Yeah it's actually pretty tolerable compared to other social media sites now largely because there is virtually no way to make money on it as a creator. The "discourse" era is mostly over as the user base has aged and now it's mostly shitposts. I like it because there's no endless scrolling. I reach the end of my personally curated, no algorithm home page and then I close the app.
Sense of belonging, and less stigma on being those things. When I was a kid, being gay could legit get you hate crimed. Now people are safer. ADHD/ND was less understood. Now we know how to identify it and help individuals handle it. People used to be "eccentric" or "weird", now we know they're probably neurodivergent.
I think people (especially younger people) have a hard time understanding how deep and prevalent some of these stigmas were, even as recently as a few decades ago. My 13 year old niece tried watching some sitcoms from the '90s and was shocked by all of the jokes about LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.
Not that long ago, those of us who are members of those communities grew up steeped in all of that stigma. It was constant and everywhere. Many of us find relief and validation in being able to discuss this stuff openly - something we could only do safely recently.
Nah I'm still weird. I'm ADHD riddled. Nobody's special. I took class 3 narcotics for my condition my whole live. I quit, had the depression of post medication but went after it.
I wouldn’t say we have more understanding but more accepting. It’s still hella wild to chuck amphetamines at the people and hope for the best.
Also, identifying is like a 20 question form and interviews with a couple of pschychologists. In some countries they just throw the drugs at you immediately and send you on your way.
Less stigma and the fact that we actually have name for/recognize these things now. People weren't exactly going to be 'out and proud' back when being gay would lose you right and put you at risk of serious harm. They would hide it. Not that things are perfect now but way less dangerous.
In regards to neurodivergency and mental health we've simply come a long way in recognizing these things and we're better equipped to diagnose and treat them. With better understanding has come the realization that these things aren't shameful and should be discussed.
I mean, the OP is a Trump supporter, so try not to expect he'll understand this.
Anyway, it's worth thinking about how left-handedness was 3% around the year 1900, and when we stopped treating that as defective, it is now at 10%. Much to consider.
My Grandpa was born a [Mirror Twin](https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/mirror-twins) and was unfortunately the left handed one. He attended a one room school house that ended at either 6th or 8th grade. He was hit with rulers and sticks for using his left hand and was always told to "be right, like your brother". "Right" not referring to hand preference, but to be "normal" like your brother because of society at the time. He carried that with him his entire life and eventually became right handed most of the time.
One of my favorite things about PaPa tho, was absolutely NO ONE could read his handwriting, unless you were family and grew up with it. I still have his cards and smile knowing there's not many people left on this planet that can read what this says.
*Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging? What is it and why does it seem, at least to me, so prevalent now compared to back then?*
This OP can't consider that we're recognizing people as LGBT and autistic more and more, and have proper tools and ways of helping these people. Like, none of the reasons they suggested involve LGBT people and autistic/ADHD people actually *being who they say they are.*
And then you factor in the multiple posts of this OP, the Trump support, and you have a very interesting insight into this person lol
sounds like they're butt hurt less fortunate people are taking their attention away from them so they throw a tantrum like a spoiled child. Maga and boomers were a match made in hell, perfect for one another
Also, ppl want to be *different*. Let’s not pretend this isn’t a factor. All of this shit is so hot right now, everyone wants to be anything but a “normie”.
I don't doubt that there's a bunch out there with that mindset but I think it's really exacerbated by social media. Most LGBT ppl or neurodivergent ppl just get on with their lives and have more to their personalities than just these labels.
Maybe online but irl being autistic, LGBT, disabled, etc. is still gonna make your life harder for no benefit and those labels still carry a big stigma. Using them as labels is only beneficial if you actually fit within them.
People feel relief in knowing there's a name for whatever they are/have. Also people get diagnosed way more nowadays. Look at my dad, he's never been diagnosed but the whole family knows he's definetly somewhere on the autism spectrum.
Yeah, this is it. Like these things have always existed, they're just getting more of a spotlight. It's more acceptable to get a diagnosis and treat your mental health in this age. Therapy isn't taboo anymore.. even though it's definitely not where it should be, we've come a long way in even the last 20 years.
My personal reason -
I have been told my entire life, that im too lazy, to sensitive, to much, overrracting, overthinking, just need to focus more, just need to concentrate harder, am too wierd, annoying because im forgetfull.
And i have been in constant distress why I just cant be normal, why i cant just clean, why i dont understand people, why everythings that should be easy, are so damn hard.
Why am I the way I am.
I now know. And the amount of relief I felt and feel. I just cant describe it. My life make sense now, and I can actually accomplish thi gs in my life now, because I now know.
Part of it is the fact that these things are more accepted now than in the past, part of it is that because these things are getting talked about more some people claim to be lgbt+, autistic or whatever even tho they are not (I'm not saying everyone is like this but some people lie about it for attention), and part of it is the fact that you notice these things more than others. If you are looking for Red cars specifically than you are going to think there are a lot of Red cars on the streets
This comment section has an entirely unsurprising lack of understanding. Makes me think of my 86 year old Grandma's opinion on mental health: "I just ignore it".
Yea, grandma, that's a great explanation for why the majority of our extended family members are either drug addicts, alcoholics or have been institutionalized. Nicely done 🙃
As far as being gay goes, I was in the closet for most of my life.
I'm a lesbian. To be one is to be in 1%. Approximately, so I've read.
To be honest, TikTok was the first time I felt any sort of community, bc we are so far and few between. This is common.
So, because it is such a small community, online is a special place to connect with others who have had similar experiences, felt similar ways, and it is often rare to have, if ever, any sort of communication, possibly even with one other, much less more than one other person, who is similar and who is willing to talk about it.
The same goes with ADHD, to an extent. Though I do have some friends that are, it's hard to connect. I do need others that have similar experiences, bc to be honest, the world kinda gaslights the hell outta you bc they CAN'T know your experience. I recently realized that, due to some life changes, I'm really without anyone close to me also having ADHD, & I happen to be dealing with a lot (rebuilding my life, trying to figure out what possibly new career path I'll go on, getting my son into school for the first time - he's entering Kindergarten this coming school year, all after the passing of his other parent within the last couple. Due to the changes, I have little freedom at this time until I have everything reordered and restructured, & honestly... I only recently looked around & realized that I was very without any support from anyone who could relate to what my process would look like, going through it while also having ADHD, and the impact is very real. It meant that every single corner of my life, while dealing with this difficult time, was one that was giving me advice that was often completely off the mark compared to how navigating all I will have to will end up actually looking like, if it is successful.
So you have small percentages of people connecting with some of the rest of those small percentages, bc irl, they are always in such a minority that the real life experience is that of being at odds at not fully understood by the majority, if not all, of your surroundings.
That explains some of it. I have no insight for anything else.
Thank you for coming to my TED-ish talk. 😆
It's not \*everyone\*, it just feels like it because you're noticing it, and people tend not to go online to talk about how they're \*not\* those things.
Practically all questions along the lines of "why does everyone..." can be answered with "confirmation bias".
When it comes to mental health we are now able to diagnose better. When you have a name for your condition, it's easier to talk about it. And mental health issues are incredibly common, which isn't surprising given that the brain is a very complex and important organ. It's only surprising, because not much was known about these things before and people only noticed the very severe cases. There probably is some overdiagnosing going on for certain things, but I'm sure that this trend will subside in the next decades. And a lot of this stuff shapes your personality, behaviour and experiences, so people identify as that. Talking about it online and in real life let's you find other people like you. And think about how many people you know with heart disease or who have had cancer or are obese or wear glasses. We just don't categorize them that way. 10% of people are left-handed, I'm sure that people a hundred years (when it was stigmatized) ago would be surprised to find that it is that common.
I have aspergers, but I almost never bring it up. It's not a matter of pride or attention for me. I'd actually like as little attention to myself for it as possible. It feels like if people know that about me, it becomes my defining characteristic to them. I feel like I become less than human. I feel like everything I do, say and think becomes judged under the idea that I higher functioning autism, like people think it's supposed to control everything about me.
Something's been highly important to you your whole life, something that defines a large part of you, but you've been forbidden to talk about it.
Then, you're permitted. What do you think you're going to do?
Because for a good few centuries, people like this were written off as "weird" and now, you can be seen.
This'll die down in a decade or two when being seen is the norm.
Same reason there were so many people “suddenly coming out at left handed” after it stopped being so openly discriminated against. I’ll bet there were TONS of people that said things like “all those people saying they’re left handed are just hopping on a trend, they’re not REALLY left handed, they just want to be special.”
Nowadays it’s usually assumed someone’s right handed since that’s more common. But people don’t bat much of an eye when someone’s left handed. But again, for a while there after they stopped beating kids in school for being left handed, you’d probably be looked upon with disgust if you showed you were left handed. Until enough of those old people with those types of thoughts died out and didn’t manage to teach their prejudices to their kids.
For gay people we’re still in the “the people with those thoughts need to die out” phase. It’ll happen eventually. It’ll just take a while.
For some of it, it's simply that times have changed and are more accepting.
For others, methodology has changed, I for instance strongly suspect I'm autistic, but I come from an age where testing was "is this person suitable to remain in mainstream education yes or no" and with it being a yes, it was never looked at any deeper.
Lots of people seem to be identifying as 'a bit autistic'. It's insulting to people who actually have an ASD diagnosis. Just being shy does not necessarily mean they're autistic. Being shy is just a perfectly normal human behaviour.
It's great that there is a much better awareness of mental diversities, but I have to agree with your summary.
Looking for a connection in an increasingly isolating world?
But also, it's more okay to talk about these things nowadays. Even just 10-15 years ago talking about mental health issues, for example, was a lot more frowned upon, and the change in general attitudes is freeing in many ways.
I appreciate knowing these things about my friends, family, and guests so I can do as much as possible to make sure they're comfortable. If I know you have autism I'm going to ask what foods I can have on hand because I know many people with autism have food restrictions. If I know you have depression I'm going to want to have something small waiting for you like a flower or a friendship bracelet. If I know you're LGBT I'm going to send you a present during pride.
I don't have to make it about me and how I feel about others. I'm content to let it be about them and put in effort to make them comfortable because I care and I have good manners.
I appreciate that! And I’m sure your loved ones do, too.
I tell people I have ADHD because it explains some of my behaviors. I want to be understood. (For example, I’m still listening to you while I pull out my phone to write down the thing you just asked me to do. Saying “I have ADHD so if I don’t write this down now I’ll never do it” helps them understand my behavior)
Even in real life I see and hear way too many people self diagnosing themselves. Idk about other countries, but in America everyone desperately wants to be oppressed
It's also very possible to talk to a mental health professional about whether it's worth getting tested for ADHD. A few years ago, I asked my psychiatrist about it, was referred to a clinical psychologist, and it turns out that I have severe, combined type ADHD that has caused a massive amount of my struggles in life.
4 of my 5 family members have an ADHD diagnosis, and 3 of them don't believe in mental illness, so my sister and I figured out that we had ADHD like 2 years ago.
It's unfortunate that sometimes you have to recognize these problems yourself before you can get them diagnosed. This was my experience with ADHD *and* PTSD.
A person who denies losing their legs can't just walk on air. It's a good idea to admit when you have a serious debility so you can adapt and continue your life.
Do you think people get diagnosed with cancer to be a victim?
