Comment by cpsns
2 years ago
> It's also ok to be yourself, and not try to 'fix' yourself.
Society is very clear that it is not okay with this. If I'm "just myself" then I wouldn't be able to hold down a job and survive.
> Medicate always as a last resort
We shouldn't be so hesitant to medicate. It can be extremely useful, especially in combination with other management techniques. This stigma against medication hurts people.
> If I’m “just myself” then I wouldn’t be able to hold down a job and survive.
this is the thing i don’t get: for someone who’s by nature not accustomed to doing things in the prescribed way, how can they be expected to resolve that via the prescribed way?
i.e. i have to meddle through insurance, appointments, specialists that cost $$ for an assessment which _might_ lead to something useful or might just tell me things i’ve already learned via other means while waiting 2 months in line (actual ADHD specialists are in high demand) and then follow through with monthly checkups and such. if part of my issue is “i just can’t do things that way”, how can the expected solution require me to overcome that before getting treatment? it’s circular; it’s a contradiction.
> We shouldn't be so hesitant to medicate. It can be extremely useful, especially in combination with other management techniques. This stigma against medication hurts people.
i have a lot of friends for whom others would label non neurotypical. i’d never use that word myself, because i’m in such a bubble that i literally don’t know what the word is supposed to mean. but they point out my habits enough that it’s clear “you should see about a diagnosis”.
of course i haven’t, for reasons you can infer from the earlier paragraph. but these friends did turn me onto some QoL improvements like alarms, journaling systems, etc, and i also found that some meds help. it’s better, but now i’m stuck in a situation where i ration meds because the only way to get them through a system i understand involves paying 10x what i’d pay if i could jump through hoops for the professional medical system.
someday i’ll get around to actual diagnosis, but, well, i’m very good at finding excuses not to. it would be nice if i could be allowed to pursue these things in my own way instead of people using the law to block off as many alternatives as they can. allow me options, let the knowledge be easy to find, and sure promote awareness so that i can understand sooner that and how my mental experiences differ from what is normal or healthy. and then let me try these different options and figure out what works best for me. why can’t i have this?