way the vast majority of the world is expected to operate.
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00:13:57.360And now not everyone does.
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00:14:03.679We know that there's so much variability between people, and there's so much variability between how people's minds and bodies work.
00:14:03.919 -->
00:14:14.799So there's a lot of the women that I know personally who have been diagnosed with ADHD is that it brings on a lot of positive change, but also potentially a little bit of negative emotion.
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00:14:28.720Positive change in the sense that there's medication that can support people, or they now know that they have this disorder and they don't want to take medication, they don't have to, but at least now they know why things are a certain way for them.
00:14:28.879 -->
00:14:35.200It provides a reason that isn't just you're lazy, you're disorganized, you're not smart.
00:14:35.440 -->
00:14:50.000These are things that people internalize when they have a disorder like ADHD throughout their lifespan, but don't have anything to kind of pin that hyperactivity, that inattentiveness, that difficulty to manage schoolwork, to manage their professional work.
00:14:50.240 -->
00:14:52.480It is a big blow to people's self-esteem.
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00:15:04.879And one thing that's consistent is in scoping reviews of ADHD research, people have found that every scoping review has found papers that link ADHD with a lower quality of life.
00:15:05.120 -->
00:15:10.639And that's because we're trying to push people to operate a certain way without really offering a lot of flexibility.
00:15:10.720 -->
00:15:15.519And our systems don't offer a lot of flexibility for how people operate differently than others.
00:15:15.759 -->
00:15:20.960There's a lot of positive association between ADHD and substance misuse, so drugs and alcohol.
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00:15:32.720And overall, findings indicate a prevalence of about a quarter of people with ADHD also having substance misuse and similar rates of ADHD in patients with substance misuse.
00:15:32.879 -->
00:15:37.919So there's kind of a direct connection there between ADHD and substance misuse.
00:15:38.080 -->
00:15:40.320And that could be connected to hyperactivity.
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00:15:48.799It could also be a coping mechanism for people who are struggling through life, being told that there are certain ways because they have undiagnosed ADHD.
00:15:49.279 -->
00:15:57.360ADHD also predicts more time playing video games, and gaming behaviors actually did not predict greater ADHD symptoms.
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00:16:00.159So that relationship isn't bi-directional.
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00:16:00.879It's only one way.
00:16:01.039 -->
00:16:03.120ADHD predicts more time gaming.
00:16:03.279 -->
00:16:09.840And there's also a big association between ADHD and gambling, sex, and internet addiction.
00:16:10.000 -->
00:16:13.279So a lot of things that kind of max out that dopamine in our brain.
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00:16:16.320I have an episode called Dopamine Maxing that'll be coming out next month.
00:16:16.480 -->
00:16:18.639So stay tuned for that.
00:16:19.440 -->
00:16:25.120Now, we're talking about ADHD, specifically the impacts that ADHD has on people.
00:16:25.440 -->
00:16:35.039Now, with how prevalent discussion of ADHD is in media, it can be quite easy to just dismiss ADHD as a mental disorder that a lot of people have.
00:16:35.200 -->
00:16:37.600Therefore, it must be pretty easy to live with.
00:16:37.840 -->
00:16:38.480False.
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00:16:40.720That is a myth we are busting today.
00:16:40.960 -->
00:16:47.360Just because more people are being diagnosed with ADHD doesn't mean that ADHD is any less serious.
00:16:47.600 -->
00:16:51.919The diagnostic criteria are the same as they have been in the DSM 5.
00:16:52.480 -->
00:17:12.720And people are more likely to be diagnosed if there's discussion around ADHD, if we're educating people on what it is, if we're seeing more school psychologists or school counselors or teachers recommending children be assessed for a diagnosis that has nothing to do with the prevalence.
00:17:12.799 -->
00:17:13.519And you know what?
00:17:13.599 -->
00:17:23.440There is a potential for service provider bias in that it is more popular, it's more top of mind, it's ready to come to the front of your mind when you're thinking about okay, what are we assessing for?
00:17:23.599 -->
00:17:28.559What are the potential things that we could look for in this child or this young adult or this older adult?
00:17:28.880 -->
00:17:45.279Now, what I want to say is that with its popularity in media, where I feel like every now and then there's a new trend, quote unquote, in discussion of mental health disorders, where people pick one and it's kind of top of mind.