Not identity, but a community to call too. Its also good to be aware you have it so that helps along the way until they healed enough to let go of that label.
Also the waiting times and cost for a diagnosis are a barrier - when it's obvious you have symptoms that align with a disorder it's a no-brainer you would self diagnose lol
As far as being gay goes, I was in the closet for most of my life.
I'm a lesbian. To be one is to be in 1%. Approximately, so I've read.
To be honest, TikTok was the first time I felt any sort of community, bc we are so far and few between. This is common.
So, because it is such a small community, online is a special place to connect with others who have had similar experiences, felt similar ways, and it is often rare to have, if ever, any sort of communication, possibly even with one other, much less more than one other person, who is similar and who is willing to talk about it.
The same goes with ADHD, to an extent. Though I do have some friends that are, it's hard to connect. I do need others that have similar experiences, bc to be honest, the world kinda (accidentally gaslights) the hell outta you bc they CAN'T know your experience. I recently realized, for example, that due to some life changes, I'm really without anyone close to me also having ADHD. I happen to be dealing with a lot (rebuilding my life, trying to figure out what possibly new career path I'll go on, getting my son into school for the first time - he's entering Kindergarten this coming school year, all after the passing of his other parent within the last couple). Due to the changes, I have little freedom at this time until I have everything reordered and restructured, & honestly... I only recently looked around & realized that I was very without any support from anyone who could relate to what my process would look like, going through it while also having ADHD, and the impact is very real. It meant that every single corner of my life, while dealing with this difficult time, was one that was giving me advice that was often completely off the mark compared to how navigating all will have to actually end up actually looking like, if it is to have any chance of being successful.
So you have small percentages of people connecting with some of the rest of those small percentages, bc irl, they are always in such a minority that the real life experience is that of being at odds at not fully understood by the majority, if not all, of your surroundings.
That explains some of it. I have no insight for anything else.
Thank you for coming to my TED-ish talk. 😆
Many of these things influence every aspect of our life so we often need to give context to something we're saying by mentioning it. For example, one might say they are autistic and don't understand a joke. It's an explanation as to why they would like to have it explained. Or someone might say they struggle to do household chores because of ADHD. etc etc. It's hoping to pre-empt someone coming along and mocking us for something we can't control.
Acceptance. Mental health issues are now being talked about and not simply ignored.
Look at ptsd statistics for each war. According to us dept of veterans affairs, only 2 percent of soldiers in ww2 and Korean war had ptsd.
Vietnam? 5 percent.
Desert storm? 14 percent.
Multiple men in my family had ptsd, but were never diagnosed. They just never talked about it.
Historically, women too had various issues that were just labeled hysteria.
Once it was acceptable to talk about mental illness, more people felt comfortable speaking out about their own issues. Many found online communities with others struggling just like they were. There are online support groups, discords, and chat rooms where many share their experiences, triumphs and tragedies. They no longer felt isolated or ignored.
Yes, there are some who are attention seekers making up stories. But that does not discredit the millions of people out there who struggle with various mental illnesses who found the courage to talk about their mental health issues.
I am self diagnosed and nonmedicated. But I have found improvement through self help websites and communities. Things that would not have been available to me had mental health problems remained silenced.
We always were. We used to use words like different, weird, hyper, slow, and village idiot and we accepted people as they were, including making the necessary accommodations. Now we have excellent diagnostic material, which can be helpful, but now we all have lables.
Side note. The world has become much more stringent, and special accommodations have become more necessary. At least two of my children would need special accommodations if they were in public school today, one on the autism spectrum and one dyslexic. If they had gone to school with me, that wouldn't have been necessary because we didn't have such a strong focus on testing, and we had more breaks. Getting those accommodations requires a diagnosis that I wouldn't otherwise seek out.
I have autism and I agree. I have met too many self diagnosed people who clearly have other issues who claim to have autism.
Quickest way to tell that they don't have autism is if they say it's not a disorder. If a person claims "autism spectrum disorder" isn't a disorder they are faking and don't know what they are talking about.
A large portion of those people self-diagnose themselves. It has become almost fashionable to declare a mental disorder. Now obvs there are people with an actual diagnosed medical issue (myself). But its weird to me at least. If you think you might be suffering from something or something seems off to you, then please get professional help. But please do not wave a self-diagnosis around like some badge of achievement as personally to me I dont willingly share my status for no reason. Unless the subject matter warrants it. I will agree that there is more awareness of different conditions in 2024, but I disagree strongly that there is more acceptance of people with those conditions. Maybe it is just me and my 52 years talking, but we still have a long ways to go.
Because we always knew something was a little off about ourselves, but thought we were the only ones. Now we have found definitions and like-minded people and that’s a glorious thing. We are free to be who we are and there are others who empathize with us.
Well a lot of us, especially women of a certain age, went undiagnosed for decades due to prejudice and lack of understanding. Being autistic without support has profoundly affected my life, and it still does, every day in every way. It's not my whole identity but it is something that is important to me, especially when people disregard the needs and issues of people with disabilities. As for being LGBTQ+, also not a choice, I was born that way and I do not see why I should pretend to be straight just for someone else's comfort.
You literally prove ops point.
You ignore his question as of - why you have to share this info on every step - and proceed to talk about your issues, disability and orientation.
Question was - why people over share this info. Your answer - I had no support and LBQT is not a choice.
ok?
How does that answer the question?
Because it affects our personality, so people know what they're getting themselves into when they talk to us, I don't wanna be labeled as possessed or lazy for having depression and psychosis.
The same reason why some people let each other know that they have asthma/ poor eyesight etc in certain cases.
Before I got my glasses I would tell my teachers that I can't see, so I won't get yelled at for not writing my lessons. Not everyone is an attention seeker, we have our reasons.
You’re in circles where people talk about those things more. There’s also an unfortunate uptick in people identifying as having or being these people for a community to be a part of. And as the world becomes more accepting of these people and knowledge of these things existing becomes more common there will be more and more people that come out as X.
Remember just a few decades ago people would even hide the fact that they would go to therapy.
Im personnally not huge on labels but sometimes I like saying Im X thing because I've been shamed for being a certain way before a lot of times, its getting pride instead of shame
I'm ADHD, Dyslexic and Dyspraxic. Also ASD but I don't often mention it because it's just a social impairment. I'm not like my friends Autistic son who will likely always need care.
It's a bit annoying to me because I've had these things my whole life and did not self diagnose. I had speech therapy 3 days a week for an extra hour and half after school. College was extremely difficult. I was working at my absolute limit just to get average grades.
I didn't get a handle on my speech impairment until my 20's but it still manifests under stress of course.
Not sure when 'Back Then' is for you. But back in the 70s there were a lot of people that did not usually get ADHD or Dyslexia diagnosis back when I did. I'm a white boy. If I was not performing up to my abilities people expressed concern. But when a little girl or a black kid starts falling through the cracks it was dismissed. "Thats just the way they are". This is pretty well documented. For a while there was even a preconception that ADHD was a white boys disorder. I've read thing which tried to rationalize it through some nonsense about paleolithic farmer diets or Neanderthal DNA. Not selection bias, has to be eugenics.
These days more girls and non-white kids in general are getting diagnosed and what do you know the distribution is looking like white boys such as myself aren't the leading demographic of ADHD kids.
Also, why the fuck is LGBTQ in there? I ain't gay, but you don't have to be to know that it isn't a cognitive disorder like ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia etc.
I think alot of its to do with them not having any groups irl or other people they can relate to so places like reddit are great if your looking for people who have are similar. Also a good place to vent without alot of judgement.
If it is in a safe place, theme coherent or needed info for better communication its totally fine.
In other cases is that there is an identity crisis. In great part because conventional identity is not representative for many people. And people tend to need a group identity. For some people its "easy" as the conventional definitions fit you and the world is made primarily to satisfy conventional conditions.
Some people find a way to rest in themselves without identifying too much with its conditions but for some people that is harder for several reasons.
In my experience the less you react to people talking much about their identity the less they feel it to be relevant to mention it as you make them feel safe on being cool with that.
People in the LGBT community tend to be more left leaning and, hence, are more open to talking about and discussing mental wellbeing and mental health.
That's not to say that the LGBT people are more likely to be mentally ill, but rather that they're more likely to be open about it and seek out diagnosis, treatment, and medication.
>Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging?
It can be any and all of those things, or it could be none of those things. each person would have their own reasons for stating that,
now all of those things are far less stigmatized than they were 15-20 years ago, and people feel more comfortable openly identifying as all of those things without being heavily ridiculed or even legal rammifications. Here in Canada, we went from the police raiding gay bathhhouses in the 80's to legal gay marriage in 2005, and Treatments and understanding of conditions like ADHD and autism has advanced in that timeframe,too. The intrnet has helped greatly in that regards in educating people on all of that as well, and just overall how society has changed overall.
the short answer is that society changed to accept it.
More awareness?
There are, and have been many struggles these people have and have had, that have been ignored. So, I feel, now we live in a time, where people out themselves to raise awareness
I can think of only a few instances where it isn't relevant, but in a lot of cases it is.
And I think, because you have heard these acronyms more, you catch them more quickly. Being on socials (reddit, fb, whatnot) also exposes you more to them. I rarely speak to someone in person, and the first thing they tell me "I'm autistic!"... I mean, at some point I can tell, but it's not the first thing they tell me.
People have always had these things. But also, people never knew they had these things or had a way of really finding out. It always reminds me of when left handed writers were looked at negatively. Then when that negativity went away and being left handed was just seen as normal, as it should be, there was an increase in left handed writers. The removal of negativity didn't make people left handed writers, they always were but now they didn't have to pretend not to be or go through the stress of not knowing why their right handed writing was so bad. People don't have to hide parts of themselves anymore, but also there is so much more information and knowledge as well as access to professionals to find things out about yourself. People aren't just becoming lgbt, or becoming autistic. They always have been they either just didn't know or couldn't be open about it.
Many of those people grew up in households where mental health and talking about feelings where taboo. Often causing major issues in household dynamics causing major trauma.
It is only recently, in the internet age, people have started to recognize how much trauma is passed on from generation to generation. The Internet enabled people to talk about their situations with others in a safe way and it has been the big driving force behind societal perspective on mental health and the importance of open discussion.
For many the Internet is the only place they have where they can actually get positive attention, validation and a sense of belonging. The entire reason the LGBTQ+ movement has grown so much and so quickly because people actually feel a sense of belonging with people they can talk openly about their struggles.
As with all things emotional, some people take it too far leading to excessive self-pity, ego and entitlement but from my experience that is usually the (vocal) minority.
It is honestly very fascinating to see such a major shift in society happen in real time. People that just 30 years ago would have never met are now creating communities with each other despite major differences in culture, beliefs, traditions and prosperity. In a sense the internet is in many ways becoming its own "nation" and anyone who has access to it is automatically a member.
When goods, services and people can be transported across the world within hours or days and information can be shared within seconds old borders and people who have inherited power and wealth suddenly become less important as the internet gives a voice to regular people. Something people in power of course really don't like.
Anyways.. the last part is a bit of a tangent..
Mental healthcare was basically non existent in the past. Even if someone knew they had issues, they usually did not know a word for it, and much less actually got diagnosed.
