In All Seriousness It’s Very Alienating Knowing Theres Something Wrong With You. Like Seeing Your Mental

my adhd ass when someone says something and expects me to be able to comprehend it the first time

For anyone wondering what the difference between type 1 and type 2 bipolar disorder (BP-II), this graphic is really nice. For the record, I’m type 2.

Unipolar Major Depression is also known as Major Depression Disorder. Another Graphic that helps compare the two, and provides references for normal moods, bereavement depression (after a loss of a loved one, for example,) and Cyclothymia:

Other facts about BP-II:

Bipolar Type 2 Patients do not receive full manic episodes, which means they will not exhibit the psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations associated with Manic episodes in BP-I patients.

Bipolar Type 2 patients are more likely to commit suicide than their Type 1 counterparts

Those with bipolar type 2 cycle from Hypomania to Severe Depression more frequently than Type 1 does from Mania to Severe depression

BP-II are more likely to experience rapid cycling than Type 1

BP-II patients typically experience longer depressive episodes than their Type 1 counterparts.

friendly reminder that bipolar ii isnt the “easy,” “soft,” or “lesser” bipolar disorder. just because we dont experience full-on mania doesn’t mean our experiences are somehow invalid. 

hypomania has the power to ruin relationships. 

depression has the power to ruin lives. 

we end up hospitalized for depression. 

we’re more likely to rapid cycle and contrary to popular belief, our depression can cause psychosis 

our suffering is real and cant be discounted solely because we experience a lesser form of mania. 

Leia Organa - Bipolar Pride

“I’m not crazy- That bitch is!” - Carrie Fisher

(bipolar pride flag by @bipolarings !)

Just saw a spicy hot take in the notes of an ADHD post that was like “adhd isn’t a mood disorder stop making excuses” from a supposed fellow ADHD person and like yes, ADHD is not exclusively a mood disorder. It’s 4 of them hiding under a trench coat with 15 other neurological disorders. And also:

ID, a screen grab from an article that reads: About 70 percent of adults with ADHD report problems with emotional dysregulation, going up to 80 percent in children with ADHD. In clinical terms, these problem areas include:

-Irritability: issues with anger dysregulation – “tantrum” episodes as well as chronic or generally negative feelings in between episodes.

-Lability: frequent, reactive mood changes during the day.

-Recognition: the ability to accurately recognize other people’s feelings. Individuals with ADHD may tend to not notice other people’s emotions until pointed out.

-Affective intensity: felt intensity – how strongly an emotion is experienced. People with ADHD tend to feel emotions very intensely.

-Emotional dysregulation: global difficulty adapting emotional intensity or state to situation.

/end ID. (Source)

Like not to be wildly and irrationally peeved about this, but bully for you if you don’t experience this as part of your ADHD, but over 70% of us do and saying we’re making excuses or not trying hard enough is the exact same shit neurotypicals say to invalidate us, and causes us real harm. Please don’t do the same thing. Trauma inflicted by neurotypicals is a huge part of why living with ADHD is so difficult. We don’t need it from within our own community too.

We all experience this shit show disorder differently. It’s a spectrum of one size fits no one, not a cookie cutter mold to fit into.

And yeah, you know what, this shit isn’t an excuse to behave badly, but you know what, knowing emotional dysregulation is a symptom of ADHD helps you to treat it and work on getting a handle on it. Knowing the reason it feels like the world is ending in your chest because something bad happened, and knowing it’s because your gremlin brain is perpetually starved for dopamine so there’s no cushion for the raw emotional feedback currently happening can help you, with practice, to curb the impulsive desire to do something rash or harmful.

I mean, fuck, there’s a reason for why suicide is so prevalent in ADHD, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that impulsivity and severe emotional dysregulation is a part of that.

Knowing that the feeling will end and isn’t an accurate reflection of the situation, overwhelmingly painful as it is in the moment, can help. It does help. So denying this aspect as part of ADHD? Not helpful, and you need to take some time to sit with your thoughts and see why you want to distance yourself so much from this to the point of invalidating others.

It is still a balance of trying to let go and not be rigid despite knowing this. I am not expecting to reach perfection, but just getting through every day,  a day at a time, and knowing that bending is okay. 

HAPPY ADHD AWARENESS MONTH YALL!!

you are so valid!!

your traits/symptoms are valid!!

your experiences are valid!!

self-dx is valid!!

executive dysfunction is valid!! 

nonmedicated ppl are valid!!

medicated ppl are valid!!

autistic + ADHD ppl are valid!!

stimming is valid!!

hyperfixations are valid!!

comorbidities are valid!!

all ADHDers are valid and your efforts don’t go unseen!! keep up the great work funky neurodivergent ppl!!!

Credit: Ashley McMinn