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johnwalkrtoday at 12:30 AM3 repliesview on HN

I want to add that the comment is also funny to me because it and the blog post are very relatable to me. I don't mean to dismiss it at all. It's really important to get a good diagnosis for anything like this and not dismiss it or lock into the wrong diagnosis because of your own tunnel vision.

You wrote "the test is quick, easy, and painless" but I also want to note that it's not always. Depending on your country, parents, specific doctor, etc it can be very difficult to get a proper diagnosis and help. In some places a big criteria is diagnosis during childhood so if you're 30 or 40 you might have no chance. Or a chance but it depends on your parents retroactively answering a questionnaire, or finding an old report card with the right words.

As you said it's life changing to get the right help and I encourage everyone to pursue this.


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subarctictoday at 5:36 AM

Why is it so life changing to get help? What kind of help is there besides meds?

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jaggederesttoday at 12:53 AM

The thing is, the test is super quick and easy. And then they throw 50 procedurally complex and tedious tasks at someone who can definitionally not do that, and they know that. Kafkaesque.

Btw no criticism implied on my end, I'm just now constitutionally incapable of not telling people they should get screened. Hmmm I wonder why I have difficulty resisting that urge...

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NortySpocktoday at 3:22 AM

" diagnosis during childhood so if you're 30 or 40 you might have no chance "

Huh? You don't have to be tested as-a-child, you don't have to call up your fourth grade teacher. You can self report your subjective experience.

"Did you have these problems as a child? Have you always had trouble doing your homework? Did stressing out about homework enable you to do the homework?"

They ask the question a few different ways typically.

I get it, perhaps it is different in your area, but I get the impression that an adult ADHD diagnosis is far from impossible.

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