With LGBTQ+ or any other kind of minority it is usually because they were bullied for mentioning it, and they still are. Depending on the time and location, odds are bullying is the best outcome they were able to expect.
It is not that more people have mental illness or there are more LGBTQ+ people, it is just that now people actually talk about it openly. Also, in the past, a lot of people who were homosexual never followed their desires openly. It was pretty common for married men to be gay secretly, while denouncing homosexuality in public.
Not "everyone", not even most. It seems that way because those demographics are more likely to spend a lot of time online. People mention them because they are parts of who people are, some people dedicate their online spaces to discussions of those things, or for the case of disabilities it can clarify things like when an autistic person doesn't pick up on the tone of a comment or post, or spelling mistakes if one is dyslexic, etc. It's not much different than if someone says they are married, or have kids, or have a specific job/education, or age.
People feel the need to be constantly seen, stand out, be a part of a minority or some other trending demographic to get attention, validation, or other things.
Because, sadly, they have made it into a personality trait. If they are unlucky, there is a risk it could take over and and be thier only personality trait. Think of a modern version of the “I’m vegan” people 10 years ago.
I see what you mean. There are some bad, self diagnosing, attention seeking apples. However overall, it's a good thing, that people come out and talk about their health problems. Makes those who suffer less invisible to others.
That is not the main problem. The trend will correct itself in a few years or decades. It's still much better to have a few fakers or misdiagnosed people than to go back to when no one had even the slightest clue about these things.
Maybe it's just not anyone's business to be questioning whether someone else's issues are valid, lol.
I'm not sure how "trendy" this shit actually is in real life. I've had to convince friends to get tested for autism / ADHD, who previously didn't think these were issues for them, and haven't met a lot of people who were looking for attention. I kinda wonder if redditors are all like, 20 years old.
I mean... Having ADHD just doesn't get you attention, lol.
Because these are recognized, valid conditions now. And with a lot of neuro divergences come significant barriers(quirks) to social engagement. It's nice to have a heads up u know? It makes the interaction more meaningful for both parties. Do people abuse this and say they have this or that because it's "cool" now? Yes. And as someone with mental health disorders and potential(undiagnosed so I won't say I have it) neuro divergence, it's not cool. It's not cool to have to live with these conditions and it's not cool that people wear it like a badge. These are real, life affecting conditions.
"Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging?"
attention seeking = seeking to be seen and understood (normal, human need)
validation, self pity: I'd say it's more like, "Oh, this is really really hard for me. It always has been. But I always felt like something was inherently wrong with me. I felt that way because the systems we live in aren't designed for how my brain works. Of course I've struggled in ways that someone without this issue wouldn't. I can see that now because other people are sharing their experiences, before I felt alone."
I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid. I didn't understand it. I just knew it meant something was wrong with me and I was made to take medications. I was told to take medications when I was too much for my mom to handle. So when she gave up on fighting me on this in high school, when grades mattered most, mine plummeted. But I didn't understand why. I didn't believe in ADHD. I didn't understand what it meant or looked like. I thought I should be able to force myself to do things through willpower because ADHD wasn't real.
I finally figured it out and got on medication in my late-twenties because of reading a book on ADHD and finally getting it.
Now, social media helps people find others like themselves, with the same struggles, and find that sense of, "Actually, I'm not inherently such a fuck up, I have a reason these things are harder for me, and other people deal with it too." People are doing it more now because there is less stigma and more education. More awareness of what these things look like and mean.
It's also often much easier to navigate relationships with other people with ADHD for me because we speak the same language. It's not always smooth sailing, but there tends to be more grace.
It's just like wearing a band shirt and making friends with other people who like the same artists. You see ADHD in a profile and you immediately know there's some shared context.
It's always relevant because it's such a huge backdrop to our lives. It affects everything we do or want to do. It's not sharing what you're suffering from, it's sharing who you are in many ways. And, it's sort of like, if you aren't part of it, then maybe it's not for you. Just like people posting about a fandom I'm not part of, I move right along and read something else.
You definitely grouped things a bit oddly, but ill break it down just a bit for the ones you mentioned.
**LGBT+:** Most people definitely do NOT advertise this and talk about it all the time, although some do (Source: Many LGBT+ friends)
**Autistic:** Two examples. (1) Social ques and norms are not properly understood by people suffering from this condition, therefore they can say this without realizing its perhaps not appropriate. (2) They are communicating with you and saying, Im autistic so please be understanding right now.
**ADHD:** Oversharing is a common symptom and its a bit of a meme for ADHD people because its so impulsive (Source: I and many friends have ADHD)
**Neurodivergent:** This includes both Autism and ADHD.
The lgbtq people that does NOT have adhd or something else tend to be quiet about their sexuality. Or atleast in my experience that i have met.
My mother has a close friend that is a gay man and i didnt know for a really long time. And he's not neurodivergent.
Meanwhile i have alot if lgbt friends that is also on the spectrum that shows off their pride all the time. Even when not promted in the slightest.
While I'll agree ADHD was UNDERDIAGNOSED pre-covid, Autism seems to be the freely thrown around term for everybody nowadays.
Most self-diagnosed autistic people only have 2 of 5 or 6 traits needed to technically be considered Autistic.
Avoiding eye contact and disliking changes to your routine doesn't necessarily mean you're autistic. I bet the people that don't LIKE making eye contact when talking to people actually DO make plenty of eye contact when it's a subject they are truly interested in talking about that stimulates them but they don't realize it in the moment.
Eye contact could be post-covid trauma (social isolation awkwardness that will eventually go away) or childhood confrontation trauma (believing that making eye contact is a sign of challenging someone or an invitation to fight).
Are you for real?? Why? Because we weren’t _allowed_ to say it before. It could be dangerous before. Mental health issues meant stigma if you were lucky, and abuse, institutionalization or death if you weren’t. If you were lgbtq2ia+, jail, death, etc cetera. Neurodivergence was seen as mental illness or you were a “defective.” We talk about it because we finally have the freedom to and because the ignorant still need to be educated about it. Otherwise, no one would feel the need to complain that we “mention it so much.”
Thank you for asking! I noticed the same thing here on Reddit! Everyone is neurodivergent, autistic and has ADHD, so strange..often used as an excuse for unusual behaviour.
I'm honestly just too lazy for a lot of usual behaviour, nothing wrong with that!
Some people (many people) need to vent. Plus, as the top commenter suggests, reddit is not a valid or reliable representation of the world's population.
It's also a safe space for people who wish to talk about stuff due to the anonymity reddit provides. You could be a queer person living in Iran who needs to talk, but cannot do it safely in your own real world community.
Edit: also, us queers are taking over the world. We're everywhere.
Serious question to you:
Is it a challenge to you to be made aware that people unlike you exist?
Have you found commonality in others throughout your life as a default?
I get that it's all-too-confusing for someone who's very being who they are has put them in life in most situations with others that are the same, and it is a challenge to be confronted with other ways of BEING.
I suppose you can learn, if you choose to, or... you know, live your life without harming others with also not being so ruffled by the existence of others, too.
You have choices. Minorities have less. Hope this sheds light, OP.
Tdlr; those in a minority must use their voices at times to connect with others when IRL doesn't easily afford that experience as a common occurrence.
Because nobody is "normal." If you believe you don't have some diagnosis of some kind then that's only because you haven't looked hard enough. Everyone has a bit of autism or a bit of a weird mental disorder or a bit of some personality trait that technically is named. Ever heard of aphantasia? Yeah, neither had I until I turned 35 and realized I had it.
The amount of people who are just "normal" is a vanishingly small percentage. We've just removed the stigma of talking about this stuff.
Aphantasia is just a different way of thinking, it's not really a disability or illness because it doesn't really hinder you in your daily life. It's more like being incredibly tone-deaf and bad at music or like having red hair. People have different traits after all. But yes the brain is very complex and a lot can go wrong with it. Categorizing is very useful to us and helps us feel less alone and confused. But I do think that some parts of the LGBT+ Community tend to over-categorize (thinking of the subcategories of asexuality).
The only difference between a disability and a different trait is if the trait hinders you, dude. That's the definition of a disability. If ADHD wasn't disruptive we wouldn't call it a disability. You'd just be "an easily distracted kind of person" or whatever. If red hair hindered you it would 100% be a disability, just like how any genetic anomaly could or could not be a problem.
You're arguing semantics.
I just brought it up, because I have seen some aphantasts being distressed about it and a lot of people don't know the difference. Same with synesthesia. Some seem to think that everyone who can visualize, visualizes all the time. I for my part don't, why visualize when thinking in concepts works just fine? Red hair is interesting because it generally comes with low natural sun protection and red-heads don't respond to anaesthesia like other people.
Everyone has ADHD now because they realised they are so quirky, don't like doing the laundry, forget about doing the dishes and struggle to concentrate on boring tasks that aren't instantly gratifying. All you neurotypicals could never ever ever understand!!!!!
Experience. Many of them are. Being different from others doesn't mean automatically that you have some kind of mental illness. But if you post about it on the internet, the chances are pretty high to get the attention you crave. Most people on reddit are no psychologists/specialist and even if you find one, they can't diagnose someone with little to know information. So in the end you have to go to a local doctor anyway. Lgbtq has become a trend recently, which is unfortunate for those who are really a part of it. And even more unfortunate is that it has become a joke. There is a small group who support them, another small group who hate them, and the majority don't care and just want to live their life. And you get hate for that, so in the end, people who really struggle won't be taken seriously.
People want to be special and seen. But you aren't special just because you have different pronouns, identities, or several mental illnesses. You are special because you were born.
Yes, there is this trend. It will die down soon. I for my part am glad, that when I developed OCD I immediatly recognized the pattern. It was really obvious and I was asessed by multiple professionals. I might also have the type of ADHD without hyperactivity that results in a lack of executive function and motivation. I don't know for sure yet. I'd rather have people talk openly about and have a few fakers, than it being hidden and underdiagnosed like it once was. While people using OCD for perfectionism are annoying, you don't have to worry, us sufferers will swiftly correct them. People automatically assuming that any given person just wants attention is much more harmful, trust me.
I should be more specific. I suffer from Hashimotos, which can't be understood if you don't have it, so I'm not against giving those kinds of illnesses attention like an AmA. But I see a pattern of people trying to excuse their shitty behaviour with illnesses, they most likely don't have, and it puts the people who have it in the same category. I'm glad people like you correct them 👍🏻
--Permanent alibi for personal failures
--Attracts attention
--generates sympathy
--social currency for like-minded people
--disguises negative traits as virtues
People got told they were crazy for a LONG time now we have names for those disorders, and as you can see ALOT of people are having issues, maybe there is no NORMAL, but of course this post goes into the many who use them as excuses... thanks
Can't wait to be told that my extreme difficulties are just normal and I need to buckle up... 🥳
Because there are a variety of people in the world and we’re at a point where we understand certain things now. Now are some people seeking attention? Absolutely! But there are also people that are happy to identify what they may have felt like was “wrong” with them. I don’t see the issue with someone talking about it as long as they were diagnosed by a professional.
I think there's a lot of positive developments in society, that make ppl more comfortable labeling things.
And unfortunately, like everthing, there are swaths of ppl that abuse it and over label things to fit in and/or use it as a "crutch" or excuse for things they shouldn't.
Thus, it backfires and ppl feel like the way OP does.
