Updated: Never — Philip's Blog

Earlier this evening, a devoted reader[*] of my blog mentioned that they now have an ADHD-enabled kid in their home. The kid has been there for a while, and presumably the ADHD as well, but only recently has it been determined that the kid in fact has the ADHD-bit set.

This is not in itself blogworthy news. Though I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the newly-confirmed ADHDer to the club! :-)

What irked me however, was how it was said: "there is a new ADHD-patient among us".

No! No, no no no no no!

I don't know how often I (and many other ADHD-enabled people) have said this: ADHD is not a disease and we are not patients. If you must use a medical term, go for 'disorder', but please remember that it is the opposite of 'order', and that order is bland and boring.

Personally, I prefer to say that I have the ADHD-bit or the ADHD-flag set.

It's a feature, not a bug.

Of course, I've never had another brain than the one I currently sometimes use, but all things considered, I think ADHD does me more good than bad. Which is not to say that it's all good. Just that it is certainly and by a long margin not all bad.

I realize that the word 'patient' was not used pejoratively in any way, and that this rant is perhaps a bit disproportionate (no hard feeling though!) but I feel it can't be said enough.

It really annoys me to read articles in magazines and newspapers which classify me as 'a patient' or as being 'afflicted with ADHD' or similar nonsense. In fact, it annoys me almost as much as the writings of people who, unhindered by any serious research 'in the field', classify the medication we take as 'dangerous drugs'. Ugh!

Having mumbled all that, I look forward to perhaps adding the adventures of another ADHD-enabled kid to my blogroll. hint hint nudge

[*] It is not up to me to say who. That's up to them.