ADHD Acceptance Month – Identity Language

ADHD Butterfly Source

Person-first language can get in the garbage

I took a long time to understand this as I have dyslexia and I struggle to understand new grammatical concepts. But I had it explained to me visually and then it made sense.

I am not a person “with ADHD”. It’s not an accessory. It’s not something that I take with me. It’s a core part of my identity therefore it should be identity first. It will always define who I am in some way – if you split the ADHD from who I am through a “cure”, I wouldn’t be me.

I am an ADHDer or I am an ADHD person.

My favourite term for ADHD is the Reo Māori kupu:

Aroreretini – meaning ‘attention goes to many things’ [Pronunciation here]

This is more accurately a representation of how I experience being an Aroreretini tangata(person).

Let’s break down ADHD

I have a selective and powerful attention (I think Monotropism is a great way to explain this) and it’s on the most interesting stimulus – with intrusions that change that focus. Even mind wandering / rumination / daydreaming is an excess of attention in a different area. I often have too much attention with less neurotypical filtering, not a deficit.

So it becomes AHD…

BUT I am also not hyperactive – so I have Attention Disorder. AD.

BUT I don’t think it’s a disorder so I just have an attention difference.

I am not downplaying the challenges of this difference – I have had a rough as hell life due to not being understood in multiple ways. I just don’t want to pathologize myself for having a different way of perceiving and interpreting the world.

Daily blog challenge

October is here usually known as ‘ADHD Awareness Month’ – but IMO we ADHDers deserve more than that – we deserve acceptance. We need to be listened to, we need realistic accommodations, and help. We need to start moving toward ADHD Pride Month. People should be able to feel proud of being ADHDers, because the alternative is shame.

For 31 days I will be writing every day on being an ADHDer using this list of prompts:

• Day 1: Introduction
• Day 2: What I love about being an ADHDer is…
• Day 3: My Identification/Discovery Story
• Day 4: Reactions to Identification
• Day 5: Hobby Graveyard
• Day 6: Supports and Appreciation
• Day 7: The ADHDer Community
• Day 8: Favourite ADHDer Blogs/Comics
• Day 9: Favourite ADHD Owned Business
• Day 10: Sensory Seeking/Aversion
• Day 11: Fidgets and Stims
• Day 12: Favourite ADHD Charity
• Day 13: Family
• Day 14: Order from Chaos
• Day 15: Everyone Should Know
• Day 16: Work/School
• Day 17: ADHD People I Admire
• Day 18: Someday…
• Day 19: I Love it When…
• Day 20: Communication Style
• Day 21: One thing other people don’t understand…
• Day 22: Dispel a myth
• Day 23: Can’t Live without…
• Day 24: ADHD Political Issue
• Day 25: Symbols
• Day 26: Favourite ADHD Book
• Day 27: Identity Language
• Day 28: Dealing with Boredom
• Day 29: Favourite Memes
• Day 30: Hyperfocus
• Day 31: Acceptance Means…