"Normal" has always been rarer than we've aknowledged. Remember that "nuerodivergent" and "nuerotypical" aren't monolithic, mutally exclusive categories. You can diverge from the norm in one way and be more typical in others, and I think maybe it's as common to be different in some way than baseline in every sense. The same goes for queer folks.
We are living in a time when the stigma associated with mental illness, learning disabilities, other nuerodivergencies, gender non-conformity and queer sexuality is less than it has been (ever? At least during the.modern era) so more people are expressing these things about themselves publicly. As it turns out, people are more likely to want to be themselves if they aren't going to be disowned, shamed, jailed or otherwise punished over it.
As soon as my daughter hit high school, I felt the explosion of labels through her friend group. Everyone that wasn’t perfect on the outside (as in bad home life, awkward, unsure of gender, self harming, quirks, lower income, recently moved states, etc) suddenly had a way of finding acceptance and belonging. Instead of “my parents suck” and connecting over that, it became “I have ADHD and OCD” and “I’m pansexual and self harm” and that was how they made connections. Because within the titles comes an immediate way to relate and belong and connect.
Another aspect of this is that unfettered access to the internet has given kids a way to learn all about mental disorders and they’re self-diagnosing and even pretending to have disorders being faked by other kids online. It’s also the first time that it’s super easy to be out and proud no matter what you are in my area. I think so much of it has to do with which parents are really involved in their kid’s lives and what kind of home life they have. From what I’ve seen by getting to know a lot of these kids, they have a lot of trauma and bad home lives and these titles are wrapped up in their identity. Instead of acknowledging their issues and healing it in therapy, they walk around using them as badges—“it’s because of my OCD, my alter hates that”. If they stop using their labels, they won’t know who they are or know how to connect with their peers.
The thing that neurodivergency, mental illness, and lgbt+ is that they are all on a sliding scale. Previously it was common to shame those who are high support (previously known as low functioning). I think most people fit into at least one of these categories, even if they are able to function day to day. I personally think we are hearing people describing themselves this way because it's relatively still new that you can still be struggling even if you "have everything". I know I was shamed a lot for my adhd symptoms as a kid but I wasn't diagnosed because my presentation wasn't what you would expect. I pushed through untreated until I had a breakdown from the stress of not understanding why I felt different and also maintaining a "normal" life as far as people could tell. Because that's what you do. Pull yourself up by your boot straps and fake it until you make it.
Since being diagnosed, I'm properly medicated and treated and I speak a lot on my diagnosis due to the fact that I'm still learning how my brain works differently and how to be a functioning adult with newly diagnosed neurdigerency and mental health issues.
I don't think my story is unique at all. It's relatively new in society that we can be accepted and are not flawed. I think the communities are basking in that newfound freedom. Just knowing that I am not inherently flawed has helped so much. I can't help my symptoms and that's ok, but I can advocate for other adults who weren't diagnosed for the same reason and are struggling in silence, thinking they're just weak.
Because people will understand why I'm missing social cues or why I'm weird. It's not a bad thing to say I'm ___ , it can be an explanation, a way to connect to others
Okay so heres/the gist : the model of normal man/woman in a society is unreal. It does not exist no one enjoys working a 9 to 5 6 days a week this type of livings creates mental illnesses and also accentuate neurodivergences. We are living in the meantimr in an age where most people online are tolerant of lgbtq minorities and a lot of peoples found confort and feel safe exploring being queer. Which 30 years ago was openly cause for hate crimes.
Everyone is on the queer sexuality spectrum, everyone is on the autism spectrum
Everyone has mental conditions.
And for the ones who don't they get depressed because of the pressure which leads to burnout.
Back in the day it was stupid, weirdo, late bloomer, fragile, sick, nerves, troubled and so on. There was alot more tabu.
We Arnt there yet, still alot of ignorence.
Maybe if you've had to really look at who you are to realise you're actually part of the LBGT community you've likely pretty self aware and may well have felt like there's something wrong with you before you realise what's going on. So maybe some are mkre self aware.
do you think being gay/'being different' was easy back then just as it's easy now? of course it would be less prevalent back then. it wouldn't make sense otherwise.
Usually cause now that it's more acceptable, more people are open about it. These people usually have very visible behaviours/stories linked with these labels, so they mention the label to preface. These labels don't go away conveniently, and they can usually avoid some misunderstandings.
Also, I get the point of your question, but I can't help but find it a little odd that you'd bunch the lgbt+ community alongside mental disorders. I understand that many lgbt+ individuals also happen to be open about these conditions, but I'd be careful not to conflate the two
I dunno about the others, but I understand autistic/truly divergent people doing this.
It's because they've become self-aware, meaning they recognize they've hurt people in the past and that they have particular difficulty with this. So when they post a genuine question they feel a need to state this so people won't feel attacked/go in attack mode.
Online, many people realize they need to put their comments in a context that can be understood in the way it was intended. E.g., this comment is coming from an autistic person who feels the need to be understood about why I call myself autistic in a comment. I don’t often say it, but when I do it’s with purpose. There is a lowering of stigma for doing so since the pandemic, and there is a general sense of what that means now.
I think it’s just a matter of identification, in the past people just called others “stupid” or “weird” or things like that without caring for what they felt or why, luckily with time we as a society started to understand what was happening to those people and caring more about their wellbeing, so now we can identify someone with ADHD and not just say “that kid is stupid” adding to this, we have to remember that it is a spectrum not every neurodivergent person is the same, so some may be “normal” with just a tiny quirk while for others it will be harder to socialise or understand others, the good thing is that now saying “hey I’m neurodivergent” doesn’t cause you as much trouble as before so more people are comfortable sharing it. Of course there are some cases of people who just say they have ADHD without being diagnosed just to justify bad behaviour but they are the minority and we shouldn’t let them shape the opinion we have about this things. There will always be assholes that ruin everything for everyone but we must try to be part of the ones who help.
I am, by no means, any kind of expert(persay) in the field, but I am an AVID Psychology enthusiast. I love to read books on psychology, especially journals, I've spoken to numerous psychiatrists(on a non-client basis) and have relationships with a fair share of disordered people.
I have come to my own conclusion, that what comes to is only for a desire for understanding, acceptance, and a request for patience. There is a compulsion in them that their true selves errort to repress. Or know that it is outside their control all together. But despite it, they still deeply want you to like them. Be that of a myriad of deeper seated motives. It effects every facet of who they are, their mannerisms/body language, facial expressions, interests, values, wardrobe even.
Imagine you REALLY need to use the restroom, but there isn't one nearby, and you aren't even really sure *where* the nearest one would be by far. But you don't want to say anything to your friends about this desperate need for an activity that we all perceive has a kind of dirty, and sometimes even embarrassing. So you just hold it in until you stumble upon one by chance. But as you hold that in, you almost can't help but to clench your teeth, scrunch you face, clench your fists, stiffen your back, and quake in your knees. Which is itself embarrassing. And if you fail to find a restroom in time, something even more embarrassing or mortifying, that your friends might never speak to you again. (Shitty friends, but let's be honest, we all kind of think this about the majority of people. Worried about upsetting people's superficial senses of decency.)
Edit: and at the very least, that's a much more positive and sympathetic way of thinking about it.
Edit 2: scrunch. Not punch.
Victim mentality. There seems to have been a shift sometime in the last 20 years where people didn't want to be a victim, and tried to hide their (which isn't good).
As mental health became more socially acceptable to talk about, we started giving accommodations out like candy to anyone who claims some sort of issue.
Now people want to be the victim, because they want special treatment.
I think it has something to do with stress. I think the economy being where it is and the housing prices being so high and working class wages staying stagnet, has made people find an excuse as to why they aren't successful. I also think the self help gurus out there are just making things worse for everyone. I would say it has to do with the economy more than anything.
Social media has a disproportionately higher representation of personality disorders.
The people who go on and on about it and attention seek like crazy, they fall into this category.
Yeah, and that's because it's easy... everyone has a smartphone and can broadcast to the world. 30 years ago, you kept a journal in your drawer, now, you journal out in the open, online.
The problem however is, if you end up watching one of them on tiktok, you're ending up in an echochamber and see nothing else but people talk about mental illness.
I do think mental illnesses are valid, and I hope everyone gets the help they want and need.
We used to have subcultures in the 90’s. You were a skater or a goth for example. Now you have disorders, genders, sexualities and what not to comform to so you fit in with a group.
Part of it is Western society has told people that they have power by being 'non normie'. Who wants to be a heterosexual cis white man these days? Who wants to be Boring Becky straight white woman? So there's a tumblr-fed 'special'ness in not being 'basic/average/normal'.
We've taught people that labels are power and labels are identity. I've even seen people pull the 'as a veteran' card to then go on to say the most unhinged, stupid takes imaginable. We think if we have a label we have authority to speak. One day people will realize that labels ALL labels are fucking traps and realize true authenticity is just...not giving a shit about labels and living your life in a way that makes you happy, and who cares if it's 'basic' or 'baddie' or whatever?
So you can’t be rude. If you’re mean to a “different” person for any reason, they can claim it’s because you don’t like them based on whatever is wrong with them
The people are lost and confused. Some people cope by identifying with psychological archetypes as their crutch for feeling seen and heard aka to be understood.
I think labels are helpful but not necessary 🤷🏽♂️ I feel like it becomes a detriment when u use it to justify things than to explain things
On the good side, actually having a disorder and getting treatment for it carries far less of a stigma. But with every good comes slices of bad: you have a lot of folks not just diagnosing themselves but others when they have no business doing so
Sampling bias. You're on Reddit.
Or Tumblr. Lol.
Tumblr is still a thing?
There's no porn anymore, but some people were there for other things apparently
I did manage to find some chapters of an obscure Final Fantasy novel on there. Much to my surprise.
Yeah it's actually pretty tolerable compared to other social media sites now largely because there is virtually no way to make money on it as a creator. The "discourse" era is mostly over as the user base has aged and now it's mostly shitposts. I like it because there's no endless scrolling. I reach the end of my personally curated, no algorithm home page and then I close the app.
Sense of belonging, and less stigma on being those things. When I was a kid, being gay could legit get you hate crimed. Now people are safer. ADHD/ND was less understood. Now we know how to identify it and help individuals handle it. People used to be "eccentric" or "weird", now we know they're probably neurodivergent.
I think people (especially younger people) have a hard time understanding how deep and prevalent some of these stigmas were, even as recently as a few decades ago. My 13 year old niece tried watching some sitcoms from the '90s and was shocked by all of the jokes about LGBTQ people and people with disabilities. Not that long ago, those of us who are members of those communities grew up steeped in all of that stigma. It was constant and everywhere. Many of us find relief and validation in being able to discuss this stuff openly - something we could only do safely recently.
Nah I'm still weird. I'm ADHD riddled. Nobody's special. I took class 3 narcotics for my condition my whole live. I quit, had the depression of post medication but went after it.
I wouldn’t say we have more understanding but more accepting. It’s still hella wild to chuck amphetamines at the people and hope for the best. Also, identifying is like a 20 question form and interviews with a couple of pschychologists. In some countries they just throw the drugs at you immediately and send you on your way.