00:17:45.440 -->
00:17:56.480So I feel like it used to be depression and anxiety, and now it's maybe a little bit less discussion of depression, anxiety in media, and more so discussions about ADHD in media.
00:17:56.720 -->
00:18:08.880And I also feel like we're teetering a little bit away from the ADHD discussion and going towards autism, talking about how there is a spectrum to autism disorder and how many people can fit anywhere on that spectrum.
00:18:09.039 -->
00:18:11.279After all, that's what spectrums are all about.
00:18:11.599 -->
00:18:20.559Now, the different ways that ADHD can impact people is it can actually have a correlation between ADHD and mood disorders.
00:18:20.799 -->
00:18:26.400So about one in 113 individuals with ADHD also have bipolar disorder.
00:18:26.640 -->
00:18:30.640And about one in six bipolar patients have ADHD.
00:18:30.799 -->
00:18:33.519So there is a little bit of association there.
00:18:33.839 -->
00:18:37.200And ADHD is also associated with lower quality of life.
00:18:37.359 -->
00:18:40.720It's also associated with lower self-esteem in adults.
00:18:40.960 -->
00:18:56.079And somatic diseases like obesity, sleep disorders, and asthma are well-documented comorbidities with adult ADHD, meaning that they're disorders that pop up at the same time as ADHD.
00:18:56.480 -->
00:19:02.240There's also actually an increased risk of accidents, injuries, and mortality across the lifespan.
00:19:02.640 -->
00:19:07.279And there's significant differences between children and adults with ADHD.
00:19:07.680 -->
00:19:17.759So there's lots of impacts on people who have ADHD and are living with it and trying to navigate this very neurotypical one-way is the right way kind of world.
00:19:18.000 -->
00:19:26.160And sometimes we just need a little bit more flexibility in how we approach things to navigate people with ADHD.
00:19:26.400 -->
00:19:30.079Because after all, a lot of people are being diagnosed with ADHD.
00:19:30.160 -->
00:19:32.880And I say a lot, and I will find the actual numbers for you.
00:19:33.039 -->
00:19:38.319But that also means that these are people in and around our societies who deserve to be accommodated for.
00:19:38.640 -->
00:19:38.960No?
00:19:39.839 -->
00:19:55.279So again, if you have any thoughts, questions, inputs, lived experiences, a person with ADHD, someone with lived experience and someone who thinks they have ADHD, you can DM us on Instagram at the Universal Radio and let me know what your thoughts are because I'm really curious.
00:19:55.440 -->
00:20:01.920I did go down a little bit of rabbit hole and just kind of looking at all the things that ADHD is correlated with.
00:20:02.559 -->
00:20:12.319And oftentimes we think that ADHD is like this, like there's this like public perception that it's like a cute, quirky disease of like, oh, I'm so sorry, I'm so forgetful I have ADHD.
00:20:12.559 -->
00:20:21.920But like in reality, there's a really strong, well, not a really strong, there's a positive association between ADHD and offending and criminal behavior.
00:20:22.240 -->
00:20:26.960And there's also positive association between ADHD and being a victim of crime.
00:20:27.200 -->
00:20:29.920So that's all sorts of violent behavior.
00:20:30.000 -->
00:20:34.640Um, it can be intimate partner, interpersonal, or even sexual crimes.
00:20:34.799 -->
00:20:38.799So more likely to be an offender, more likely to be a victim of such a crime.
00:20:39.039 -->
00:20:42.160And so it's not all cute and quirky now, is it?
00:20:42.400 -->
00:20:58.880Unfortunately, there are also a lot of reviews showing poor educational and employment outcomes, like less attainment of education or employment, um, prematurely leaving schools, more frequently changing schools, changing jobs quite often, leaving jobs, being fired from jobs.
00:20:59.119 -->
00:21:02.720It's not pleasant and it is a serious impact to people.
00:21:02.880 -->
00:21:11.839And I have kind of grown a pet heave of people using mental disorders to like dismiss their everyday forgetfulness or their everyday inattention.
00:21:12.000 -->
00:21:19.119Or let's be honest, like, were you really like scatterbrained and interrupting, or did you just not care about what the person in front of you is saying?
00:21:19.279 -->
00:21:21.039Like, be so honest with ourselves.
00:21:21.279 -->
00:21:28.960Sometimes I have that in presentations or classroom settings where someone is speaking and I'm like, I just can't sit still.
00:21:29.119 -->
00:21:34.000And it's not because I have ADHD, it's because I just am not interested in what is being presented to me.
