If we are unable or unwilling toconform,we face ridicule and punishment.
People withattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder(ADHDers) often find ourselves frustrated and irritated for a variety of reasons.
As a psychologist with ADHD, I understand this both from a professional perspective and through my lived experience.
Verywell / Zoe Hansen
Here are six things that many ADHDers find irritating.
The most popular answer was slow walkers.
Research shows that ADHDers have distinct gait patterns compared to non-ADHD peers, and we tend to walk faster.
Many of us also struggle withpatience and waiting.
This combination makes walking behind someone whose gait is slower than ours infuriating.
If you are able, move to the side.
We are not trying to bother you.
We just want to pass and get to where we are going.
Being Interrupted
As the name suggests, many ADHDers struggle with attention.
This is sometimes calledfloworhyperfocus, and it is not an exclusively ADHD experience.
I was just getting going when someone or something else demanded my attention!
Now, I have to start over.
(My husband came into my office and interrupted me while I was writing that paragraph.)
after we’ve finished up an email or are taking a snack break) to check in with us.
One piece of unsolicited feedback that I get from strangers sometimes is that they dont think I have ADHD.
First, you are not inside their head, so you do not know their experience.
Second, chances are you are not qualified to make that determination.
And third, is that really a helpful thought to share?
you’re free to commiserate and empathize without offering feedback (unless we specifically ask for it).
When someone discloses to you that they arediagnosed with ADHD, what assumptions do you make about them?
Be mindful and take steps to counter yourableism.
Misinformation from Professionals
I know it can be difficult to find accurate information in todays world.
Even seemingly reputable sources often share misinformation.
At the same time, I often see misinformation about ADHD shared by self-proclaimed experts in my own field.
you could commiserate and empathize without offering feedback (unless we specifically ask for it).
If you want to be less irritating to the ADHDers in your life, listen to them.
Taylor A.The metaphor of civic threat: intellectual disability and education for citizenship.
In: Ware L, ed.Critical Readings in Interdisciplinary Disability Studies.
Springer International Publishing; 2020:53-67.
2022;35(4):935-947.