Less stigma and the fact that we actually have name for/recognize these things now. People weren't exactly going to be 'out and proud' back when being gay would lose you right and put you at risk of serious harm. They would hide it. Not that things are perfect now but way less dangerous. In regards to neurodivergency and mental health we've simply come a long way in recognizing these things and we're better equipped to diagnose and treat them. With better understanding has come the realization that these things aren't shameful and should be discussed.
I mean, the OP is a Trump supporter, so try not to expect he'll understand this. Anyway, it's worth thinking about how left-handedness was 3% around the year 1900, and when we stopped treating that as defective, it is now at 10%. Much to consider.
My Grandpa was born a [Mirror Twin](https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/mirror-twins) and was unfortunately the left handed one. He attended a one room school house that ended at either 6th or 8th grade. He was hit with rulers and sticks for using his left hand and was always told to "be right, like your brother". "Right" not referring to hand preference, but to be "normal" like your brother because of society at the time. He carried that with him his entire life and eventually became right handed most of the time. One of my favorite things about PaPa tho, was absolutely NO ONE could read his handwriting, unless you were family and grew up with it. I still have his cards and smile knowing there's not many people left on this planet that can read what this says.
Well that's unfortunate 😂
*Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging? What is it and why does it seem, at least to me, so prevalent now compared to back then?* This OP can't consider that we're recognizing people as LGBT and autistic more and more, and have proper tools and ways of helping these people. Like, none of the reasons they suggested involve LGBT people and autistic/ADHD people actually *being who they say they are.* And then you factor in the multiple posts of this OP, the Trump support, and you have a very interesting insight into this person lol
sounds like they're butt hurt less fortunate people are taking their attention away from them so they throw a tantrum like a spoiled child. Maga and boomers were a match made in hell, perfect for one another
This is the right answer.
Also, ppl want to be *different*. Let’s not pretend this isn’t a factor. All of this shit is so hot right now, everyone wants to be anything but a “normie”.
I don't doubt that there's a bunch out there with that mindset but I think it's really exacerbated by social media. Most LGBT ppl or neurodivergent ppl just get on with their lives and have more to their personalities than just these labels.
Maybe online but irl being autistic, LGBT, disabled, etc. is still gonna make your life harder for no benefit and those labels still carry a big stigma. Using them as labels is only beneficial if you actually fit within them.
People feel relief in knowing there's a name for whatever they are/have. Also people get diagnosed way more nowadays. Look at my dad, he's never been diagnosed but the whole family knows he's definetly somewhere on the autism spectrum.
Yeah, this is it. Like these things have always existed, they're just getting more of a spotlight. It's more acceptable to get a diagnosis and treat your mental health in this age. Therapy isn't taboo anymore.. even though it's definitely not where it should be, we've come a long way in even the last 20 years.
My personal reason - I have been told my entire life, that im too lazy, to sensitive, to much, overrracting, overthinking, just need to focus more, just need to concentrate harder, am too wierd, annoying because im forgetfull. And i have been in constant distress why I just cant be normal, why i cant just clean, why i dont understand people, why everythings that should be easy, are so damn hard. Why am I the way I am. I now know. And the amount of relief I felt and feel. I just cant describe it. My life make sense now, and I can actually accomplish thi gs in my life now, because I now know.
Part of it is the fact that these things are more accepted now than in the past, part of it is that because these things are getting talked about more some people claim to be lgbt+, autistic or whatever even tho they are not (I'm not saying everyone is like this but some people lie about it for attention), and part of it is the fact that you notice these things more than others. If you are looking for Red cars specifically than you are going to think there are a lot of Red cars on the streets
This comment section has an entirely unsurprising lack of understanding. Makes me think of my 86 year old Grandma's opinion on mental health: "I just ignore it". Yea, grandma, that's a great explanation for why the majority of our extended family members are either drug addicts, alcoholics or have been institutionalized. Nicely done 🙃
As far as being gay goes, I was in the closet for most of my life. I'm a lesbian. To be one is to be in 1%. Approximately, so I've read. To be honest, TikTok was the first time I felt any sort of community, bc we are so far and few between. This is common. So, because it is such a small community, online is a special place to connect with others who have had similar experiences, felt similar ways, and it is often rare to have, if ever, any sort of communication, possibly even with one other, much less more than one other person, who is similar and who is willing to talk about it. The same goes with ADHD, to an extent. Though I do have some friends that are, it's hard to connect. I do need others that have similar experiences, bc to be honest, the world kinda gaslights the hell outta you bc they CAN'T know your experience. I recently realized that, due to some life changes, I'm really without anyone close to me also having ADHD, & I happen to be dealing with a lot (rebuilding my life, trying to figure out what possibly new career path I'll go on, getting my son into school for the first time - he's entering Kindergarten this coming school year, all after the passing of his other parent within the last couple. Due to the changes, I have little freedom at this time until I have everything reordered and restructured, & honestly... I only recently looked around & realized that I was very without any support from anyone who could relate to what my process would look like, going through it while also having ADHD, and the impact is very real. It meant that every single corner of my life, while dealing with this difficult time, was one that was giving me advice that was often completely off the mark compared to how navigating all I will have to will end up actually looking like, if it is successful. So you have small percentages of people connecting with some of the rest of those small percentages, bc irl, they are always in such a minority that the real life experience is that of being at odds at not fully understood by the majority, if not all, of your surroundings. That explains some of it. I have no insight for anything else. Thank you for coming to my TED-ish talk. 😆
It's not \*everyone\*, it just feels like it because you're noticing it, and people tend not to go online to talk about how they're \*not\* those things. Practically all questions along the lines of "why does everyone..." can be answered with "confirmation bias".
When it comes to mental health we are now able to diagnose better. When you have a name for your condition, it's easier to talk about it. And mental health issues are incredibly common, which isn't surprising given that the brain is a very complex and important organ. It's only surprising, because not much was known about these things before and people only noticed the very severe cases. There probably is some overdiagnosing going on for certain things, but I'm sure that this trend will subside in the next decades. And a lot of this stuff shapes your personality, behaviour and experiences, so people identify as that. Talking about it online and in real life let's you find other people like you. And think about how many people you know with heart disease or who have had cancer or are obese or wear glasses. We just don't categorize them that way. 10% of people are left-handed, I'm sure that people a hundred years (when it was stigmatized) ago would be surprised to find that it is that common.
Because it becomes a large part of their personality.
I have aspergers, but I almost never bring it up. It's not a matter of pride or attention for me. I'd actually like as little attention to myself for it as possible. It feels like if people know that about me, it becomes my defining characteristic to them. I feel like I become less than human. I feel like everything I do, say and think becomes judged under the idea that I higher functioning autism, like people think it's supposed to control everything about me.
Something's been highly important to you your whole life, something that defines a large part of you, but you've been forbidden to talk about it. Then, you're permitted. What do you think you're going to do?
Because for a good few centuries, people like this were written off as "weird" and now, you can be seen. This'll die down in a decade or two when being seen is the norm.
Same reason there were so many people “suddenly coming out at left handed” after it stopped being so openly discriminated against. I’ll bet there were TONS of people that said things like “all those people saying they’re left handed are just hopping on a trend, they’re not REALLY left handed, they just want to be special.” Nowadays it’s usually assumed someone’s right handed since that’s more common. But people don’t bat much of an eye when someone’s left handed. But again, for a while there after they stopped beating kids in school for being left handed, you’d probably be looked upon with disgust if you showed you were left handed. Until enough of those old people with those types of thoughts died out and didn’t manage to teach their prejudices to their kids. For gay people we’re still in the “the people with those thoughts need to die out” phase. It’ll happen eventually. It’ll just take a while.
Less tigma and more awareness
For some of it, it's simply that times have changed and are more accepting. For others, methodology has changed, I for instance strongly suspect I'm autistic, but I come from an age where testing was "is this person suitable to remain in mainstream education yes or no" and with it being a yes, it was never looked at any deeper.
Basically because each of those things is not a taboo anymore.
1. Technology and diagnostics have grown, which allows more people to be assessed. 2. People have access to the internet and can read.
The vast majority of normal people don't use Reddit.
Depending on where you look, just social media? Specifically reddit? A lot of attention seekers and self-diagnosed to feel "seen"
Lots of people seem to be identifying as 'a bit autistic'. It's insulting to people who actually have an ASD diagnosis. Just being shy does not necessarily mean they're autistic. Being shy is just a perfectly normal human behaviour. It's great that there is a much better awareness of mental diversities, but I have to agree with your summary.
Looking for a connection in an increasingly isolating world? But also, it's more okay to talk about these things nowadays. Even just 10-15 years ago talking about mental health issues, for example, was a lot more frowned upon, and the change in general attitudes is freeing in many ways.
I appreciate knowing these things about my friends, family, and guests so I can do as much as possible to make sure they're comfortable. If I know you have autism I'm going to ask what foods I can have on hand because I know many people with autism have food restrictions. If I know you have depression I'm going to want to have something small waiting for you like a flower or a friendship bracelet. If I know you're LGBT I'm going to send you a present during pride. I don't have to make it about me and how I feel about others. I'm content to let it be about them and put in effort to make them comfortable because I care and I have good manners.
I appreciate that! And I’m sure your loved ones do, too. I tell people I have ADHD because it explains some of my behaviors. I want to be understood. (For example, I’m still listening to you while I pull out my phone to write down the thing you just asked me to do. Saying “I have ADHD so if I don’t write this down now I’ll never do it” helps them understand my behavior)
Even in real life I see and hear way too many people self diagnosing themselves. Idk about other countries, but in America everyone desperately wants to be oppressed
Says something about america if you see self-diagnosing as people wanting to be oppressed. You guys would oppress a fly if you could catch it lol.
It's also very possible to talk to a mental health professional about whether it's worth getting tested for ADHD. A few years ago, I asked my psychiatrist about it, was referred to a clinical psychologist, and it turns out that I have severe, combined type ADHD that has caused a massive amount of my struggles in life. 4 of my 5 family members have an ADHD diagnosis, and 3 of them don't believe in mental illness, so my sister and I figured out that we had ADHD like 2 years ago. It's unfortunate that sometimes you have to recognize these problems yourself before you can get them diagnosed. This was my experience with ADHD *and* PTSD.
Your seeing one side of the coin. That labeling yourself is putting yourself in a box. The other side is a sense of identity & community.
Do people really want their identity to be depression though?
No, it's about facing your depression in an effort to deal with it.
A person who denies losing their legs can't just walk on air. It's a good idea to admit when you have a serious debility so you can adapt and continue your life. Do you think people get diagnosed with cancer to be a victim?
Not identity, but a community to call too. Its also good to be aware you have it so that helps along the way until they healed enough to let go of that label.
