Blog posts that transform our understanding of ADHD

We reflect on our most important and popular blog posts as ADDitude celebrates its 25th anniversary. These essays, written by people from all walks of life, validate, inspire, make you laugh, reflect and help define your understanding of ADHD and related conditions.

By ADDitude EditorsUpdated October 11, 2023

"My Kid is 'That Kid"

Mary White

In ADDitude's most popular blog, a mom introduces us to "that kid", the child with special needs who has difficulty making friends and for whom teachers and parents have issued stern warnings. This blogger is the mother of two "that kids" - a child with special needs who has trouble making friends.

She writes: "I can see it all, like the tired look on the face of the teacher as she brings my child up to me and lists the dozens of rules that he has broken." I have seen my sons trying to connect with other children on the playground. Their excitement at being included creates energy that they must release in the form of shrieks, screams, and loud laughter.

Her plea: Take time to get acquainted with "that kid." You won't be sorry.

Read "My Kid Is 'That Kid'

Related Readings and Resources

Read: "10 Things people say to you when raising an extreme child."

Please let him make just one friend.

Read: "My Child's Neurodivergence is Not a Decision." "My Empathy is."

"Inattentive ADHD Me"

By Tim Beshara

What is it like to have inattentive ADHD and not be aware of it until adulthood?

Tim Beshara writes in this raw, relatable post that ADHD profoundly impacts his life in all areas, from his academics to his relationships. One reader said, "This article is like someone has entered my mind and written about what they have found."

Despite a lifetime's worth of challenges, Tim has a positive attitude: "It wouldn't have hurt to know sooner, but it is too late now." But I will try to find my way out of it all."

Read "Inattentive ADHD Me"

Related Readings and Resources

You can read 5 Signs of ADHD Inattentive Type

Blog: "Inattentive ADHD According to a Twelve-Year-Old Boy"

Book: Inattentive ADHD: A Guide for Adults. An essential guide to the underdiagnosed and undertreated subtype

"Side effects may include Judgment, stigma, and humiliation."

Samantha Hines

The pharmacy is where people with ADHD who seek treatment are often judged and shamed. In 2014, when the author of this post requested additional doses of ADHD medication for her 8-year-old child, a pharmacist described the medication as "narcotic." It's still true today.

Hines writes, "Parents with ADHD and people with ADHD are not immune from it, even though they may not be strangers to judgment." There is something incredibly raw about a pharmacy encounter, where the product that causes the most confusion and prejudice tends to be the one you pick up. My son isn't a drug addict, and neither am I a dealer.

This piece reminds us that while awareness of ADHD, mental health issues and other neurodevelopmental conditions is growing, much must be done to eliminate the stigma associated with the disease.

Read "Side effects may include Judgment and Stigma, Humiliation."

Related Readings and Resources

Read "The Stigma Around Adderall is Real ..."

Here's the real reason why ADHD medication supply is falling behind demand

Adderall shortage: What to do?

I could have been myself for so much longer.

By Leslye Folmar-Harris, Ed. M.

Folmar-Harris is an accomplished teacher who has displayed signs of ADHD from childhood. She was diagnosed only in adulthood, a sad reality for many women of colour. She explores the reasons for her late diagnosis in this blog, from cultural attitudes to internalized stigma.

She writes, "I also refused to consider that I might have ADHD because, let's be honest, you can't have ADHD and be Black in America." "I have already had to overcome many barriers because of my race. What would I do if it turned out that I had ADHD? What would happen if I was diagnosed with ADHD?

The author acknowledges it is easy to get caught up in wondering "what might have been" if the diagnosis had come sooner. She's also given herself another chance. "You can either focus on what you might have been," writes the writer, "or on how much you accomplished despite it all."

You can read, "I could have been myself for so much longer."

Related Readings and Resources

I blamed my struggles on my mixed-race background. "Then I was diagnosed with ADHD."

Read: We need to talk about ADHD stigma in BIPOC communities

I Cried. I Crying. I failed. Then I was diagnosed - and reborn.

"In Defense Of The Nap Year"

"It is hard for me to explain Liam's nap year, his gap year. The people don't know what I mean by post-traumatic stress disorder. I only see raised eyebrows and have to shake off the guilt that Liam is not in college with his friends. "But where he's at right now, with us, resetting and resting feels right."

This anonymous blog entry tells the story of Liam. He is a child with two exceptionalities (2e) whose academic journey has been marked by many challenges. After completing high school, which was once thought impossible, and getting into the college of his choice, Liam decides to take a year off. This decision is unconventional for some but perfect for him.

Read "In Defense of the Nap Year".

Related Readings and Resources

You don't have to start college immediately (or at all!)

Read about the glorious return of the gap year.

You may also like: What are the best options for my teen after high school?

Free Download: How To Secure ADHD Accommodations at College

"RSD has blessed me with an immense capacity for feeling -- and I am grateful."

By Taylor Maurand

RSD, a term used to describe extreme emotional pain as a response to criticism (real or perceived), is a common symptom of ADHD. RSD can affect marriages, friendships, and even job searches.

This blog post, which takes a strengths-based approach to RSD, says there is some silver lining. Maurand writes, "I am grateful for my RSD." She wrote this article after a late ADHD diagnosis. "I am blessed with a great capacity for emotion, which I cherish." It has made me stronger and more empathic...I know what appeared to be my 'weakness,' was, in fact, my greatest strength.

Read, "RSD has blessed me with an immense capacity for feeling -- and I am grateful."

Related Readings and Resources

Download Free: Understanding Rejection-Sensitive Dysphoria

Q&A: "I Can't Handle Rejection. Will I ever change?

Blog: "Have you overreacted?" Big Time? "5 Ways to Rectify Anger Outbursts".