[sideblinded]

As a newly diagnosed person with ADHD, I am noticing some odd reactions from mental health workers who have privy to my ADHD diagnosis. Maybe I am wrong but if I ask a question to understand a situation, I have been hurried and the worker acts as if I am asking too much. Are they possibly thinking I need a huge explanation because they think I may be slow?

ADD or ADHD does not equal unintelligent!

Has anyone with ADD or ADHD felt that they have been treated as if they are unintelligent or have people been rude?

[Travelinglady]

Wow, you'd think these folks should know better!

[sideblinded]

Yeah, I think the ones whom I was talking to were not professionals. Who knows, maybe they are like this to everyone.

[Soy bien]

Originally Posted by SideBlinded

Yeah, I think the ones whom I was talking to were not professionals. Who knows, maybe they are like this to everyone.

I had a co-worker tell me that he thought ADD was the same as retardation.

[Teacake]

Originally Posted by SideBlinded

As a newly diagnosed person with ADHD, I am noticing some odd reactions from mental health workers who have privy to my ADHD diagnosis. Maybe I am wrong but if I ask a question to understand a situation, I have been hurried and the worker acts as if I am asking too much. Are they possibly thinking I need a huge explanation because they think I may be slow?

ADD or ADHD does not equal unintelligent!o
Has anyone with ADD or ADHD felt that they have been treated as if they are unintelligent or have people been rude?

Ive heard such idiocy about ADHD from mental health professionals including "you arent disabled because you have skills" "i dont believe you have ADHD. You are too smart" and my favorite, "your attention and concentration are well above average". I said "i know but my attention and concentration are far inferior to my Memory. Isn't that significant?". "oh. Yes it is". "is it indicative of ADD?". I got the cow face. My god how i hate the cow face."

Eventually you will find yourself shouting at them, "I dont have ADD. You are just boring!".

Yes. The dumb ones stereotype you based on your dx. Someone ought to do an experiment. Send the same actor behaving the same way with different diagnoses on his récords. Where hes ptsd he will be recorded as having acute stress reaction. Where hes borderline he will be reported to be having general anxiety. Where he is bipolar they will call him manic. If hes black they will call him hostile.

People are dumb.

[Teacake]

I'm so sick of mental health people. I tell them my iq and what my kiddo does for a living and they cow tow. This is why as much as possible i treat myself and avoid them.

The recipe for amphetamine used to be online. Maybe we should cook our own medicine and keep our diagnoses to ourselves. OK, maybe not. But it would save us a lot of aggravation. Until we blow up the kitchen.

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by Soy bien

I had a co-worker tell me that he thought ADD was the same as retardation.

Wow! This is truly upsetting. Too much ignorance surrounds all mental health. ADHD is not left out! Sorry you had that experience.


ADHD
MDD
GAD

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by Teacake

I'm so sick of mental health people. I tell them my iq and what my kiddo does for a living and they cow tow. This is why as much as possible i treat myself and avoid them.

The recipe for amphetamine used to be online. Maybe we should cook our own medicine and keep our diagnoses to ourselves. OK, maybe not. But it would save us a lot of aggravation. Until we blow up the kitchen.

LOL...I hear your frustration. I guess it isn't just me, then. Absolutely incredible.

Take care

[Teacake]

Originally Posted by SideBlinded

As a newly diagnosed person with ADHD, I am noticing some odd reactions from mental health workers who have privy to my ADHD diagnosis. Maybe I am wrong but if I ask a question to understand a situation, I have been hurried and the worker acts as if I am asking too much. Are they possibly thinking I need a huge explanation because they think I may be slow?

ADD or ADHD does not equal unintelligent!

Has anyone with ADD or ADHD felt that they have been treated as if they are unintelligent or have people been rude?

Mental health workers are slow. They aren't stigmatising you. They are speaking to you at their level.

I wasn't aware that they aren't very smart. I'm old. I remember when a "mental health worker" was a psychologist or psychiatrist or a priest/nun or rabbi with nine college degrees and a certificate in counseling or something.

I also felt mental health workers were putting me down or balking at doing their job. It made me very angry. Now I feel sorry I was so critical of people who were doing the very best they could. It wasn't good enough, but that really isn't the fault of individual workers.

It's like public education. Teacher writes 1-12 on the board and wants to know which of Them can be evenly divided by 2. The brightest kid says all of them and all too often ends up feeling like tberes something wrong with him he isn't very good with school. If he's a daydreamer...or a little ADD....

Keep looking for brighter than average mental health workers and in the meantime put your ego in your pocket and don't show that you are offended. Try not to be offended. Feel kindness and tnlenderness. It will build your character.

[sideblinded]

Originally Posted by Teacake

Mental health workers are slow. They aren't stigmatising you. They are speaking to you at their level.

I wasn't aware that they aren't very smart. I'm old. I remember when a "mental health worker" was a psychologist or psychiatrist or a priest/nun or rabbi with nine college degrees and a certificate in counseling or something.

I also felt mental health workers were putting me down or balking at doing their job. It made me very angry. Now I feel sorry I was so critical of people who were doing the very best they could. It wasn't good enough, but that really isn't the fault of individual workers.

It's like public education. Teacher writes 1-12 on the board and wants to know which of Them can be evenly divided by 2. The brightest kid says all of them and all too often ends up feeling like tberes something wrong with him he isn't very good with school. If he's a daydreamer...or a little ADD....

Keep looking for brighter than average mental health workers and in the meantime put your ego in your pocket and don't show that you are offended. Try not to be offended. Feel kindness and tnlenderness. It will build your character.

Yeah I agree. To me it is like taking a number...even with a therapist. I mean it is sad. I really am not looking for real empathy or sympathy for that matter. I am just more (work load) for them. I don't mean to sound so negative but that is how I feel.

I am going to a new T without too much of an expectation. I also feel that the real work comes from within ourselves. I am hoping that my T can help point me in the right direction so I can look at the most relevant issues. I am still hopeful about therapy, though.