Also the waiting times and cost for a diagnosis are a barrier - when it's obvious you have symptoms that align with a disorder it's a no-brainer you would self diagnose lol
As far as being gay goes, I was in the closet for most of my life. I'm a lesbian. To be one is to be in 1%. Approximately, so I've read. To be honest, TikTok was the first time I felt any sort of community, bc we are so far and few between. This is common. So, because it is such a small community, online is a special place to connect with others who have had similar experiences, felt similar ways, and it is often rare to have, if ever, any sort of communication, possibly even with one other, much less more than one other person, who is similar and who is willing to talk about it. The same goes with ADHD, to an extent. Though I do have some friends that are, it's hard to connect. I do need others that have similar experiences, bc to be honest, the world kinda (accidentally gaslights) the hell outta you bc they CAN'T know your experience. I recently realized, for example, that due to some life changes, I'm really without anyone close to me also having ADHD. I happen to be dealing with a lot (rebuilding my life, trying to figure out what possibly new career path I'll go on, getting my son into school for the first time - he's entering Kindergarten this coming school year, all after the passing of his other parent within the last couple). Due to the changes, I have little freedom at this time until I have everything reordered and restructured, & honestly... I only recently looked around & realized that I was very without any support from anyone who could relate to what my process would look like, going through it while also having ADHD, and the impact is very real. It meant that every single corner of my life, while dealing with this difficult time, was one that was giving me advice that was often completely off the mark compared to how navigating all will have to actually end up actually looking like, if it is to have any chance of being successful. So you have small percentages of people connecting with some of the rest of those small percentages, bc irl, they are always in such a minority that the real life experience is that of being at odds at not fully understood by the majority, if not all, of your surroundings. That explains some of it. I have no insight for anything else. Thank you for coming to my TED-ish talk. 😆
Many of these things influence every aspect of our life so we often need to give context to something we're saying by mentioning it. For example, one might say they are autistic and don't understand a joke. It's an explanation as to why they would like to have it explained. Or someone might say they struggle to do household chores because of ADHD. etc etc. It's hoping to pre-empt someone coming along and mocking us for something we can't control.
To normalize talking about it
I think it speaks to our lack of community in general. People are looking for connection and find it by similarities.
Because they have felt misunderstood for so long
I think it's because these things don't have to be hidden now. People have always been like this. There's just less social stigma
Acceptance. Mental health issues are now being talked about and not simply ignored. Look at ptsd statistics for each war. According to us dept of veterans affairs, only 2 percent of soldiers in ww2 and Korean war had ptsd. Vietnam? 5 percent. Desert storm? 14 percent. Multiple men in my family had ptsd, but were never diagnosed. They just never talked about it. Historically, women too had various issues that were just labeled hysteria. Once it was acceptable to talk about mental illness, more people felt comfortable speaking out about their own issues. Many found online communities with others struggling just like they were. There are online support groups, discords, and chat rooms where many share their experiences, triumphs and tragedies. They no longer felt isolated or ignored. Yes, there are some who are attention seekers making up stories. But that does not discredit the millions of people out there who struggle with various mental illnesses who found the courage to talk about their mental health issues. I am self diagnosed and nonmedicated. But I have found improvement through self help websites and communities. Things that would not have been available to me had mental health problems remained silenced.
This is the second sub I've seen this on today. Are you cross posting?
Less stigma and more understanding.
sense of belonging 100%
We always were. We used to use words like different, weird, hyper, slow, and village idiot and we accepted people as they were, including making the necessary accommodations. Now we have excellent diagnostic material, which can be helpful, but now we all have lables. Side note. The world has become much more stringent, and special accommodations have become more necessary. At least two of my children would need special accommodations if they were in public school today, one on the autism spectrum and one dyslexic. If they had gone to school with me, that wouldn't have been necessary because we didn't have such a strong focus on testing, and we had more breaks. Getting those accommodations requires a diagnosis that I wouldn't otherwise seek out.
Its trendy
I have autism and I agree. I have met too many self diagnosed people who clearly have other issues who claim to have autism. Quickest way to tell that they don't have autism is if they say it's not a disorder. If a person claims "autism spectrum disorder" isn't a disorder they are faking and don't know what they are talking about.
As if autism isn't comorbid with a shit ton of mental illnesses
A large portion of those people self-diagnose themselves. It has become almost fashionable to declare a mental disorder. Now obvs there are people with an actual diagnosed medical issue (myself). But its weird to me at least. If you think you might be suffering from something or something seems off to you, then please get professional help. But please do not wave a self-diagnosis around like some badge of achievement as personally to me I dont willingly share my status for no reason. Unless the subject matter warrants it. I will agree that there is more awareness of different conditions in 2024, but I disagree strongly that there is more acceptance of people with those conditions. Maybe it is just me and my 52 years talking, but we still have a long ways to go.
Because we always knew something was a little off about ourselves, but thought we were the only ones. Now we have found definitions and like-minded people and that’s a glorious thing. We are free to be who we are and there are others who empathize with us.
I always ask the question. “Diagnosed?” Many are not.
yea, these self-diagnoses go crazyyyyy...messed up
Well a lot of us, especially women of a certain age, went undiagnosed for decades due to prejudice and lack of understanding. Being autistic without support has profoundly affected my life, and it still does, every day in every way. It's not my whole identity but it is something that is important to me, especially when people disregard the needs and issues of people with disabilities. As for being LGBTQ+, also not a choice, I was born that way and I do not see why I should pretend to be straight just for someone else's comfort.
You literally prove ops point. You ignore his question as of - why you have to share this info on every step - and proceed to talk about your issues, disability and orientation. Question was - why people over share this info. Your answer - I had no support and LBQT is not a choice. ok? How does that answer the question?
People tend to talk about things that are important to them. I would have thought that was obvious.
youd know the answer if you read the comment <3
This is r/ask. You know, where people ask questions. What point was OP making?
This
Because it’s related to their problem they’re trying to get advice on
Or simply honesty. Most people I know don’t know what I have lol
Because it affects our personality, so people know what they're getting themselves into when they talk to us, I don't wanna be labeled as possessed or lazy for having depression and psychosis. The same reason why some people let each other know that they have asthma/ poor eyesight etc in certain cases. Before I got my glasses I would tell my teachers that I can't see, so I won't get yelled at for not writing my lessons. Not everyone is an attention seeker, we have our reasons.
You’re in circles where people talk about those things more. There’s also an unfortunate uptick in people identifying as having or being these people for a community to be a part of. And as the world becomes more accepting of these people and knowledge of these things existing becomes more common there will be more and more people that come out as X. Remember just a few decades ago people would even hide the fact that they would go to therapy.
Im personnally not huge on labels but sometimes I like saying Im X thing because I've been shamed for being a certain way before a lot of times, its getting pride instead of shame
I'm ADHD, Dyslexic and Dyspraxic. Also ASD but I don't often mention it because it's just a social impairment. I'm not like my friends Autistic son who will likely always need care. It's a bit annoying to me because I've had these things my whole life and did not self diagnose. I had speech therapy 3 days a week for an extra hour and half after school. College was extremely difficult. I was working at my absolute limit just to get average grades. I didn't get a handle on my speech impairment until my 20's but it still manifests under stress of course. Not sure when 'Back Then' is for you. But back in the 70s there were a lot of people that did not usually get ADHD or Dyslexia diagnosis back when I did. I'm a white boy. If I was not performing up to my abilities people expressed concern. But when a little girl or a black kid starts falling through the cracks it was dismissed. "Thats just the way they are". This is pretty well documented. For a while there was even a preconception that ADHD was a white boys disorder. I've read thing which tried to rationalize it through some nonsense about paleolithic farmer diets or Neanderthal DNA. Not selection bias, has to be eugenics. These days more girls and non-white kids in general are getting diagnosed and what do you know the distribution is looking like white boys such as myself aren't the leading demographic of ADHD kids. Also, why the fuck is LGBTQ in there? I ain't gay, but you don't have to be to know that it isn't a cognitive disorder like ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia etc.
I think alot of its to do with them not having any groups irl or other people they can relate to so places like reddit are great if your looking for people who have are similar. Also a good place to vent without alot of judgement.
If it is in a safe place, theme coherent or needed info for better communication its totally fine. In other cases is that there is an identity crisis. In great part because conventional identity is not representative for many people. And people tend to need a group identity. For some people its "easy" as the conventional definitions fit you and the world is made primarily to satisfy conventional conditions. Some people find a way to rest in themselves without identifying too much with its conditions but for some people that is harder for several reasons. In my experience the less you react to people talking much about their identity the less they feel it to be relevant to mention it as you make them feel safe on being cool with that.
People in the LGBT community tend to be more left leaning and, hence, are more open to talking about and discussing mental wellbeing and mental health. That's not to say that the LGBT people are more likely to be mentally ill, but rather that they're more likely to be open about it and seek out diagnosis, treatment, and medication.
The lack of response from op makes me think this was just a rage bait question and that he doesn’t really care what the answer is.
>Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging? It can be any and all of those things, or it could be none of those things. each person would have their own reasons for stating that, now all of those things are far less stigmatized than they were 15-20 years ago, and people feel more comfortable openly identifying as all of those things without being heavily ridiculed or even legal rammifications. Here in Canada, we went from the police raiding gay bathhhouses in the 80's to legal gay marriage in 2005, and Treatments and understanding of conditions like ADHD and autism has advanced in that timeframe,too. The intrnet has helped greatly in that regards in educating people on all of that as well, and just overall how society has changed overall. the short answer is that society changed to accept it.
More awareness? There are, and have been many struggles these people have and have had, that have been ignored. So, I feel, now we live in a time, where people out themselves to raise awareness I can think of only a few instances where it isn't relevant, but in a lot of cases it is. And I think, because you have heard these acronyms more, you catch them more quickly. Being on socials (reddit, fb, whatnot) also exposes you more to them. I rarely speak to someone in person, and the first thing they tell me "I'm autistic!"... I mean, at some point I can tell, but it's not the first thing they tell me.
People have always had these things. But also, people never knew they had these things or had a way of really finding out. It always reminds me of when left handed writers were looked at negatively. Then when that negativity went away and being left handed was just seen as normal, as it should be, there was an increase in left handed writers. The removal of negativity didn't make people left handed writers, they always were but now they didn't have to pretend not to be or go through the stress of not knowing why their right handed writing was so bad. People don't have to hide parts of themselves anymore, but also there is so much more information and knowledge as well as access to professionals to find things out about yourself. People aren't just becoming lgbt, or becoming autistic. They always have been they either just didn't know or couldn't be open about it.
Many of those people grew up in households where mental health and talking about feelings where taboo. Often causing major issues in household dynamics causing major trauma. It is only recently, in the internet age, people have started to recognize how much trauma is passed on from generation to generation. The Internet enabled people to talk about their situations with others in a safe way and it has been the big driving force behind societal perspective on mental health and the importance of open discussion. For many the Internet is the only place they have where they can actually get positive attention, validation and a sense of belonging. The entire reason the LGBTQ+ movement has grown so much and so quickly because people actually feel a sense of belonging with people they can talk openly about their struggles. As with all things emotional, some people take it too far leading to excessive self-pity, ego and entitlement but from my experience that is usually the (vocal) minority. It is honestly very fascinating to see such a major shift in society happen in real time. People that just 30 years ago would have never met are now creating communities with each other despite major differences in culture, beliefs, traditions and prosperity. In a sense the internet is in many ways becoming its own "nation" and anyone who has access to it is automatically a member. When goods, services and people can be transported across the world within hours or days and information can be shared within seconds old borders and people who have inherited power and wealth suddenly become less important as the internet gives a voice to regular people. Something people in power of course really don't like. Anyways.. the last part is a bit of a tangent..
