sweglord42O t1_itnq79a wrote on October 25, 2022 at 12:07 AM

Reply to comment by princessfoxglove in Study finds brain changes associated with ADHD remission. As the brains of those with ADHD mature, some individuals may repetitively engage in strategies that compensate for symptoms. These repetitive behaviors may result in the brain changes seen in those who went into remission. by Wagamaga

I understand what you mean but I also disagree with you on some points. My main issue is with the language used not the content of the article or your comment.

I don't believe there is any high quality data on this topic but from my understanding, most people with ADHD do not have an inciting event that "causes" them to develop ADHD. This is not to deny your experience, but I do not believe that it is the norm for people with ADHD.

My ADHD brain developed as it should have, there were not any environmental or biological factors that interrupted my brain development. That's not to say it didn't develop differently compared to the "average" person. I think that conceptualizing an ADHD brain as "damaged" gives it the idea that you can "fix" it to become a typical brain.

princessfoxglove t1_itnrzi5 wrote on October 25, 2022 at 12:20 AM

>I don't believe there is any high quality data on this topic but from my understanding, most people with ADHD do not have an inciting event that "causes" them to develop ADHD.

There is a plethora of peer-reviewed research on this. The tough thing for most laypeople to understand is that development of ADHD, autism, and the other major neurodevelopmental disorders is multifactorial and therefore hard to trace and almost never determined by a single cause.

In your case, you are not aware of the causes for your neurodevelopmental differences, but that doesn't mean they don't exist, and they exist regardless of your opinion.

You are conflating the science of neurodevelopmental disorders with the social science of how we frame normal development and how neurotypicality is preferred. The heart of what you are saying is that neurodevelopmental disorders should be accepted and the people with them should not have stigma or be pressured to do the extra individual work to be socially accepted or function according to neurotypical norms and values. To some extent, this is true. We do need to be more inclusive. It's better for everyone!

However, the science of is remains that neurodevelopmental disorders cause deficits that are a significant challenge outside of norms, and the science shows that those deficits can in many cases be overcome thanks to neuroplasticity and advanced understanding of how to educate and medicate.

People with ADHD are more likely to be in a fatal car crash because of our poor brain development. We have poorer reaction time, are more impulsive, and have issues with our parietal lobes, and so on. However, with extra practice, medication, and activities that encourage growth in the affected areas of the brain, we can become good, safe drivers. We can "fix" those deficits to be able to enjoy driving.

If we were to just stop and say "nah ADHD folks can't fix their deficits," we'd end up with a blanket ban on ADHD drivers, which wouldn't be very inclusive at all.

PM_Me_Delish_Ramen t1_itouann wrote on October 25, 2022 at 5:41 AM

You've given me hope with all that you said, so thank you.

sweglord42O t1_ito2huu wrote on October 25, 2022 at 1:35 AM

>In your case, you are not aware of the causes for your neurodevelopmental differences, but that doesn't mean they don't exist, and they exist regardless of your opinion.

That is as empty a statement as "every effect has a cause". Yes of course there are genetic, social and environmental causes for my developmental differences. I don't deny that at all. However, everything about the way we develop is multifactorial whether you turn out normal or not. It's wrong to say there are causes for my ADHD as if they were different from the same causes that make people develop normally. If that's what you mean, I 100% agree with you.

However, I want to be clear. I believe that it is inaccurate to say that there is a "cause" for ADHD in the sense that a virus is a "cause" for respiratory illness. This is what people hear when we say there are things that cause ADHD.

ADHD is not a monolith. There can be ADHD with a probable cause (your case), ADHD that is caused by a delay in brain development (kid who eventually grows out of ADHD), ADHD secondary to physical trauma as a child, ADHD that is "caused" by a brain that is just meant to be structurally different in its mature state. I would say that the first and third scenarios I describe to have "causes" for ADHD. The other two I wouldn't say there are causes. This is what I was referring to when I say there is not well defined data to describe what is more common.

I am in no way denying that people with ADHD have difficulties and that there are compensatory strategies to mitigate those difficulties.