Obviously it's characterized as a disorder, but I really think that perspective should be challenged.
Like autism, the diagnostic criteria are almost exclusively framed in how other people are impacted or inconvenienced by it. Very little attention is paid to the experience of the person actually living with it.
I see it as a difference, but not necessarily a disorder. As someone with "severe" ADHD there are tons of things that I'm substantially better at than I would be if not for the condition.
I believe ADHD is "rising" because our culture has grown more homogenous in recent decades, resulting in people with ADHD attempting to adapt to environments that are designed for and run by people without ADHD.
Do you have ADHD? Because as someone that has it, it's definitely very much something that heavily impacts the individual with it, and not just society.
It's hard to consistent do things, form habits, maintain attention. You have almost a lack of object permanence, a hard time remembering long-term memories, etc. There are so many problems it causes that aren't even occupational related but lead to negative outcomes outside of your personal engagement in social and economic environments.
Yes, society isn't really designed for folks with ADHD, but also the prevalence of ADHD was somewhat disguised by the fact that mental health had a social stigma and that smoking was incredibly common and people were basically microdosing stimulants every hour as such. It's not that shocking to think that the decline in smoking made adhd much more apparent.
I think you are half right. The criteria for hyperactive type seem to match what you are saying, but the criteria for inattentive type are more about the patient.
My symptoms are all about how they are holding me back, and nothing about how they inconvenience the people around me.
Like autism, the diagnostic criteria are almost exclusively framed in how other people are impacted or inconvenienced by it. Very little attention is paid to the experience of the person actually living with it.
I see it as a difference, but not necessarily a disorder. As someone with "severe" ADHD there are tons of things that I'm substantially better at than I would be if not for the condition.
I believe ADHD is "rising" because our culture has grown more homogenous in recent decades, resulting in people with ADHD attempting to adapt to environments that are designed for and run by people without ADHD.