I got my official diagnosis as autistic yesterday. :infinity_rainbow: Im happy with the diagnosis and relieved to be done with this anxiety indulcing assessment process. And (in theory) the diagnosis gives me access to some legal protections, like asking for accommodations at work, which is why I decided to get assessed in the first place.
I was also assessed for ADHD. Even though all my ADHD assessments show a high probability of having ADHD, and that the ADHD characteristics I present have a significant negative impact on my life. I was not diagnosed with ADHD as well.
According to the psychologist who did my assessment, a person with ADHD could not have accomplished the things I have accomplished. From her perspective, I was able to keep my life together enough over the years, and all the ADHD related characteristics I present are due to autism + anxiety and depression. 🤷🏻
This all seems very arbitrary and ableist to me. I know that some professionals would use those very same arguments to say that I'm not autistic.
For the past few months, even without an official diagnosis, I have had access to ADHD treatment and have been taking ritalin. The drug has had a significant positive impact on my ability to do tasks that require I focus for more than 15 minutes, like programming, studying, or practicing art. Before, even if I was really interested in those tasks, I either would not be able to do them or I would do them but be miserable all along because I would be fighting myself all the way. With ritalin, I get to do those tasks Im interested in and actually enjoy them, which bring me such joy and relief. If my access to this treatment is now cut, I'll have to seek out a second opinion.
@clouddweller@gato@adhd@actuallyautistic I believe whether there are legal protections or not depends on where you live, which is not necessarily the same as where you live
@sudoreboot@actuallyautistic@gato@adhd it seems very regional. I live in Pennsylvania, US in a town those of us with disabilities call antianthropic. I was walking on the sidewalk yesterday and had to switch sides of the road three times because construction pushed out to the street. Unlike many cities there is no requirement to make a lane for pedestrians. This is an example of how little disability rights tend to matter in Pennsylvania.
@chrisrory@coach@adhd
I've noticed the differences in generics for the first time recently, too. Not only can they have less active ingredient, but they can have up to 25% more absorption, and that's not good either! One generic manufacturer hits me way too hard, and the side effects are much more noticable.
I think it might be better to have transparent drawers. If it's not visible, it's hard to see what's not in it, and it's hard to take it out, isn't it? I think.
I am not excellent at planning a complex schedule—it's been a lifelong challenge riddled with disorganization and sprint fixations with #planners. My current planner is the longest I've ever used a planner consistently for—3 quarters! The two things that are different than previous attempts are adding buffers to my schedule and trying to break down tasks. It's a work in progress that I am proud of. @audhd@adhd
AuDHD humans get less support than needed. This is mainly due to our being socialized from an earlier age and grossly being misdiagnosed and taken care of our entire lives.