00:21:34.160 -->
00:21:35.759And that is human.
00:21:35.920 -->
00:21:37.599We're allowed to feel disinterested.
00:21:37.680 -->
00:21:42.400We're allowed to feel like our brain wanders because we're not interested or stimulated by what's in front of us.
00:21:42.480 -->
00:21:43.440That is A okay.
00:21:43.599 -->
00:21:50.400However, ADHD is one where people don't have the joy of deciding what is interesting or not to them.
00:21:51.279 -->
00:22:00.640There are five reviews that I have seen in the scoping review that I looked at around ADHD and the Impacts.
00:22:00.720 -->
00:22:11.440So now if you're not familiar with what a scoping review is, a scoping review is a research paper written about all of the existing body of literature around a specific topic.
00:22:11.519 -->
00:22:13.680And this specific topic was ADHD.
00:22:14.160 -->
00:22:32.559Now poor educational outcomes have been consistently reported, academic risks have been demonstrated, like fewer bachelor's degrees or poorer educational performance, leaving school early, both at high school and college levels, repeating grades, meeting special education, or lower scores on achievement tests.
00:22:32.720 -->
00:22:35.519There's also a higher risk of dropping out of high school.
00:22:35.839 -->
00:22:47.359Now, one thing is that academic performances and achievement test outcomes are worse in individuals with untreated ADHD compared with non-ADHD controls.
00:22:47.680 -->
00:22:51.200And that was even when IQ difference was controlled for.
00:22:51.599 -->
00:22:56.720So just keeping in mind that ADHD is a very real mental illness that affects a lot of people.
00:22:56.880 -->
00:22:59.119And it's not just fun hee hee ha ha.
00:22:59.440 -->
00:22:59.759Okay.
00:23:00.240 -->
00:23:01.839This is people's lives.
00:23:02.000 -->
00:23:07.200And the more information we can get about ADHD and putting it out there, the more seriously we can take it.
00:23:07.279 -->
00:23:10.000And the better we can understand the people around us.
00:23:10.160 -->
00:23:20.480If you or someone in your classroom, whether you're a teacher or a student, has ADHD, hopefully this is kind of giving you a little bit more empathy for what someone with ADHD might be dealing with.
00:23:20.559 -->
00:23:25.519Outside of that TikTok influencer who has claimed to have ADHD five times in a row.
00:23:27.119 -->
00:23:37.839Now, when we think about common misconceptions of ADHD, some of the ones that I have seen come in is talking about ADHD being a childhood disorder.
00:23:38.079 -->
00:23:44.480So now, long-term studies of children diagnosed with ADHD show that ADHD is throughout the lifespan.
00:23:44.559 -->
00:23:46.880And this is something that I hinted out at the beginning.
00:23:47.200 -->
00:23:52.799Because when we think of ADHD, we think of young boys jumping off the walls in a classroom.
00:23:52.960 -->
00:23:57.599I don't know if that's what you see, but that's what I envision when I think about old school ADHD.
00:23:57.759 -->
00:24:02.480And the truth is, when you grow up, when you turn 18, ADHD doesn't just go away.
00:24:02.640 -->
00:24:04.640It's a lifetime disorder.
00:24:04.720 -->
00:24:19.359And it's something that requires constant revision, constant navigating different symptoms, and just trying to find tips and tactics that work for you, finding education or employment that works within what is comfortable for you.
00:24:19.519 -->
00:24:24.240It's really hard to fit into a mold that doesn't work for you when you do have ADHD.
00:24:24.720 -->
00:24:34.799Now, ADHD persists from childhood to adolescence in about 50 to 80% of cases and into adulthood in 35 to 65% of cases.
00:24:35.039 -->
00:24:38.799Now, this is data from a study that was 11 years ago.
00:24:38.880 -->
00:24:52.319So information might have come up since then that I'm not familiar with, but I'd be really curious to see if that has changed at all in the last 10 years because more mental health research is being done all the time and newer, newer information is always coming out.
00:24:53.599 -->
00:25:02.880Now, another common myth that we've kind of already hinted at that someone mentioned in our DMs is that ADHD is overdiagnosed.
00:25:03.119 -->
00:25:10.799Now, the rate of diagnosing ADHD in kiddos and children has increased about 5% every year.
00:25:11.519 -->
00:25:14.960And this has led a lot of people to wonder: is it being overdiagnosed?