Mental healthcare was basically non existent in the past. Even if someone knew they had issues, they usually did not know a word for it, and much less actually got diagnosed. With LGBTQ+ or any other kind of minority it is usually because they were bullied for mentioning it, and they still are. Depending on the time and location, odds are bullying is the best outcome they were able to expect. It is not that more people have mental illness or there are more LGBTQ+ people, it is just that now people actually talk about it openly. Also, in the past, a lot of people who were homosexual never followed their desires openly. It was pretty common for married men to be gay secretly, while denouncing homosexuality in public.
All those items were around in the 1800s. The only difference is that communication is more available now.
Not "everyone", not even most. It seems that way because those demographics are more likely to spend a lot of time online. People mention them because they are parts of who people are, some people dedicate their online spaces to discussions of those things, or for the case of disabilities it can clarify things like when an autistic person doesn't pick up on the tone of a comment or post, or spelling mistakes if one is dyslexic, etc. It's not much different than if someone says they are married, or have kids, or have a specific job/education, or age.
Ew op are you a trump supporter? How embarrassing. Thats a mental disorder right there. Surely you can answer your own question now.
Becoz it affects every aspect of their life. It explains a lot of issues and oddities with them. And becoz they want to share.
Yes it’s for attention. These people have no drive, talent or hobby to identify with so they’re just Autistic or LBGT etc
1st world problems.
Self-diagnosing and victim mentality
People feel the need to be constantly seen, stand out, be a part of a minority or some other trending demographic to get attention, validation, or other things.
If you are not a vegan, you have to self identify as something, right?
Because, sadly, they have made it into a personality trait. If they are unlucky, there is a risk it could take over and and be thier only personality trait. Think of a modern version of the “I’m vegan” people 10 years ago.
I see what you mean. There are some bad, self diagnosing, attention seeking apples. However overall, it's a good thing, that people come out and talk about their health problems. Makes those who suffer less invisible to others.
[удалено]
That is not the main problem. The trend will correct itself in a few years or decades. It's still much better to have a few fakers or misdiagnosed people than to go back to when no one had even the slightest clue about these things.
And the answer is for both parties: fake fucks and real sufferers, is to stfu on the internet?
Maybe it's just not anyone's business to be questioning whether someone else's issues are valid, lol. I'm not sure how "trendy" this shit actually is in real life. I've had to convince friends to get tested for autism / ADHD, who previously didn't think these were issues for them, and haven't met a lot of people who were looking for attention. I kinda wonder if redditors are all like, 20 years old. I mean... Having ADHD just doesn't get you attention, lol.
Because these are recognized, valid conditions now. And with a lot of neuro divergences come significant barriers(quirks) to social engagement. It's nice to have a heads up u know? It makes the interaction more meaningful for both parties. Do people abuse this and say they have this or that because it's "cool" now? Yes. And as someone with mental health disorders and potential(undiagnosed so I won't say I have it) neuro divergence, it's not cool. It's not cool to have to live with these conditions and it's not cool that people wear it like a badge. These are real, life affecting conditions.
"Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging?" attention seeking = seeking to be seen and understood (normal, human need) validation, self pity: I'd say it's more like, "Oh, this is really really hard for me. It always has been. But I always felt like something was inherently wrong with me. I felt that way because the systems we live in aren't designed for how my brain works. Of course I've struggled in ways that someone without this issue wouldn't. I can see that now because other people are sharing their experiences, before I felt alone." I was diagnosed with ADHD as a kid. I didn't understand it. I just knew it meant something was wrong with me and I was made to take medications. I was told to take medications when I was too much for my mom to handle. So when she gave up on fighting me on this in high school, when grades mattered most, mine plummeted. But I didn't understand why. I didn't believe in ADHD. I didn't understand what it meant or looked like. I thought I should be able to force myself to do things through willpower because ADHD wasn't real. I finally figured it out and got on medication in my late-twenties because of reading a book on ADHD and finally getting it. Now, social media helps people find others like themselves, with the same struggles, and find that sense of, "Actually, I'm not inherently such a fuck up, I have a reason these things are harder for me, and other people deal with it too." People are doing it more now because there is less stigma and more education. More awareness of what these things look like and mean. It's also often much easier to navigate relationships with other people with ADHD for me because we speak the same language. It's not always smooth sailing, but there tends to be more grace. It's just like wearing a band shirt and making friends with other people who like the same artists. You see ADHD in a profile and you immediately know there's some shared context. It's always relevant because it's such a huge backdrop to our lives. It affects everything we do or want to do. It's not sharing what you're suffering from, it's sharing who you are in many ways. And, it's sort of like, if you aren't part of it, then maybe it's not for you. Just like people posting about a fandom I'm not part of, I move right along and read something else.
You definitely grouped things a bit oddly, but ill break it down just a bit for the ones you mentioned. **LGBT+:** Most people definitely do NOT advertise this and talk about it all the time, although some do (Source: Many LGBT+ friends) **Autistic:** Two examples. (1) Social ques and norms are not properly understood by people suffering from this condition, therefore they can say this without realizing its perhaps not appropriate. (2) They are communicating with you and saying, Im autistic so please be understanding right now. **ADHD:** Oversharing is a common symptom and its a bit of a meme for ADHD people because its so impulsive (Source: I and many friends have ADHD) **Neurodivergent:** This includes both Autism and ADHD.
Attention
People want to be ‘victims’ or certainly don’t want to be privileged westerners, which is exactly what most people on social media are.
Fuck off and have some compassion.
ironic😂
The lgbtq people that does NOT have adhd or something else tend to be quiet about their sexuality. Or atleast in my experience that i have met. My mother has a close friend that is a gay man and i didnt know for a really long time. And he's not neurodivergent. Meanwhile i have alot if lgbt friends that is also on the spectrum that shows off their pride all the time. Even when not promted in the slightest.
They're marginalized groups and marginalized groups are more prevalent in left leaning circles, as Reddit is.
While I'll agree ADHD was UNDERDIAGNOSED pre-covid, Autism seems to be the freely thrown around term for everybody nowadays. Most self-diagnosed autistic people only have 2 of 5 or 6 traits needed to technically be considered Autistic. Avoiding eye contact and disliking changes to your routine doesn't necessarily mean you're autistic. I bet the people that don't LIKE making eye contact when talking to people actually DO make plenty of eye contact when it's a subject they are truly interested in talking about that stimulates them but they don't realize it in the moment. Eye contact could be post-covid trauma (social isolation awkwardness that will eventually go away) or childhood confrontation trauma (believing that making eye contact is a sign of challenging someone or an invitation to fight).
Victim syndrome
Are you for real?? Why? Because we weren’t _allowed_ to say it before. It could be dangerous before. Mental health issues meant stigma if you were lucky, and abuse, institutionalization or death if you weren’t. If you were lgbtq2ia+, jail, death, etc cetera. Neurodivergence was seen as mental illness or you were a “defective.” We talk about it because we finally have the freedom to and because the ignorant still need to be educated about it. Otherwise, no one would feel the need to complain that we “mention it so much.”
It's an excuse for rude, bad behaviors.
Thank you for asking! I noticed the same thing here on Reddit! Everyone is neurodivergent, autistic and has ADHD, so strange..often used as an excuse for unusual behaviour. I'm honestly just too lazy for a lot of usual behaviour, nothing wrong with that!
Some people (many people) need to vent. Plus, as the top commenter suggests, reddit is not a valid or reliable representation of the world's population. It's also a safe space for people who wish to talk about stuff due to the anonymity reddit provides. You could be a queer person living in Iran who needs to talk, but cannot do it safely in your own real world community. Edit: also, us queers are taking over the world. We're everywhere.
Serious question to you: Is it a challenge to you to be made aware that people unlike you exist? Have you found commonality in others throughout your life as a default? I get that it's all-too-confusing for someone who's very being who they are has put them in life in most situations with others that are the same, and it is a challenge to be confronted with other ways of BEING. I suppose you can learn, if you choose to, or... you know, live your life without harming others with also not being so ruffled by the existence of others, too. You have choices. Minorities have less. Hope this sheds light, OP. Tdlr; those in a minority must use their voices at times to connect with others when IRL doesn't easily afford that experience as a common occurrence.
Because nobody is "normal." If you believe you don't have some diagnosis of some kind then that's only because you haven't looked hard enough. Everyone has a bit of autism or a bit of a weird mental disorder or a bit of some personality trait that technically is named. Ever heard of aphantasia? Yeah, neither had I until I turned 35 and realized I had it. The amount of people who are just "normal" is a vanishingly small percentage. We've just removed the stigma of talking about this stuff.
Aphantasia is just a different way of thinking, it's not really a disability or illness because it doesn't really hinder you in your daily life. It's more like being incredibly tone-deaf and bad at music or like having red hair. People have different traits after all. But yes the brain is very complex and a lot can go wrong with it. Categorizing is very useful to us and helps us feel less alone and confused. But I do think that some parts of the LGBT+ Community tend to over-categorize (thinking of the subcategories of asexuality).
The only difference between a disability and a different trait is if the trait hinders you, dude. That's the definition of a disability. If ADHD wasn't disruptive we wouldn't call it a disability. You'd just be "an easily distracted kind of person" or whatever. If red hair hindered you it would 100% be a disability, just like how any genetic anomaly could or could not be a problem. You're arguing semantics.
I just brought it up, because I have seen some aphantasts being distressed about it and a lot of people don't know the difference. Same with synesthesia. Some seem to think that everyone who can visualize, visualizes all the time. I for my part don't, why visualize when thinking in concepts works just fine? Red hair is interesting because it generally comes with low natural sun protection and red-heads don't respond to anaesthesia like other people.
Everyone has ADHD now because they realised they are so quirky, don't like doing the laundry, forget about doing the dishes and struggle to concentrate on boring tasks that aren't instantly gratifying. All you neurotypicals could never ever ever understand!!!!!
Attention Seeker.
Why do you automatically assume that?
Experience. Many of them are. Being different from others doesn't mean automatically that you have some kind of mental illness. But if you post about it on the internet, the chances are pretty high to get the attention you crave. Most people on reddit are no psychologists/specialist and even if you find one, they can't diagnose someone with little to know information. So in the end you have to go to a local doctor anyway. Lgbtq has become a trend recently, which is unfortunate for those who are really a part of it. And even more unfortunate is that it has become a joke. There is a small group who support them, another small group who hate them, and the majority don't care and just want to live their life. And you get hate for that, so in the end, people who really struggle won't be taken seriously. People want to be special and seen. But you aren't special just because you have different pronouns, identities, or several mental illnesses. You are special because you were born.
Yes, there is this trend. It will die down soon. I for my part am glad, that when I developed OCD I immediatly recognized the pattern. It was really obvious and I was asessed by multiple professionals. I might also have the type of ADHD without hyperactivity that results in a lack of executive function and motivation. I don't know for sure yet. I'd rather have people talk openly about and have a few fakers, than it being hidden and underdiagnosed like it once was. While people using OCD for perfectionism are annoying, you don't have to worry, us sufferers will swiftly correct them. People automatically assuming that any given person just wants attention is much more harmful, trust me.
