ADHD is often identified in someone’s childhood — when parents or teachers notice issues such as inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsive behaviour

Or. For gen-x, it was “Billy is often disruptive in class, and is not performing to full potential. Billy needs to focus on work or he maybe held back,” which they actually used to do. The whole issue was dealt with as a conformity and behavior problem to be resolved with proper discipline.

I’m thankful - I’ve recently been diagnosed with mild-to-profound ADHD, depending on who needs to derive validation from someone else’s hardship - that I could skate without needing to study, and that I entered a field that glorifies hyper-focus; and while I’ll never be a rock-star employee, I can petition successfully for environmental improvement and realize similar performance improvement.

Now as I talk with my declining parents, I idly wonder which parent bequeathed this particular genetic quirk that both enables my dream job and stresses my wife so. :-|

I rejected the shrink’s expensive-as-hell pharma candy. They were helping her need for validation more than my anxiety and budget.