Stigma and ADHD. Wait a minute, isn’t stigma similar to predudice? The definition of stigma is judging based health, mental health or physical characteristics. So yes they are similar, but slightly different…..
We all see predudice and stigma if we watch the evening news. Can you think of some examples? Are we all guilty of some sort of judgements or opinions about other people that may or may not be true? Given this venue, it seems safe to say that no matter what I might give as an example, there will some that can see these as “true” and some that disagree.
Perhaps for us as ADDers’ the worst stigma we suffer is self talk, self image that leads to problems. All our life we have received messages that scream, “work harder” !!! make more lists !!!! Can’t you think faster, clearer, WHAT’S WRONG with YOU!!!!! Often, we accept these messages, and they become our self talk. We become victims of our own self image and self fullfillling prophecies.
There are certainly people with ADHD and other mental illness challenges that get advaced degrees, own successful businesses, have great relationships and balanced lives. I will use myself as an example, I have 2 advanced degrees and ended my carreer as a Family Practice Provider. Yet, not untill I was able to really dive deep into my self image, self talk and explore my past present and future in the past 5-10 years, did those pesky self talk, self image demons begin to fade. The scar are still there psychically, that’s for sure. Life is a journey.
For me the message is, we need to recognize ourselves and others with neurospicy conditions as not necesarrially flawed or broken, but as different.
DIFFERENT, with talents, strengths and potential often left in the dirt of addictions, homelessness, shame and stigma.
Today’s call is WAKE UP, and know that that self talk and messages from society could be and most likely are inaccurate.
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