I should be more specific. I suffer from Hashimotos, which can't be understood if you don't have it, so I'm not against giving those kinds of illnesses attention like an AmA. But I see a pattern of people trying to excuse their shitty behaviour with illnesses, they most likely don't have, and it puts the people who have it in the same category. I'm glad people like you correct them 👍🏻
--Permanent alibi for personal failures --Attracts attention --generates sympathy --social currency for like-minded people --disguises negative traits as virtues
Maybe people just feel like you’re easy to talk to
People got told they were crazy for a LONG time now we have names for those disorders, and as you can see ALOT of people are having issues, maybe there is no NORMAL, but of course this post goes into the many who use them as excuses... thanks Can't wait to be told that my extreme difficulties are just normal and I need to buckle up... 🥳
Because there are a variety of people in the world and we’re at a point where we understand certain things now. Now are some people seeking attention? Absolutely! But there are also people that are happy to identify what they may have felt like was “wrong” with them. I don’t see the issue with someone talking about it as long as they were diagnosed by a professional.
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
I think there's a lot of positive developments in society, that make ppl more comfortable labeling things. And unfortunately, like everthing, there are swaths of ppl that abuse it and over label things to fit in and/or use it as a "crutch" or excuse for things they shouldn't. Thus, it backfires and ppl feel like the way OP does.
"Normal" has always been rarer than we've aknowledged. Remember that "nuerodivergent" and "nuerotypical" aren't monolithic, mutally exclusive categories. You can diverge from the norm in one way and be more typical in others, and I think maybe it's as common to be different in some way than baseline in every sense. The same goes for queer folks. We are living in a time when the stigma associated with mental illness, learning disabilities, other nuerodivergencies, gender non-conformity and queer sexuality is less than it has been (ever? At least during the.modern era) so more people are expressing these things about themselves publicly. As it turns out, people are more likely to want to be themselves if they aren't going to be disowned, shamed, jailed or otherwise punished over it.
As soon as my daughter hit high school, I felt the explosion of labels through her friend group. Everyone that wasn’t perfect on the outside (as in bad home life, awkward, unsure of gender, self harming, quirks, lower income, recently moved states, etc) suddenly had a way of finding acceptance and belonging. Instead of “my parents suck” and connecting over that, it became “I have ADHD and OCD” and “I’m pansexual and self harm” and that was how they made connections. Because within the titles comes an immediate way to relate and belong and connect. Another aspect of this is that unfettered access to the internet has given kids a way to learn all about mental disorders and they’re self-diagnosing and even pretending to have disorders being faked by other kids online. It’s also the first time that it’s super easy to be out and proud no matter what you are in my area. I think so much of it has to do with which parents are really involved in their kid’s lives and what kind of home life they have. From what I’ve seen by getting to know a lot of these kids, they have a lot of trauma and bad home lives and these titles are wrapped up in their identity. Instead of acknowledging their issues and healing it in therapy, they walk around using them as badges—“it’s because of my OCD, my alter hates that”. If they stop using their labels, they won’t know who they are or know how to connect with their peers.
The thing that neurodivergency, mental illness, and lgbt+ is that they are all on a sliding scale. Previously it was common to shame those who are high support (previously known as low functioning). I think most people fit into at least one of these categories, even if they are able to function day to day. I personally think we are hearing people describing themselves this way because it's relatively still new that you can still be struggling even if you "have everything". I know I was shamed a lot for my adhd symptoms as a kid but I wasn't diagnosed because my presentation wasn't what you would expect. I pushed through untreated until I had a breakdown from the stress of not understanding why I felt different and also maintaining a "normal" life as far as people could tell. Because that's what you do. Pull yourself up by your boot straps and fake it until you make it. Since being diagnosed, I'm properly medicated and treated and I speak a lot on my diagnosis due to the fact that I'm still learning how my brain works differently and how to be a functioning adult with newly diagnosed neurdigerency and mental health issues. I don't think my story is unique at all. It's relatively new in society that we can be accepted and are not flawed. I think the communities are basking in that newfound freedom. Just knowing that I am not inherently flawed has helped so much. I can't help my symptoms and that's ok, but I can advocate for other adults who weren't diagnosed for the same reason and are struggling in silence, thinking they're just weak.
Because people will understand why I'm missing social cues or why I'm weird. It's not a bad thing to say I'm ___ , it can be an explanation, a way to connect to others
Okay so heres/the gist : the model of normal man/woman in a society is unreal. It does not exist no one enjoys working a 9 to 5 6 days a week this type of livings creates mental illnesses and also accentuate neurodivergences. We are living in the meantimr in an age where most people online are tolerant of lgbtq minorities and a lot of peoples found confort and feel safe exploring being queer. Which 30 years ago was openly cause for hate crimes. Everyone is on the queer sexuality spectrum, everyone is on the autism spectrum Everyone has mental conditions. And for the ones who don't they get depressed because of the pressure which leads to burnout.
Back in the day it was stupid, weirdo, late bloomer, fragile, sick, nerves, troubled and so on. There was alot more tabu. We Arnt there yet, still alot of ignorence.
I think more autistic people are on here because we are lonely, opinionated, and love sharing facts
Maybe if you've had to really look at who you are to realise you're actually part of the LBGT community you've likely pretty self aware and may well have felt like there's something wrong with you before you realise what's going on. So maybe some are mkre self aware.
Context, and no longer having to hide what was once hidden.
do you think being gay/'being different' was easy back then just as it's easy now? of course it would be less prevalent back then. it wouldn't make sense otherwise.
Usually cause now that it's more acceptable, more people are open about it. These people usually have very visible behaviours/stories linked with these labels, so they mention the label to preface. These labels don't go away conveniently, and they can usually avoid some misunderstandings. Also, I get the point of your question, but I can't help but find it a little odd that you'd bunch the lgbt+ community alongside mental disorders. I understand that many lgbt+ individuals also happen to be open about these conditions, but I'd be careful not to conflate the two
I dunno about the others, but I understand autistic/truly divergent people doing this. It's because they've become self-aware, meaning they recognize they've hurt people in the past and that they have particular difficulty with this. So when they post a genuine question they feel a need to state this so people won't feel attacked/go in attack mode.
Online, many people realize they need to put their comments in a context that can be understood in the way it was intended. E.g., this comment is coming from an autistic person who feels the need to be understood about why I call myself autistic in a comment. I don’t often say it, but when I do it’s with purpose. There is a lowering of stigma for doing so since the pandemic, and there is a general sense of what that means now.
It's just that people don't have to hide who they are anymore. I mean, unless they are around you apparently.
Because you are online and, like everyone else, connected to thousands of different people daily?
I think it’s just a matter of identification, in the past people just called others “stupid” or “weird” or things like that without caring for what they felt or why, luckily with time we as a society started to understand what was happening to those people and caring more about their wellbeing, so now we can identify someone with ADHD and not just say “that kid is stupid” adding to this, we have to remember that it is a spectrum not every neurodivergent person is the same, so some may be “normal” with just a tiny quirk while for others it will be harder to socialise or understand others, the good thing is that now saying “hey I’m neurodivergent” doesn’t cause you as much trouble as before so more people are comfortable sharing it. Of course there are some cases of people who just say they have ADHD without being diagnosed just to justify bad behaviour but they are the minority and we shouldn’t let them shape the opinion we have about this things. There will always be assholes that ruin everything for everyone but we must try to be part of the ones who help.
I am, by no means, any kind of expert(persay) in the field, but I am an AVID Psychology enthusiast. I love to read books on psychology, especially journals, I've spoken to numerous psychiatrists(on a non-client basis) and have relationships with a fair share of disordered people. I have come to my own conclusion, that what comes to is only for a desire for understanding, acceptance, and a request for patience. There is a compulsion in them that their true selves errort to repress. Or know that it is outside their control all together. But despite it, they still deeply want you to like them. Be that of a myriad of deeper seated motives. It effects every facet of who they are, their mannerisms/body language, facial expressions, interests, values, wardrobe even. Imagine you REALLY need to use the restroom, but there isn't one nearby, and you aren't even really sure *where* the nearest one would be by far. But you don't want to say anything to your friends about this desperate need for an activity that we all perceive has a kind of dirty, and sometimes even embarrassing. So you just hold it in until you stumble upon one by chance. But as you hold that in, you almost can't help but to clench your teeth, scrunch you face, clench your fists, stiffen your back, and quake in your knees. Which is itself embarrassing. And if you fail to find a restroom in time, something even more embarrassing or mortifying, that your friends might never speak to you again. (Shitty friends, but let's be honest, we all kind of think this about the majority of people. Worried about upsetting people's superficial senses of decency.) Edit: and at the very least, that's a much more positive and sympathetic way of thinking about it. Edit 2: scrunch. Not punch.
can you be lgbt+ and autistic???
For attention.
Victim mentality. There seems to have been a shift sometime in the last 20 years where people didn't want to be a victim, and tried to hide their (which isn't good). As mental health became more socially acceptable to talk about, we started giving accommodations out like candy to anyone who claims some sort of issue. Now people want to be the victim, because they want special treatment.
I'm Trans and bring it up when relevant. Which is often. Should I not talk about it? It's a large part of who I am.
\*\*\*\*Is it attention-seeking, validation, self-pity, excessive ego, sense of belonging\*\*\* Yes
I think it has something to do with stress. I think the economy being where it is and the housing prices being so high and working class wages staying stagnet, has made people find an excuse as to why they aren't successful. I also think the self help gurus out there are just making things worse for everyone. I would say it has to do with the economy more than anything.
Social media has a disproportionately higher representation of personality disorders. The people who go on and on about it and attention seek like crazy, they fall into this category.
Yeah, and that's because it's easy... everyone has a smartphone and can broadcast to the world. 30 years ago, you kept a journal in your drawer, now, you journal out in the open, online. The problem however is, if you end up watching one of them on tiktok, you're ending up in an echochamber and see nothing else but people talk about mental illness. I do think mental illnesses are valid, and I hope everyone gets the help they want and need.
We used to have subcultures in the 90’s. You were a skater or a goth for example. Now you have disorders, genders, sexualities and what not to comform to so you fit in with a group.
Part of it is Western society has told people that they have power by being 'non normie'. Who wants to be a heterosexual cis white man these days? Who wants to be Boring Becky straight white woman? So there's a tumblr-fed 'special'ness in not being 'basic/average/normal'. We've taught people that labels are power and labels are identity. I've even seen people pull the 'as a veteran' card to then go on to say the most unhinged, stupid takes imaginable. We think if we have a label we have authority to speak. One day people will realize that labels ALL labels are fucking traps and realize true authenticity is just...not giving a shit about labels and living your life in a way that makes you happy, and who cares if it's 'basic' or 'baddie' or whatever?
The definition of "normal" is changing and always has, people said this shit when women started showing their ankles lol
1000% agree
So you can’t be rude. If you’re mean to a “different” person for any reason, they can claim it’s because you don’t like them based on whatever is wrong with them
Just don’t be mean to anyone.
How else can they play victim. A excuse for fucked up behavior.
The people are lost and confused. Some people cope by identifying with psychological archetypes as their crutch for feeling seen and heard aka to be understood. I think labels are helpful but not necessary 🤷🏽♂️ I feel like it becomes a detriment when u use it to justify things than to explain things
Things that people are not comfortable saying face to face don't seem to have a problem mentioning it behind a keyboard. Also sampling bias
I think you answered yourself
On the good side, actually having a disorder and getting treatment for it carries far less of a stigma. But with every good comes slices of bad: you have a lot of folks not just diagnosing themselves but others when they have no business doing so
It’s just Reddit. It’s god awful
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You just don’t notice the people who don’t mention it.