You Think TikTok Diagnosed Your ADHD
TikTok has brought a ton of awareness to Anxiety and ADHD, in addition to many other mental health conditions like depression, PTSD, and other neurodivergencies. Its quick clips and eye-catching videos keep your attention. Creators pass along bits of information that are surprisingly insightful and relatable. The style of videos in addition to the information passing has resulted in a large neurodivergent community on the app.
Why is this? ADHD is a mental health condition that presents differently for everyone. Usually, it results in executive dysfunction, difficulty with emotional intensity and identification, and a bunch of childhood scars/trauma. ADHD results from two things: a lack of dopamine and nor-epinephrine. Dopamine is responsible for your pleasure and reward portion. Nor-Epinephrine calms and relaxes the nervous system to improve thinking and increase intentional acting. Lacking both of these causes inaction, difficulty with decision making, and doing activities that are rewarding. TikTok’s app is primed for this. Short bursts of rewarding videos in combination suck viewers in to avoid difficulties with the day-to-day world and brings people to a sense of community.
TikTok’s appraisal of ADHD and Anxiety symptoms can be difficult, however. There are some great creators, many of them experts in the mental health field, helping others better identify and find resources. It is important to take these with a grain of salt. As with everything on the internet, it’s important to talk to professionals and trusted persons about what you’re experiencing to find help and seek solutions. Here are three things I recommend to do after feeling as though TikTok Diagnosed your ADHD and Anxiety.
Its Okay To Feel Relieved
Tiktok has highlighted the pressure that ADHD and Anxiety hold.. It may feel you have the weight of the world somedays. If you feel like you finally have a word for what you’re experiencing, that’s perfectly okay. Feel that sense of relief. Labels can hold a lot of stigmas. They also bring a sense of being seen and knowing that you are not crazy for what you experience. A lot of people don’t get why you have 5 Journals that are all have started. Or that you left your keys in the fridge for some reason. There are people that are familiar with what you experience, including professionals.
Talk to Your Mental Health Providers
If a professional is up on the latest trends, they should know about this wave of ADHD persons finally having answers as adults. When you say Tiktok diagnosed your ADHD and Anxiety, it should be met with open arms and curiosity. Bring it up to them and let them know why you think you have ADHD. When doing this, it’s important to advocate for yourself. A simple google search can help you find an ADHD self-assessment, which helps lead to a more in-depth conversation. Your provider will likely do their own assessment too, and that’s okay. Talk to your primary doctor. Find a good ADHD Therapist that provides engaging and helpful therapies.
Keep Seeking Help For Your Tiktok diagnosed ADHD and Anxiety
Even if ADHD or Anxiety is not the appropriate diagnosis for what you experience, getting help for your symptoms is still important. Find a therapist that can help you explore this further. A good therapist can help undo a lot of the past hurts that you have built on this journey of life. There are many different types of therapies out there that aren’t just talking about your thoughts and feelings. Do a little bit of research and talk to some therapists to find the help you deserve.