"ADHD reflects a distinct neurotype-a different way of processing information and regulating attention and impulses-which makes it far more challenging to meet these expectations. Socially, the response has been to assume that this behavior clash is due to a lack of willpower or discipline, rather than fundamental brain differences. Individuals with ADHD are then forced to operate in a system that sees their inability to keep up with their companions as a moral failing"
"Early depictions of ADHD described children as having a 'defect of moral control' (Still, 1902). This moralistic lens shaped public attitudes, which still persist, that children with ADHD were willfully defiant, not neurologically different. This viewpoint has created a shadow under which neurodiverse individuals still live. The myth that people with ADHD just need to try harder is damaging to their mental health. It fosters shame, self-blame"
Western culture emphasizes self-control, productivity, punctuality, and consistency, leading to ostracism of those who cannot meet these expectations. ADHD constitutes a distinct neurotype characterized by different information processing and regulation of attention and impulses, which makes meeting these expectations challenging. Historical framing labeled ADHD as a 'defect of moral control' (Still, 1902), producing enduring stigma that interprets symptoms as willful defiance. The myth that people with ADHD just need to try harder fosters shame and self-blame and damages mental health. Recognizing ADHD as a neurotype reveals strengths—creativity, innovation, and adaptability—and supports earlier diagnosis and reduced stigma.
Read at Psychology Today
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