in her column Sorry, ADHD (25/6) Floor Rusman downplays the impact of this form of neurodivergence by suggesting that more and more people are “happy” with their ADHD diagnosis. That is unnecessarily biased. She explains the search for a diagnosis with the general tendency to ‘catch up’ and ‘stick labels’. Finding an explanation in your diagnosis equates them to believing in your “horoscope.” She talks about “seeking an excuse for your shortcomings” – the title of the column. ADHD is a serious neurological disorder. The implications go far beyond the inconvenience of losing things or forgetting appointments. Loneliness, anxiety – even depression. There’s something presumptuous about saying that the increasing focus on accepting one’s own neurodiversity is a “sympathetic development.” Somehow I feel that Floor Rusman is trying to make a case for everyone who can call themselves neurodiverse. She is, however, ambiguous in this regard.
If you dismiss ADHD as a trending topic, you are doing its carriers a huge disservice.
Amsterdam
A version of this article also appeared in the newspaper of June 30, 2022