Welcome to the alphabet soup!
We’ve all seen it before: Ignatius Stockdale, M.D., Lawrence Tuttleworth, Esq. or Mary Ellen Peabody, Ph.D.
Then, with a knowing wink you look at me and say, “It works a little different in our world, doesn’t it!”. In our world it goes a little bit more like this: “Hi, I’m Bob: ADD-I, OCD, ODD” or “Hello! I’m Susan: ADHD, LD”.
Those few letters are abbreviations, yet speak volumes. They are a code we share. They help us understand the challenges the other might be dealing with. Those letters paint a simple picture of what our daily lives might be like. A handfull of jumbled letters can create a sense of unity and membership in an otherwise lonely world. Those few letters are the beacons we hold out to each other in the online networks and rabbit holes we have found that seem to lead us closer to understanding and acceptance.
Maybe, a day will come when we proudly display those labels for all, as we reach acceptance of ourselves and find a pride in our unique personalities, warts and all.
Till then,
Peace
Hmm a moderator on a forum site I frequent has come up with an alternate name for ADHD: ‘WTF’ Disorder or ‘WTFD’.
I like it — succinct and to the point…
Myself personally do not see my son’s ADHD ODD as a disorder I see it as a way of life
My step-son and step-daughter both are ADD and take medicine. My step-son was doing poorly in school when he was younger and had to have his meds changed to meet his needs and appetite issues. He also went to Sylvan to help with school issues. Now, he is doing great and is in college. I am so proud of him and how he has managed to work with it.
Not sure what that first poster is talking about but just because someone doesn’t have a certain condition doesn’t make the one’s that do crazy or wrong. I have RLS and some people think that’s a crock. Ask my husband who watches my legs jump around when I am sound asleep (from sleeping pills) and have no way of making it up. I pray that these people NEVER have to experience it!
Take care and don’t give up.
I know the first poster you speak of. I can assure you that his point was not to question the reality of ADD or ADHD. The “WTF” reference is in regard to what these conditions can do to your life. He is living a difficult life, in part due to these very conditions.
Thanks for sharing your family’s experiences.
- Chris
No I was not questioning the reality of ADD and/or AD(H)D. In fact I have an issue with those that minimize the daily reality of living with this disorder.
In a thread about the differences (or not) between ADD or ADHD a poster broke down in frustration and stated this:
As far as I am concerned it should be called wtf condition – I never remember wtf I came in here for , or wtf I was talking about or why , or wtf I did to pi** her off , No one should feel bad as few people really know wtf to call it now and even if you are like me and do know you won’t know wtf to call your condition as soon as the new DSMV comes out To make thing even more exciting guess what??? When the new DSMV is published your doctor won’t know wtf to diagnose you with either sooooooo we will all be in the same wtf boat trying to figure out wtf we have or try to remember wtf we did to deserve to be in the same boat with a bunch of confused disorganized people who don’t know where they are going but are bored and in a hurry to get where ever.
Reading it I heartily concurred and made a motion that ADD/AD(H)D be henceforth called ‘WTF’ Disorder (WTFD).
Let’s face it as someone who is diagnosed as having/being “Attention Deficit Hyperactivy Disorder” –“Without Hyperactivity”, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Disorder” works as well for me…