00:25:15.039 -->
00:25:24.079Are people just like throwing out this trendy mental health label on everybody that walks through their office door, or is this something that we've just been missing for a really long time?
00:25:24.640 -->
00:25:37.200Now, there is a report based on the 2014 National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette syndrome that found that children are being carefully diagnosed by healthcare practitioners.
00:25:37.440 -->
00:25:45.519And the vast majority of children being diagnosed with ADHD have been diagnosed by practitioners using best practice guidelines.
00:25:45.759 -->
00:25:56.000So, again, all healthcare practitioners are following the same guidelines, the same symptoms for mental health issues, according to the DSM 5.
00:25:56.400 -->
00:26:11.119And if they're all using the same diagnostic criteria, then if someone's walking into their office and is meeting that diagnostic criteria, then there's a good chance that any other doctor following that same diagnostic criteria would diagnose that person.
00:26:11.359 -->
00:26:22.240Now, there's some reasons why that people may be being diagnosed at a higher rate, and that could be more screenings by pediatricians or primary caregivers or people at school systems.
00:26:22.720 -->
00:26:25.759There's also less stigma around mental health altogether.
00:26:25.920 -->
00:26:33.759So when people talk about being diagnosed with ADHD, being diagnosed with anything else, it is not as such a shocker.
00:26:34.160 -->
00:26:41.519You know, back in the day, like when I was in elementary school, if a child was being assessed for anything, it was such a huge stigma.
00:26:41.680 -->
00:26:48.160It would be really difficult for parents, and especially South Asian parents, to admit that there may be something wrong with their child health.
00:26:48.240 -->
00:26:50.240It's a scary thing to face.
00:26:50.640 -->
00:26:53.200And whether it's mental health or physical health, it doesn't matter.
00:26:53.440 -->
00:26:56.319It can be really difficult for parents to confront that factor.
00:26:56.480 -->
00:27:00.240And I mean, we see it even in second gen and third gen people.
00:27:00.400 -->
00:27:08.319It is a stigma that is just something that lasts forever because it's really scary to put a label on a child that is health related.
00:27:08.960 -->
00:27:11.200So there's also better treatment options.
00:27:11.279 -->
00:27:18.640So more people are willing to discuss it with healthcare practitioners because it's not like your kiddo is getting a label and they're stuck like that forever.
00:27:18.799 -->
00:27:24.079There's more and more options every day to treat and work with ADHD symptoms.
00:27:25.279 -->
00:27:35.200When it comes to ADHD, there's a lot of things that we have been just fed over the years that comes from a place of misinformation or a place of assumption.
00:27:35.279 -->
00:27:50.079And the goal of today's episode is to provide you accurate information about what ADHD is, what it can look like, how it impacts people, and kind of return to some of the seriousness that comes with being diagnosed with a mental disorder.
00:27:50.319 -->
00:28:01.839Now, I always feel a little bit icky saying like mental illness or mental disorder because it there's this weird connotation that just because you are diagnosed with a mental illness or mental disorder, that you can never have good mental health.
00:28:02.000 -->
00:28:03.680And that's just not true.
00:28:03.920 -->
00:28:06.880You can have a very happy, fulfilling life.
00:28:07.119 -->
00:28:16.400You are capable of having a happy, fulfilling life and having good mental health and good physical health, regardless of whether you're diagnosed with a mental illness or not.
00:28:16.640 -->
00:28:20.319And that's because they exist on two different spectrums.
00:28:20.880 -->
00:28:31.839And just because you are diagnosed with something like ADHD or someone around you is diagnosed with ADHD does not immediately mean that their life is so influenced that it's debilitating.
00:28:31.920 -->
00:28:41.359It definitely means that maybe some different accommodations are made, or maybe some leniency is given around certain things like interrupting or forgetting or losing track of time.
00:28:41.599 -->
00:28:56.079Now, all of that, of course, comes with a grain of salt, as it's just nice to be kind and flexible with the people around us because if we really wanted to spend time with that person, we would try and make adjustments to do so in a way that made sense for them as well.
00:28:56.640 -->
00:29:01.759Now, some other myths around ADHD come around children.
00:29:01.920 -->
00:29:07.279For example, children with ADHD are over medicated or that poor parenting causes ADHD.
00:29:07.440 -->
00:29:09.839And I'm here to tell you that those are myths.
00:29:10.079 -->
00:29:18.559So now a lot of evidence from research studies suggests that treating ADHD with medication um is appropriate.
00:29:18.720 -->
00:29:30.640Now, there's like 5.1 million children with the current diagnosis of ADHD in the USA, and 69% are taking medication for ADHD.
00:29:30.960 -->
00:29:46.720So there's also data from the National Comorbidity Survey uh for adolescent supplements, and that's again on the USA, which included over 10,000 adolescents age 13 to 18, and found that only 20% of those with ADHD received stimulants.
00:29:46.880 -->
00:29:57.759Now, this is important to remember because a lot of people with ADHD receive stimulant medication, and um, they are a type of methamphetamine, and that is a controlled substance.
00:29:57.920 -->
00:30:01.440So some people are really concerned about giving medication to their children.
00:30:01.519 -->
00:30:04.240But what's really important to know that it is a controlled substance.
00:30:04.400 -->
00:30:11.279And if you're working with a pediatrician or child psychiatrist, um, they can help you manage those doses.
00:30:11.359 -->
00:30:29.039And if you have concerns about those doses, it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion from a different uh psychiatrist or different pediatrician just to get an input on it because everybody has a different approach and some things are standardized, and it's really comforting to know what is standard and what is unusual.
00:30:29.200 -->
00:30:32.559And of course, ADHD can be treated without medication.
00:30:32.720 -->
00:30:36.640A lot of people learn to navigate their symptoms in other ways, and that's okay too.
00:30:36.799 -->
00:30:41.519It's entirely someone's choice whether or not they want to be medicated for ADHD.
00:30:41.759 -->
00:30:45.119Another thing is that people assume that ADHD is because of poor parenting.
00:30:45.200 -->
00:30:52.000You're not being strict enough with your kids, you're not disciplining your kids, you're not providing a stable or routine enough environment for your children.
00:30:52.319 -->
00:31:02.079And a lot of research studies point to genetic and neurological factors to being main causes of ADHD rather than social factors like parenting.
00:31:02.319 -->
00:31:16.079So it's really important to note that parenting practices do not cause ADHD, but they can make ADHD um or ADHD comorbid disorders like oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder much worse.
00:31:16.160 -->
00:31:18.240So that is something to think about.
00:31:19.359 -->
00:31:47.440Now it has been an eventful day, and something has come to my attention, and that is that I can be a little bit kind of uh maybe aggressive or just like very passionate about ADHD and like protecting the fact that it is a diagnosable mental disorder because it can be really dismissive to talk about, oh yeah, I'm so sorry, I forgot about that deadline, it's my ADHD, or sorry, I've been having such an ADHD week.
00:31:47.599 -->
00:31:49.680I cannot remember anything for the life of me.
00:31:49.920 -->
00:31:58.960It can be a little bit dismissive of people who do have ADHD and are struggling to navigate this very neurotypical society with it all the time.
00:31:59.279 -->
00:32:03.920So just keep in mind that there's a lot of misinformation that happens around ADHD.
00:32:04.079 -->
00:32:08.160A lot of people assume that ADHD is only in boys, and that's not true.
00:32:08.400 -->
00:32:16.640It's only in the past few decades that more research and girls and women are being recognized as facing ADHD as well.
00:32:16.880 -->
00:32:19.599And I say facing it, I mean like having ADHD.
00:32:20.000 -->
00:32:28.480It's important to remember that the internet is always not the most accurate form of information around mental health or disorders.
00:32:28.559 -->
00:32:44.640So always talk to your healthcare professional, talk to your family doc, go to a walk-in clinic, talk to a psychologist, a psychiatrist, call Healthlink 811 if you're looking for resources, and just be open to the fact that a label isn't all of who you are.
00:32:44.799 -->
00:32:49.759It might help make things make sense, but it doesn't become everything about you.
00:32:50.079 -->
00:32:57.440You are an individual with a lot of different life experiences, different connections, and you're a different person to every person around you.
00:32:57.599 -->
00:33:04.160So you're a child, you might be a parent, you might be a niece, nephew, cousin, aunt, uncle.
00:33:04.480 -->
00:33:08.000And you're so much more than just a mental health disorder.
00:33:08.160 -->
00:33:15.519So it doesn't have to be everything, but also if it is everything, that's okay too, because it does significantly impact your life.
00:33:15.680 -->
00:33:19.039This has been Grigit, and this has been Welding Wednesday.
